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How would we know when we’ve become a police state?

as seen on tv

as seen on tv

Senator
Time was, you could count on each political party to stick to its brand. The GOP was “law and order” and balanced budgets. Democrats were “tax and spend”. But Republicans have been edging onto their turf – mismanagement of the economy. In return, Democrats are apparently now road testing their own “armed and dangerous” show car concept.

It’s not just the 700 million (additional, this week) rounds of ammo for Homeland Security. Someone opined that Homeland Security is simply Obama making good his campaign rhetoric to establish a domestic security force. My response to that is we already have the National Guard for that purpose. Doesn’t he trust their loyalty? They’re the guys who are supposed to respond to riots, deter looters, and repel invading threats (if any).

In addition, we have the army, navy, air force and marines. All in uniform. And border patrol agents (do your job please) on land, and the coast guard if threats arrive by sea. The DEA. The FBI. The CIA. And where I live I’m subject to the jurisdiction of the Baltimore city police, the county police, and Maryland State Police.

Whew . . . can you guys please send me a list of all your laws, so I don’t inadvertently break one? That clever book titled “You commit 3 felonies a day” wasn’t much help. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704471504574438900830760842

Wait – someone in the back has his hand up. I’m reminded that when I go on campus I’m subject to arrest by armed campus police. On federal parkland it’s armed US Park Police (like the ones who joined in the fusillade of bullets which killed the unarmed, disoriented driver in DC last year). What – you tell me that housing inspectors are armed? Why on earth . . . ? And transit police? I should have remembered – they’re gunning down unarmed riders in California, aren’t they?

A couple of years ago, I bought lunch for a quartet of Maryland National Guardsmen at a local diner. They were on “weekend maneuvers”. My daughter Dani accused me of doing it because one of the guys was cute. He was, but my motivation was to lead by example. I never fly anywhere, and couldn’t surrender my boarding pass to some needy “warrior”. I thought it might be a nice object lesson (for Dani ) if I picked up lunch for someone who’s working a full time job PLUS giving at least one weekend a month to serve our nation.

Actually, all the guys (and women) in the various forces I’ve identified above are serving our nation. And probably some other groups that have slipped my mind. (Sheriff’s departments? The US Secret Service? Are NASA’s astronauts armed? Ninjas?)


I can’t afford to buy all of you lunch. I already consider myself overtaxed. And perhaps now, “over policed” when I think about the situation more deeply.

In any case, we can no longer blame the republicans for being excessively focused on “law and order”.

The people who claim there is insufficient differentiation between the two parties have a point. And voting “green” probably wouldn’t help. If those guys came to power they’d probably want a fleet armed with solar powered cruise missiles to protect the whales and dolphins, no?

I agree with “Wisconsin” and “Julie” when they say we live in a gun oriented society. I don’t own one. They apparently don’t either. But most weapons actually appear to be in the hands of government agents.

How do we know when this has become excessive? If someone told you that a random country had 18 different armed government units on duty, with overlapping missions, would you guess this was Russia, or the USA?
 
as seen on tv said:
Time was, you could count on each political party to stick to its brand. The GOP was “law and order” and balanced budgets. Democrats were “tax and spend”. But Republicans have been edging onto their turf – mismanagement of the economy. In return, Democrats are apparently now road testing their own “armed and dangerous” show car concept.

It’s not just the 700 million (additional, this week) rounds of ammo for Homeland Security. Someone opined that Homeland Security is simply Obama making good his campaign rhetoric to establish a domestic security force. My response to that is we already have the National Guard for that purpose. Doesn’t he trust their loyalty? They’re the guys who are supposed to respond to riots, deter looters, and repel invading threats (if any).

In addition, we have the army, navy, air force and marines. All in uniform. And border patrol agents (do your job please) on land, and the coast guard if threats arrive by sea. The DEA. The FBI. The CIA. And where I live I’m subject to the jurisdiction of the Baltimore city police, the county police, and Maryland State Police.

Whew . . . can you guys please send me a list of all your laws, so I don’t inadvertently break one? That clever book titled “You commit 3 felonies a day” wasn’t much help. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704471504574438900830760842

Wait – someone in the back has his hand up. I’m reminded that when I go on campus I’m subject to arrest by armed campus police. On federal parkland it’s armed US Park Police (like the ones who joined in the fusillade of bullets which killed the unarmed, disoriented driver in DC last year). What – you tell me that housing inspectors are armed? Why on earth . . . ? And transit police? I should have remembered – they’re gunning down unarmed riders in California, aren’t they?

A couple of years ago, I bought lunch for a quartet of Maryland National Guardsmen at a local diner. They were on “weekend maneuvers”. My daughter Dani accused me of doing it because one of the guys was cute. He was, but my motivation was to lead by example. I never fly anywhere, and couldn’t surrender my boarding pass to some needy “warrior”. I thought it might be a nice object lesson (for Dani ) if I picked up lunch for someone who’s working a full time job PLUS giving at least one weekend a month to serve our nation.

Actually, all the guys (and women) in the various forces I’ve identified above are serving our nation. And probably some other groups that have slipped my mind. (Sheriff’s departments? The US Secret Service? Are NASA’s astronauts armed? Ninjas?)


I can’t afford to buy all of you lunch. I already consider myself overtaxed. And perhaps now, “over policed” when I think about the situation more deeply.

