Volconvo Debate Forums - View Single Post - Characteristics of a Police/Security State

Comrade · Aug 3, 2004, 01:46 am

You left out my favorite, Iraq under Hussein.

I don't think America is in imminent threat of becoming a police state. The idea that we are being given terror alerts in order to terrorize us into supporting Bush doesn't hold water. Couldn't the sentiment that these threats mean Bush isn't doing well on the war on terror, and so we should stop supporting him? Its a fun idea, like most conspriacy theories, but flawed and more like a flight of fancy of people who hate Bush.

A police state, in my estimation, is a country whose government uses force to validate its rule and typically impose some sort of ideology on the public. Representative governments don't fit into this because the people have checks on the politicians with voting and petitions and popular support type stuff.
It denies people's rights (and I'm not talking about everyone's "right" to health care), stifles dissent (hence the police part of police state), often violently, and usually uses the same Gestapo tactics to force production in the economy (forcing people to work as slaves, etc.).

Police states are typically also headed by either a dictator or by a small oligarchy or Politburo-esque body (non-elected officials).

The only use of force I've seen lately is the much touted police putting down a violent riot, which is what the police are for. The Patriot Act has problems but it isn't the doomsday bill a lot of people have claimed, and I don't see people's rights being violated. I get boat loads of diseent thrown in my face every day, theres no censorship going on. Our economy is capitalistic, 75% of all jobs are small businesses, not coming from Halliburton. Bush was elected, and so was Congress.

Lots of things could bring about the demise of a police state. Revolution, foreign invasion (for conquering or liberating), the despots pull a Grinch and grow their hearts three sizes and give the country back to the people, kind of like Gorbachev and the USSR...
Pretty much anything that can take down any government could take down a police state.

Aug 3, 2004, 01:46 am	#3 (permalink) (top)
Comrade Hot Lava Location: Texas Posts: 1,229	You left out my favorite, Iraq under Hussein. I don't think America is in imminent threat of becoming a police state. The idea that we are being given terror alerts in order to terrorize us into supporting Bush doesn't hold water. Couldn't the sentiment that these threats mean Bush isn't doing well on the war on terror, and so we should stop supporting him? Its a fun idea, like most conspriacy theories, but flawed and more like a flight of fancy of people who hate Bush. A police state, in my estimation, is a country whose government uses force to validate its rule and typically impose some sort of ideology on the public. Representative governments don't fit into this because the people have checks on the politicians with voting and petitions and popular support type stuff. It denies people's rights (and I'm not talking about everyone's "right" to health care), stifles dissent (hence the police part of police state), often violently, and usually uses the same Gestapo tactics to force production in the economy (forcing people to work as slaves, etc.). Police states are typically also headed by either a dictator or by a small oligarchy or Politburo-esque body (non-elected officials). The only use of force I've seen lately is the much touted police putting down a violent riot, which is what the police are for. The Patriot Act has problems but it isn't the doomsday bill a lot of people have claimed, and I don't see people's rights being violated. I get boat loads of diseent thrown in my face every day, theres no censorship going on. Our economy is capitalistic, 75% of all jobs are small businesses, not coming from Halliburton. Bush was elected, and so was Congress. Lots of things could bring about the demise of a police state. Revolution, foreign invasion (for conquering or liberating), the despots pull a Grinch and grow their hearts three sizes and give the country back to the people, kind of like Gorbachev and the USSR... Pretty much anything that can take down any government could take down a police state. Oh, it's really too bad, isn't it? -- http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050121/480/watw10701210224 Hahaha, that's funny. Liberals are so silly!