Top Ten Signs of the Impending U.S. Police State

[Laura PourMeADrink]

Top Ten Signs of the Impending U.S. Police State
Hey America! Freedom is just around the corner…behind you
Allan Uthman

The Internet Clampdown

One saving grace of alternative media in this age of unfettered corporate conglomeration has been the internet. While the masses are spoon-fed predigested news on TV and in mainstream print publications, the truth-seeking individual still has access to a broad array of investigative reporting and political opinion via the world-wide web. Of course, it was only a matter of time before the government moved to patch up this crack in the sky. Attempts to regulate and filter internet content are intensifying lately, coming both from telecommunications corporations (who are gearing up to pass legislation transferring ownership and regulation of the internet to themselves), and the Pentagon (which issued an “Information Operations Roadmap” in 2003, signed by Donald Rumsfeld, which outlines tactics such as network attacks and acknowledges, without suggesting a remedy, that US propaganda planted in other countries has easily found its way to Americans via the internet). One obvious tactic clearing the way for stifling regulation of internet content is the growing media frenzy over child pornography and “internet predators,” which will surely lead to legislation that by far exceeds in its purview what is needed to fight such threats.

“The Long War”

This little piece of clumsy marketing died off quickly, but it gave away what many already suspected: the War on Terror will never end, nor is it meant to end. It is designed to be perpetual. As with the War on Drugs, it outlines a goal that can never be fully attained—as long as there are pissed off people and explosives. The Long War will eternally justify what are ostensibly temporary measures: suspension of civil liberties, military expansion, domestic spying, massive deficit spending and the like. This short-lived moniker told us all, “get used to it. Things aren’t going to change any time soon.”

The USA PATRIOT Act

Did anyone really think this was going to be temporary? Yes, this disgusting power grab gives the government the right to sneak into your house, look through all your stuff and not tell you about it for weeks on a rubber stamp warrant. Yes, they can look at your medical records and library selections. Yes, they can pass along any information they find without probable cause for purposes of prosecution. No, they’re not going to take it back, ever.

Prison camps

This last January the Army Corps of Engineers gave Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root nearly $400 million to build detention centers in the United States, for the purpose of unspecified “new programs.” Of course, the obvious first guess would be that these new programs might involve rounding up Muslims or political dissenters—I mean, obviously detention facilities are there to hold somebody. I wish I had more to tell you about this, but it’s, you know…secret.

The rest at:
http://buffalobeast.com/99/policestate.htm

[Dunvegan]

1. This is Good

Warrantless Wiretapping:

Amazingly, the GOP sees this issue as a plus for them. How can this be? What are you, stupid? You find out the government is listening to the phone calls of US citizens, without even the weakest of judicial oversight and you think that’s okay? Come on—if you know anything about history, you know that no government can be trusted to handle something like this responsibly. One day they’re listening for Osama, and the next they’re listening in on Howard Dean.

Think about it: this administration hates unauthorized leaks. With no judicial oversight, why on earth wouldn’t they eavesdrop on, say, Seymour Hersh, to figure out who’s spilling the beans? It’s a no-brainer. Speaking of which, it bears repeating: terrorists already knew we would try to spy on them. They don’t care if we have a warrant or not. But you should.

“Free Speech Zones”

I know it’s old news, but…come on, are they fucking serious?

High-ranking Whistleblowers:

Army Generals. Top-level CIA officials. NSA operatives. White House cabinet members. These are the kind of people that Republicans fantasize about being, and whose judgment they usually respect. But for some reason, when these people resign in protest and criticize the Bush administration en masse, they are cast as traitorous, anti-American publicity hounds. Ridiculous. The fact is, when people who kill, spy and deceive for a living tell you that the White House has gone too far, you had damn well better pay attention. We all know most of these people are staunch Republicans. If the entire military except for the two guys the Pentagon put in front of the press wants Rumsfeld out, why on earth wouldn’t you listen?

More at http://buffalobeast.com/99/policestate.htm

[Dufaeth]

4. Not to mention threatening the reporters that write about whistle blowers

eom

[Jed Dilligan]

2. K and R

People need to wake up to the fact that prison camps are already being built, before getting behind a roundup of "illegals".

[Buzz Clik]

3. Impending? That suggests something in the future...

[DemoTex]

5. War Without End .. Amen, Amen.

That was a central premise of Orwell's 1984. Like the inhabitants of Oceania, who never really knew who the enemy-du-jour was (East-Asia or Eurasia?), we are confused and submissive. For example, the US sold weapons to Iraq and then bombed the shit out of them. Remember the picture of Rummy and Sadaam.

K&R

[drfresh]

6. That's depressing

Somebody post the top ten signs of impending election victory and constitutional restoration.

[dorkulon]

11. I'm not sure if there are ten of those. (nt)

[bobthedrummer]

7. We have met The 14 characteristics of Fascism (by Dr. Lawrence Britt)

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Fascism/14_Characteristics_Fascism.html

Our perceptions about it are being managed too, especially by the Rumsfeld Pentagon, but the infrastructure has been here for awhile. On the positive side, it isn't totalitarian-yet.
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB177/index.htm

[Nightjock]

8. Scary

You should post this as it's own thread

[bobthedrummer]

9. It's been posted over the years by many-it was in GD Politics yesterday

it is always timely.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. Kick. For more attention

[dorkulon]

12. Great quote

"The fact is, when people who kill, spy and deceive for a living tell you that the White House has gone too far, you had damn well better pay attention."

[cyberpj]

13. Excellent article. K & R.

PJ: All I can add is remember the story of 'how to boil a frog' (turn the heat up so slowly he doesn't notice until it's too late). Then, re-read history, and understand that before long the rest of the world will look at Americans just as we all looked at the Germans who allowed their country to be stolen and millions of humans to be tortured and killed in the name of 'protecting the homeland'.