Was life in the Soviet union very much similar to the USA today?

Probably not. But I was a small kid in USSR, and never even went to States.
I think your thought-policing has its legs growing from strict Protestantism, all those zealots and preachers. Now they preach new teachings, but psychology is the same.
As for USSR, can you IMAGINE? You could literally be ARRESTED for having LONG HAIR as a man, wearing clothes with 'politically incorrect' foreign labels, for the crime of being WEST-WORSHIPPER, which everyone knows is a traitor to 'glorious country of workers', and spread infectios and poisonous FOREIGN influence. No, really that was real. You literally had to HIDE if you listened to foreign (like Euro or American) music, or wathched unapproved video cassettes. Soviet police would get the call from informer, count down when you started playing a tape, then cut down the electricity to whole block and rush into your apartment. Since electricity was off, you couldn't pull out the tape out of VCR and hide it. They would confiscate the VCR and I don't envy you if they found something saucy on it, like porn.

Hardly at all from what I've heard. Better health care and education but a much lower standard of living for most people, and a distinct lack of freedom.

No.

No matter what is said.


Our freedom of press still pushes sensibilities.


And... struggles of our society won't compare.

No, not even close.


And don't want it to be.