Me me me!
I will not express my opinion in any harsh terms. I think the kids today refer to my overall impression as being "blackpilled"
But I'm not really. I was born and lived my early life under a tyrannical regime with all the speech limitations you could imagine. I learned about it from my grandpa who lived through its instauration, was sent to an
actual gulag for (quoting the actual sentencing) "incorrect political speech and the spreading of mysticism". Most people were snitches, collaborators, enforcers... you need to expect that most of your friends, people you admire, people you rely on will turn on you. But that only increased the value and love among the trustworthy resisters. Oh, well.
I can see this happening right now and, although saddening, it is neither surprising nor terribly distressful. OK, it is a little surprising that Americans of all people would choose this path...
And, on the other hand, God blessed us with a great crop of martyrs and surviving saints of great theological depth as a result of those times. He - God - does his best work under these conditions, far closer to those who stay close to Him than in times of freedom and relaxation. Whetstone, winnowing - you pick your metaphor.