US embassy wants 'every social media username of past five years' for new visas

There are no features on HN to "connect" to others. The discussions and content of HN could be 100% the same even if all usernames and profiles were hidden. So I'm not sure a definition of social media could possibly include a site where the people are disconnected from the content.

While your perspective bias undermines your point, this form of government (i.e. vague laws, the highly selective application of them, and the use of the justice system regardless of guilt as a weapon to suppress dissent by middle classes (e.g. threat of bankruptcy, threats of long term pre-trial detention, etc.) has existed for quite some time.

It goes by different names depending on your bias, but it exists. The right side of the political spectrum would call it anarcho-tyranny.

> Scary times

It was Michael Moore in Bowling for Columbine[1] who commented on fear:

> Moore’s central argument emerges as he explores the role of fear in American society and how it relates to gun violence. He suggests that the American government and media perpetuate a culture of fear, which in turn drives people to arm themselves, benefiting gun manufacturers and retailers. To illustrate this point, Moore compares the United States to other countries, particularly Canada, which has a high rate of gun ownership but significantly fewer gun-related deaths.

Perhaps this is just another form of fear: fear of others.

[1] https://watchdocumentaries.com/bowling-for-columbine/

The xenophobes making these decisions don't care if they create problems for US citizens traveling abroad.

Amazing. Do you people understand that this is the most oppressive policy ever among any country?

In American movies dictatorships are portrayed as regimes that are able to control every aspect of their citizen's lives but in real life dictators don't do that. This is why there's the myth among the alt-right about how free Russia is. In real life, only the relevant people are bothered and the rest do whatever they want, say whatever they think. Just don't say it at the wrong place.

USA is going for the US style dystopia and the American dystopia is totalitarian.

I'm sure some will think "This is only for the foreigners, it makes sense to know what they are up to". Once you are done implementing it for foreigners you will want to know what citizens are up to because the rhetoric of these people is not only about the "dangerous aliens among us", they talk about traitor all the time. They will want to know who are those traitors to keep them from infiltrating key positions and you have all kind of traitors already. It's not just national traitor, it's also gender traitors, race traitor, language traitors, fiscal traitors, history traitors, religion traitors, traitor traitors.

The speed of US descending into darkness is scary.