But no one in the West ever blocks you from seeing web sites, unless you are a child, and your parents arranged it! (Or perhaps a library, school or private business...). That's the difference. There is no "virtual firewall" around any free country. I am in the biz, and can assure you of that.
The notion of eschelon, a tinfoil idea, was that the US has in fact such a massive intelligence program pointed at Americans. the biggest counter-proof of that would be 9/11.