Analyst claims pandemic neighbor-reporting mirrors Soviet informant culture in the U.S.

Michael Malice, a Soviet-born author and political analyst, told the Planet Tyrus podcast that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed a dangerous turn toward Soviet-style informant behavior in the United States, as citizens reported neighbors for breaching lockdown rules. He argued that authoritarian regimes rely not only on military power but also on civilian participation to enforce control, noting that people even boasted about getting a cashier fired.

Malice connected this trend to the renewed scrutiny of the pandemic response, referencing Dr. Anthony Fauci’s recent congressional appearance where he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights. Republican Rep. Lance Gooden and other conservatives have used social media to condemn lockdown measures, recalling arrests and threats against rule-breakers. Malice emphasized that such neighbor-against-neighbor enforcement is historically alien to the American psyche, yet it empowers petty bureaucrats to uphold dictatorial policies. The commentary was contributed to by a journalist at one outlet.