In any case, we can no longer blame the republicans for being excessively focused on “law and order”.

The people who claim there is insufficient differentiation between the two parties have a point. And voting “green” probably wouldn’t help. If those guys came to power they’d probably want a fleet armed with solar powered cruise missiles to protect the whales and dolphins, no?

I agree with “Wisconsin” and “Julie” when they say we live in a gun oriented society. I don’t own one. They apparently don’t either. But most weapons actually appear to be in the hands of government agents.

How do we know when this has become excessive? If someone told you that a random country had 18 different armed government units on duty, with overlapping missions, would you guess this was Russia, or the USA?
Click to expand...


I didnt read this .. just skimmed..

I think you will know you are in a police state when while walking down the street some uniformed hooligan beats you about the head with a club for seemingly no reason..

Here... this may give you some idea
 
PhilFish said:
I didnt read this .. just skimmed..

I think you will know you are in a police state when while walking down the street some uniformed hooligan beats you about the head with a club for seemingly no reason..

Here... this may give you some idea
Click to expand...

Thing is that that sort of thing is happening here too all too often now.

You really should read the TP. When you think about the fire power that so many of our policing agencies already have, you do have to wonder why DHS and so many of it's sub depts are now being armed to the teeth also.
 
Boltlady said:
Thing is that that sort of thing is happening here too all too often now.

You really should read the TP. When you think about the fire power that so many of our policing agencies already have, you do have to wonder why DHS and so many of it's sub depts are now being armed to the teeth also.
Click to expand...

what sort of thing... like the video i posted? i call BS.
 
PhilFish said:
I didnt read this .. just skimmed..

I think you will know you are in a police state when while walking down the street some uniformed hooligan beats you about the head with a club for seemingly no reason..

Here... this may give you some idea
Click to expand...

does it have to be me personally? or can it be any of the following:

- 84 year old grandmothers "tased"?
- unarmed transit riders shot as the sit on the floor of the BART station
- people strip searched and body cavity searched for speeding tickets?
 
Boltlady said:
Thing is that that sort of thing is happening here too all too often now.

You really should read the TP. When you think about the fire power that so many of our policing agencies already have, you do have to wonder why DHS and so many of it's sub depts are now being armed to the teeth also.
Click to expand...

skimming - i'm becoming more guilty of it myself. at least i'm not responding with foul mouthed insults like "yuri" however. i thought he'd been banned or something. yet he always comes back.
 
as seen on tv said:
does it have to be me personally? or can it be any of the following:

- 84 year old grandmothers "tased"?
- unarmed transit riders shot as the sit on the floor of the BART station
- people strip searched and body cavity searched for speeding tickets?
Click to expand...


you personally..surely not.

you figure these examples you cite are indicative of the norm? or just one offs...

cause if theyre every day. and without cause of any kind... you know, like on a despotic whim... then I'm with ya...
 
PhilFish said:
you personally..surely not.

you figure these examples you cite are indicative of the norm? or just one offs...

cause if theyre every day. and without cause of any kind... you know, like on a despotic whim... then I'm with ya...
Click to expand...

does the name "abner louima" ring a bell? he was the guy who was sexually assaulted by the NYC police with a toilet plunger, just for fun. It caused a national sensation, and calls for reform of NYC police corruption. Or how about "the can't well all get along guy" in california, who got $20 million after the LA police were caught on citizen cam tasing him? (he later died from wretched excess/substance abuse/drowning, as a result of his good fortune damages award)

my point is that EVERYTHING is a one off, in the eyes of law enforcement. But like rape, the reported instance of police abuse is far below the actual instance. I can point to any number of newspaper articles in Baltimore where police hearings are held on disciplinary matters/abuse, and the charges are dismissed or receive no meaningful response.

my point isn't bad cops, of course. we've had those forever. rather, my point is that we have at least 18 separate armed government agencies jockeying to control our lives, and that largesse of agents guarantees more abuse.

breaking news - the recently released russian punk rock band "pussy riot" was attacked at the Sochi olympics by "cossacks" wielding horsewhips. These "cossacks" were in fact paid government agents, of course.

my own car was in an auto accident about 4 years ago. i was at a red light, bracketed between 2 other cars front and back, and with yet another car on my right. A speeding vehicle (at least 40-50 mph) sideswiped mine, destroying the left rear axle/suspension, and forcing me into other vehicles. the driver of the speeding vehicle attempted to flee the scene, and was tased by Baltimore police. There were plainclothes officers in 2 other vehicles involved in the chase as well. Presumably DEA agents, since he was later arraigned on narcotics charges. Who decides to engage in a high speed pursuit on downtown Baltimore streets during the evening rush hour? Probably not the local police, who have to live with the aftermath. this was likely engineered by the shadowy DEA agents who refused to identify themselves and left the scene with the suspect. My fallout - the guy the arrested had no insurance of course, and i had a huge deductable for my car. They eventually declared it as "totalled" because of the frame and transmission damage. But that took several weeks . ..
 
worldlymrb said:
When the president has to give speeches saying they are not a Police State.

Obama To Grads: Reject Voices That Warn About Government Tyranny

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/vi...oices_that_warn_about_government_tyranny.html
Click to expand...

i have a friend, foreign born, who has a similar take. she says you'll know a coup or reevolution is taking place when the TV screens suddenly change to pictures of the US flag or national monuments, and "patriotic music" plays continually.
 
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