“Freedom of speech” in the liberal doxa is the promise that everyone will be validated in having uninformed opinions on serious matters. Under socialism it is the promise that problems can be identified so they are solved. It’s unfortunate that the Soviets weren’t as good as the should have been on the latter, but I think that even if they were we would have been gaslit into thinking that they were unfree because the well-off could not scream nonsense on in front of a crowd and get away with it
Incredible things are happening in China