Reply #37: Here's how wikipedia defines a police state...

[warren pease]

According to their definition:

The term police state describes a state in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic and political life of the population. A police state typically exhibits elements of totalitarianism and social control, and there is usually little or no distinction between the law and the exercise of political power by the executive.

The inhabitants of a police state experience restrictions on their mobility, and on their freedom to express or communicate political or other views, which are subject to police monitoring or enforcement. Political control may be exerted by means of a secret police force which operates outside the boundaries normally imposed by a constitutional state.

You can argue each of these characteristics til the cows come home, but it seems to me that, once the Bushies got through shoving through the Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act, various hidden little "gotchas" in annual pentagon budgets, presidential directives, executive orders, signing statements and the like down our throats ...

It seems to me that the US meets most or all Wiki's criteria.

-- little or no distinction between the law and the exercise of political power by the executive: check. And it helps to have a bough-and-paid-for Congress to aid and abet a totalitarian regime so that every time you need more money for "the war effort," it magically appears with minimal debate and no real opposition (and that can't be quickly marginalized and contained).

-- restrictions on mobility: check. One million and counting on so-called "no-fly lists;" border harassment becoming routine; "constitution-free" zones extending some 100 miles from all borders, land or sea; TSA idiots messing with blue-rinse grannies and stealing their antique sewing scissors...

-- restrictions on freedom to express or communicate political or other views, which are subject to police monitoring or enforcement: check. And good evening all you NSA shitheads wherever or whatever you may be.

-- political control ... by means of a secret police force (operating) outside the boundaries normally imposed by a constitutional state: check. I know Blackwater changed its name, but it's still in the same line of work. As are the more than 100 private armies and spook privatization companies now under federal contract.

Anybody see goodness and decency and government of, by and for the people in that very partial litany?

If you remain unconvinced, this dreary post might just push you over the edge.




sf

(the blabbermouth formerly known as Warren Pease now writing as Steven Franklin cuz that's kinda like 2/3 of my real name, eh? Close enough for gummint work.)