[Sir Gawain]

-

[dighton]

The United States of America is a fascistic police state.

In a real "fascistic police state," what happens to those who denounce the state?

In other words, why haven't THEY dragged Mr. Madden off to some Dachau?

[SunStar]

How can there be government censorship when this jerk is still free to spot off at the mouth?

[WFTR]

This entire piece is just one more Libertarian's rant over the fact that his party can't break 500,000 votes in a national election. Undoubtedly, the country is split right now. About a third of the country would like a government that would be closer to what Mr. Madden desires, but less than half a percent want one that is exactly what he wants. About a third of the country wants a Clintonist government. The other third is too uninformed and apathetic to know or care what we have or where we're going. Because we are split this way, we don't make progress on anything. Even if we were making progress, he would be unhappy because we aren't going to have the government that he wants. We won't have that government because no one wants it.

WFTR
Bill

[redrock]

"United States of America is a fascistic police state ..."

Not yet...but it well on the way to becoming such a place.

..most of the systems that are needed to create a 'Police State' exist now.

redrock

[SteveH]

The writer quotes many of the authors appropriate to the topic... Rand, Wolfe, Zelman. (I would have done without Chicago band members however that is possibly just an excess of personal taste and/or a need to fill empty column space.)

The Patriot Act along with several measures passed as part of the Contract on -- woops -- with America, perhaps do not so much explicitly institute a police state so much as make it socially acceptable to discuss the concepts central to such a state. All of Rand's criteria, and probably more, can now be "justified" in certain contexts at the cocktail party level as being necessary to wage the war against terrorism, which we are constantly reminded will never end and which does not stop within national borders. This is surely a stage that Germany arrived at in prior to electing Hitler Chancellor in the early 1930's. The Patriot Act and so on just serve to blur the principles that at one time used to keep the country safe from destruction from within.

Communism -- woops -- fascism is really driven by corporate profit motivation and economies of scale. With the fundamental principles of liberty blurred, government is free to overrun the boundaries without firm check. It may not any longer be a matter of if, but only when.

If the conservatives and libertarians had the concept of a "doomsday clock" to fascism, I would guess that it would show something like 11:25PM. Perhaps a few minutes earlier or later. The frightening thing is that I can hardly imagine such a clock ever moving backwards given American history of the past century or so. The pessimistic view is that someday the existence of a sufficient common threat will coincide with the ascendance of some charismatic but coldblooded leader, and the America of principles and liberty will join other great but ultimately failed civilizations as just another dusty chapter of world history.

[verity]

Russ Madden smokes the funny weed :~)

[mindprism.com]

Totaltarianism is the normalization of oppression, on both the government and social levels. My examples:

People in the workplace having to hide thier romantic involvement, eventually surpising co-workers with announcement of thier marriage, due to the lurking threat of the sexual harrassment culture.

The astounding thing is people TOLERATE this.

Every business enterprise being subject to license.

Abortion and circumcision, both a violation of the hypocratic oath.

Public schooling. A crusher of minds and potential. A communist abomination.

Fear of police. Distrust of the courts.

Knowlege that you best not make enemies of those in power.