Posted by FreedomFadingFast on Thu, Jan 2, 2014, at 10:38 PM:
Life in the Emerging American Police State: What's in Store for Our Freedoms in 2014?
By John W. Whitehead
The Rutherford Institute
January 2, 2014
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In Harold Ramis' classic 1993 comedy Groundhog Day, TV weatherman Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) is forced to live the same day over and over again until he not only gains some insight into his life but changes his priorities. Similarly, as I illustrate in my book A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State, we in the emerging American police state find ourselves reliving the same set of circumstances over and over again--egregious surveillance, strip searches, police shootings of unarmed citizens, government spying, the criminalization of lawful activities, warmongering, etc.--although with far fewer moments of comic hilarity.
The following is just a sampling of what we can look forward to repeating if we don't find some way to push back against the menace of an overreaching, aggressive, invasive, militarized government and restore our freedoms.
Government spying. It's hard to understand how anyone could be surprised by the news that the National Security Agency has been systematically collecting information on all telephone calls placed in the United States, and yet the news media have treated it as a complete revelation. Nevertheless, such outlandish government spying been going on domestically since the 1970s. Recent reports indicate that the NSA, in conjunction with the CIA and FBI, has actually gone so far as to intercept laptop computers ordered online in order to install spyware on them.
Militarized police. With almost 13,000 agencies in all 50 states and four U.S. territories participating in a military "recycling" program, community police forces across the country continue to be transformed into outposts of the military, with police agencies acquiring military-grade hardware--tanks, weaponry, and other equipment designed for the battlefield--in droves. Keep in mind that once acquired, this military equipment finds itself put to all manner of uses by local law enforcement agencies under the rationale that "if we have it, we might as well use it."
Police shootings of unarmed citizens. Owing in large part to the militarization of local law enforcement agencies, not a week goes by without more reports of hair-raising incidents by police imbued with a take-no-prisoners attitude and a battlefield approach to the communities in which they serve. Sadly, it is no longer unusual to hear about incidents in which police shoot unarmed individuals first and ask questions later, such as the 16-year-old teenager who skipped school only to be shot by police after they mistook him for a fleeing burglar.
The erosion of private property. If the government can tell you what you can and cannot do within the privacy of your home, whether it relates to what you eat or what you smoke, you no longer have any rights whatsoever within your home. If government officials can fine and arrest you for growing vegetables in your front yard, praying with friends in your living room, installing solar panels on your roof, and raising chickens in your backyard, you're no longer the owner of your property. If government agents can invade your home, break down your doors, kill your dog, damage your furnishings and terrorize your family, your property is no longer private and secure--it belongs to the government. This is what a world without the Fourth Amendment looks like.
Strip searches and the loss of bodily integrity. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was intended to protect the citizenry from being subjected to "unreasonable searches and seizures" by government agents. While the literal purpose of the amendment is to protect our property and our bodies from unwarranted government intrusion, the moral intention behind it is to protect our human dignity. Unfortunately, court rulings undermining the Fourth Amendment and justifying invasive strip searches have left us powerless against police empowered to forcefully draw our blood, strip search us, and probe us intimately.
Invasion of the drones. As corporations and government agencies alike prepare for their part in the coming drone invasion--it is expected that at least 30,000 drones will occupy U.S. airspace by 2020, ushering in a $30 billion per year industry--it won't be long before Americans discover first-hand that drones--unmanned aerial vehicles--come in all shapes and sizes, from nano-sized drones as small as a grain of sand that can do everything from conducting surveillance to detonating explosive charges, to middle-sized copter drones that can deliver pizzas to massive "hunter/killer" Predator warships that unleash firepower from on high.
Criminalizing childish behavior. It wouldn't be a week in America without another slew of children being punished for childish behavior under the regime of zero tolerance which plagues our nation's schools. Some of the most egregious: the 9-year-old boy suspended for allegedly pointing a toy at a classmate and saying "bang, bang"; two 6-year-old students in Maryland suspended for using their fingers as imaginary guns in a schoolyard game of cops and robbers; the ten-year-old Pennsylvania boy suspended for shooting an imaginary "arrow" at a fellow classmate, using nothing more than his hands and his imagination.
Common Core. When viewed in light of the government's ongoing attempts to amass power at great cost to Americans--in terms of free speech rights, privacy, due process, etc.--the debate over Common Core State Standards, which would transform and nationalize school curriculum from kindergarten through 12th grade, becomes that much more critical. These standards, which were developed through a partnership between big government and corporations and are being rolled out in 45 states and the District of Columbia, will create a generation of test-takers capable of little else, molded and shaped by the federal government and its corporate allies into what it considers to be ideal citizens.
If you're in the business of making New Year's resolutions, why not resolve that 2014 will be the year we break the cycle of tyranny and get back on the road to freedom. As I've said before, it's time for a second American revolution.
