Measuring the Extent of a Police State
Nov 22, 2013 7:34:38 GMT -5
Post by Michael Downing on Nov 22, 2013 7:34:38 GMT -5
ncrenegade.com/editorial/measuring-the-extent-of-a-police-state/
Measuring the Extent of a Police State
I believe America’s political institutions are beyond redemption. The hope for America lies with individuals who live freedom rather than talk about it or pursue it through authorized means. Freedom now rests with individuals who say “no,” in combination or alone.
But the issue of where America falls on the spectrum between “free” and “totalitarian” is important to air for at least two reasons. First, there is a key difference between America and most police states. In East Germany, the average person knew he lived under tyranny and he did not expect justice to result from petitioning the tyrant. In America, many if not most people still trust the government enough to believe in reform rather than in the quiet revolution of saying “no.” They still listen to the mainstream media, no matter how bitterly they complain about it. Nothing else can explain why people surrender their liberty and money in return for broken and retreaded promises.
Secondly, even if America is a police state, it’s not intuitively obvious how far the process has progressed. North Korea and the United States exist at different points on a sliding scale of totalitarianism, and merely pointing to rights violations by the U.S. proves little. All states violate rights. When does one become totalitarian?
What is a Police State?
The Oxford English Dictionary says the term "police state" can be traced back to 1851 but the German word Polizeistaat popularized it in the 1930s as a way to describe the rise of fascism in Europe. A police state is generally defined as one that exerts extreme social, political and economic control over peaceful citizens. The control is maintained by widespread surveillance, through campaigns of fear, via a vast array of laws and the draconian enforcement of them. There is a standing political police force, such as the Stasi or KGB, that operates with no transparency and few restraints. The sole purpose of the political police force is to exert social control and act as an enforcement arm of the state.
There are several ways to estimate how far America has gone down the road toward a police state. One of them: Compare the current situation to the above description. Surveillance is close to total. Public fear is stoked through the engineered hysteria known as the war on terrorism, which has kept Americans on battlefields for 12 years. A myriad of laws now dictate the minutia of daily life and their enforcement is draconian. Police departments resemble military units thanks partly to a little known program called "1033 " through which the Defense Department gives surplus military equipment to the local police forces. Meanwhile, the standing political police force called the Department of Homeland Security functions without transparency or accountability; its purpose is to enforce social control.
www.thedailybell.com/editorials/34765/Wendy-McElroy-Measuring-the-Extent-of-a-Police-State/
Measuring the Extent of a Police State
I believe America’s political institutions are beyond redemption. The hope for America lies with individuals who live freedom rather than talk about it or pursue it through authorized means. Freedom now rests with individuals who say “no,” in combination or alone.
But the issue of where America falls on the spectrum between “free” and “totalitarian” is important to air for at least two reasons. First, there is a key difference between America and most police states. In East Germany, the average person knew he lived under tyranny and he did not expect justice to result from petitioning the tyrant. In America, many if not most people still trust the government enough to believe in reform rather than in the quiet revolution of saying “no.” They still listen to the mainstream media, no matter how bitterly they complain about it. Nothing else can explain why people surrender their liberty and money in return for broken and retreaded promises.
Secondly, even if America is a police state, it’s not intuitively obvious how far the process has progressed. North Korea and the United States exist at different points on a sliding scale of totalitarianism, and merely pointing to rights violations by the U.S. proves little. All states violate rights. When does one become totalitarian?
What is a Police State?
The Oxford English Dictionary says the term "police state" can be traced back to 1851 but the German word Polizeistaat popularized it in the 1930s as a way to describe the rise of fascism in Europe. A police state is generally defined as one that exerts extreme social, political and economic control over peaceful citizens. The control is maintained by widespread surveillance, through campaigns of fear, via a vast array of laws and the draconian enforcement of them. There is a standing political police force, such as the Stasi or KGB, that operates with no transparency and few restraints. The sole purpose of the political police force is to exert social control and act as an enforcement arm of the state.
There are several ways to estimate how far America has gone down the road toward a police state. One of them: Compare the current situation to the above description. Surveillance is close to total. Public fear is stoked through the engineered hysteria known as the war on terrorism, which has kept Americans on battlefields for 12 years. A myriad of laws now dictate the minutia of daily life and their enforcement is draconian. Police departments resemble military units thanks partly to a little known program called "1033 " through which the Defense Department gives surplus military equipment to the local police forces. Meanwhile, the standing political police force called the Department of Homeland Security functions without transparency or accountability; its purpose is to enforce social control.
www.thedailybell.com/editorials/34765/Wendy-McElroy-Measuring-the-Extent-of-a-Police-State/