Not to get off topic, but that is a good example of American propaganda. Anytime your government "teaches" you that we are "better" than another country for some particular reason, you need to be very skeptical. There were tensions with the Soviet Union, and this type of propaganda was needed as a precaution in case war broke out.

I agree with the general premise of questioning such government "teachings;" however this is a case where the propaganda seems to be true. Are you claiming that the USSR did not control internal travel? Their system of internal passports and government approval for leaving your area of residence is fairly well documented.

And the practical similarities between the Soviet system of internal passports and government approval and the current American TSA ID requirement combined with the approval/permission systems of PreCheck and/or Secure Flight are quite disturbing.

I don't see any real comparison between the two. The USSR, to my understanding, actually had restrictions on who could live and work in a particular town, and you had to apply for permission to travel, similar to getting a visa. In the US, you simply have to verify your identity. The government cannot deny your right to fly, provided you show them who you are.

I agree that the emergence of the no-fly list is disturbing, and in theory it could be transformed into some sort of an internal passport system, but in reality I don't think that is likely.