Replies (56)
Just recently Mo lawmakers propose new rules on allowing children to be taken from parents based on the idea that children belong to the state.
Doug Libla in this paper's search box should bring it up.
I'm waiting for "authorities" to order all to stay indoors due to cold weather and then shooting someone for resisting arrest for noncompliance.
-- Posted by Old John on Thu, Jan 2, 2014, at 10:53 PM
Interesting story on the destruction of 11 flutes that a renowned flute player brought into the US. They didn't even tell him that they destroyed them. The story:
"U.S. Customs Won't Apologize for Destroying Musician's Rare Flutes"
-- Posted by not_sorry on Thu, Jan 2, 2014, at 11:37 PM
Americans love it...
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Connecticut gun owners are rushing to register certain firearms and ammunition that will be considered illegal contraband in the new year.
-- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 8:06 AM
As mentioned several times before, when this phony accusation comes up, if you really want to know what a "police state" is ask people that had existed in the former East Germany, Albania, Mao's Communist China, or other actual police states.
The Rutherford Institute appears to be dedicated to identifying isolated transgressions and claiming or suggesting that they are occurring everywhere in the nation virtually daily to all. They appear to be acting as a conservative ACLU, which is all well and good, but to "predict" that all of the above alleged government misbehavior s are going to overwhelm the entire nation in 2014 is pretty silly.
Obviously it's right and proper to push back when the situation calls for it, but the RI seems to cry "wolf" and call for a "revolution" with no actual and valid rationale.
-- Posted by commonsensematters on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 8:44 AM
but the RI seems to cry "wolf" and call for a "revolution" with no actual and valid rationale. -- Posted by commonsensematters on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 8:44 AM
Not only has Obama abandoned you on many issues, so has the ACLU - the liberal ACLU.
From the liberal ACLU web site:
"The Militarization of Policing in America: Towns Don't Need Tanks". Here's the full story from the LIBERAL ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/militarization
=========================
when this phony accusation comes up, if you really want to know what a "police state" is ask people that had existed in the former East Germany, Albania, Mao's Communist China, or other actual police states.-- Posted by commonsensematters on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 8:44 AM
How did East Germany, Communist China, etc. get that way? An unwavering love of people in power. Hmmm... who on these threads has such an unwavering support for all-things-Obama? Grab a mirror Common...
-- Posted by not_sorry on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 9:05 AM
More doom and gloom.
-- Posted by left turn on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 9:50 AM
More doom and gloom. -- Posted by left turn on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 9:50 AM
From the liberal democrats at the ACLU... your friends lefty.
-- Posted by not_sorry on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 10:19 AM
If you want the ACLU's "top ten" examples of the militarization of the police click the link I provided above. It's a quick read and an alarming example of the over-kill of police activity.
Make no mistake - I support the police strongly in their work to fight crime and arrest perpetrators. But I strongly disagree with the more military-style approach to domestic issues.
A helicopter called to an active crime scene to assist in capturing a suspect? Yes.
A drone to constantly record and monitor the legal activities of ordinary Americans? No.
Tanks? No.
-- Posted by not_sorry on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 11:33 AM
The civil libertarians used to be able to at least count on the liberals to call out police abuse. They are no better than the conservatives in that regard (and most others) now.
In the 1970s, there were about 300 SWAT raids per year. "As of 2005," says Balko, "100 to 150 per day."
-- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 11:36 AM
I am never surprised by anything anymore. The state is always going to state. Besides, it's never been better to be a member of the political class. It's a big club, and we aren't members.
Throw it in the woods.
-- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 11:49 AM
Just for grins , have an election with-out the candidate having the "R" or "D" insignia super glued to their name , vote on their ideas and suggested actions instead of the insignia super glued to their name .
-- Posted by ~Rick on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 12:19 PM
Never happen. No money in it.
-- Posted by FreedomFadingFast on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 4:32 PM
I'm surprised the group has not yet discovered this new revelation...
Conspiracy theorist Jim Garrow: Obama will enlist Aliens and Canadians to rule America.
3 days ago ... A birther conspiracy theorist who inaccurately predicted that President Barack Obama would order nuclear attacks on U.S. cities has ...
Seems like a fairly routine and consistent conservative stance, which I'm sure some of the SO group will swallow.
-- Posted by commonsensematters on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 7:11 PM
I'm waiting for "authorities" to order all to stay indoors due to cold weather and then shooting someone for resisting arrest for noncompliance.
-- Posted by Old John on Thu, Jan 2, 2014, at 10:53 PM
They have to keep people in so they don't get sick or hurt. If people need medical care it will cause a glut of patients in the soon to be overwhelmed Obamacare system. It wont be long before parents letting their kids play in the snow will be called child abusers and sent to prison.
