People’s Republic of China (I was born there, later moved abroad). The only thing keeping me sane right now, is the variety of entertainment I can obtain. Can’t imagine having to watch WW2 tv drama about resistance against imperial japan (watched too many of those), or like romance dramas, or some show about some old dynasty in history, those are basically the only things that exist in Chinese media. And its so cliche, there isn’t even anything like the GoT style thing where “any character can die” trope happens, I’ve watch so much of those dramas as a kid, I could literally predict plot points.

There is HK drama which is slightly better, but still they follow similar recipes.

Authoritarianism really limits how much creativity there is in writings and media.

And yes I know VPNs exist, but would I even have knowledge of VPNs in the other timeline where I remained in mainland China?

And that’s only the access to information aspect.

There is literally no “mental health awareness” in China like there is in the west. You are either viewed as “lazy” or you’re “completely insane”, there is no in-between. Nobody would give a shit about depression, “stop being lazy” is what you would get told. You can shit on the US all you want, but at least the Americans with Disabilities Act is a thing, wheelchair ramps are a thing. In China? Nope. Very ableist mindset. And if you don’t ger married? You get basically socially ostricized. If I was still in China, I’d probably have either killed myself or killed some CCP Goons (the cops) in a fit of rage because I’ve lost my sanity in that state-capitalist society, then be sentenced to death penalty.

Healthcare? LMFAO Nope. Everything is just as expensibe as in the US. But you also have to compete with a billion people on jobs.

Also, Hukou restricts where you can settle, because kids can’t go to a public school in a place that’s not where your Hukou is registered. Its kinda like undocumented immigrants in the USA, except its in your own country, your own borders, like you’re supposed to be a “Citizen”, but apparantly, Hukou is like the intra-country’s citizenship.

Overtime pay? Nope

Unions? Nope. I mean unless you are talking about the CCP’s “union” or whatever BS organization that doesn’t do shit. 无牙老虎 basically (tiger with no teeth)

Workplace safety? Nope.

If your employer refuse to pay you after you worked there for a month, well good luck buddy, there is no “Deparment of Labor” to help you with that (there probably is de jure someone you can complain to, but de facto nobody would do anything).

Toxic masculinity, “You’re a boy, stop crying” (To be fair, Americans also have this mentality, but its more prevalent in China).

LGBTQ? If you are transgender, oh my, you are gonna get so ridiculed by people. They say stuff like: “男人扮女人， 成和体统” (“Men pretending to be women, wtf” actually idk how to translate “成和体统”), or they’ll call you “变态” (“Perverted”).

As bad as the US is, if you’re a white dude you can just easily move out of your maga infested shithole and go to a liberal city and improve their life by 70% (well, you can’t fix the collapsing economy tho, but at leat the social aspects and “age-verification laws” aren’t a thing (not yet at least)). In China? Good fucking luck. Aside from the very minority of people who have progressibe values, its a conservative-infested shithole, on par with magaland (republican states) in the US.

The US is about average on the good/bad scale (at least when it comes to what happens inside the country,), considering how evil and cruel humans around the world can be.

Of course EU is better than the US, but acting like the US is the worst place on the planet is really a privilaged mindset.