-- Posted by We Regret To Inform U on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 9:18 PM
Seems like a fairly routine and consistent conservative stance, which I'm sure some of the SO group will swallow. -- Posted by commonsensematters on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 7:11 PM
You've lost it... now address the ACLU - your liberal friend - and their statements on the militarization of the police.
You can't. So you make up things. We're used to it.
-- Posted by not_sorry on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 9:26 PM
I'm waiting for "authorities" to order all to stay indoors due to cold weather and then shooting someone for resisting arrest for noncompliance.
-- Posted by Old John on Thu, Jan 2, 2014, at 10:53 PM
Old John,
Don't think I am going to need anybody to tell me to stay inside from tomorrow evening through about Tuesday.
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 10:16 PM
Seems like common has forgotten about typical democrat wisdom citing islands sinking from the weight of people and equipment or when man first walked on Mars.
Wheels, back in our grand folks day, whoever had a good piece of soapstone would heat it up and put it in the covered carriage and go check on the old people down the road when it got really cold. :)
-- Posted by Old John on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 11:07 PM
Old John,
In this case I'm not playing the part of the folks with the good piece of soapstone.... I;m going to play the 2nd role instead.
And as a precautionary measure, I'm going to check my stock of adult beverages... wouldn't want to die of thirst in case a water line freezes.
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 11:39 PM
I just put in my order for a new one for I'm sure to freeze this one off Sunday night.
-- Posted by Old John on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 11:48 PM
I think I know what you ordered. Going to turn in for the night. Do be careful out there. Hear tell Sunday night/Monday morning, we can expect as low as 9 below zero. I sure hope they never left insulation out of a strategic place in here.
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, at 11:54 PM
rick, without the "r or d" most folks would be lost in an election.
-- Posted by Dexterite1 on Sat, Jan 4, 2014, at 6:22 AM
U.K. seizing obese children from overfeeding families. Coming our way?
-- Posted by FreedomFadingFast on Sat, Jan 4, 2014, at 9:24 PM
by AWR HAWKINS
On March 22nd, The Economist claimed U.S. police are overly militarized, relying too much and too often on raids by Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) units who were "originally designed to tackle only the most dangerous criminals" but are increasingly employed for a variety of situations.
According to the The Economist, the overuse of these teams creates situations like the one that took place in Los Angeles County where a SWAT team burst into the the home of 80-year old Eugene Mallory and shot him six times with a submachine gun before ever telling him to put down the weapon he was holding.
SWAT members originally said they were acting in self-defense and opened fired after telling the 80-year old engineer to drop his gun, but audio recordings of the raid proved otherwise.
The Economist quotes numbers from Eastern Kentucky University's Peter Kraska showing that SWAT raids were once a rarity. There "were only about 3,000 in the early 1980s," but now there are "perhaps 50,000 a year."
The teams, "whose members wear body armor and are equipped with military-style weapons"--including submachine guns--have been used "to break up illegal poker games... to arrest people suspected of petty fraud... and to crack down on cockfighting."
Through it all, The Economist stresses that courts have been kind to SWAT teams and tactics--allowing "no knock raids" in which a militarized group of policemen storm a home without warning.
The Economist does not argue for doing away with SWAT teams but for somehow putting them back in the role from which they once operated; deployed only when the suspect involved was "armed and dangerous" or when a simple knock on a door from a policeman would not suffice.
-- Posted by FreedomFadingFast on Sat, Mar 22, 2014, at 8:38 PM
Ike, Someone commented about the tires on that military monster. It's not been that long ago that surplus Jeeps and such were still running around on 40 year old tires. Maybe the county should scrap the truck and keep the tires. :)
-- Posted by Old John on Sun, Mar 23, 2014, at 1:10 AM
IMO, the USA is not far from being like the USA in the novel titled 1984 written by George Orwell in 1949.
-- Posted by Truth Slinger on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 9:56 AM
This out today. Obama seems to be more focused on attacking and dealing with Americans as his enemy. The police state is alive and well thanks to his supporters:
"Leaked Homeland Security documents obtained by Infowars reveal details of a joint DHS/FEMA national exercise set to take place this week, one of the components of which revolves around an effort to counter online dissent by a group called "Free Americans Against Socialist Tyranny," which is disgruntled at the imposition of martial law after an earthquake in Alaska.
The document again underscores the federal government's obsession with characterizing libertarians and conservatives as some kind of extremist radical threat.
The document is intended for "U.S. Department of Homeland Security Trusted Agents Only" and is "disseminated only on a need-to-know basis." Even the role players involved in the exercise itself are prohibited from seeing the files."
-- Posted by not_sorry on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 11:22 AM
From the article:
"According to the scenario, the campaign is driven by suspicion that "the government is responsible for the Alaska earthquake and a "hacktivist" manifesto.""
Holy Batshat Robin... are you telling me Obama can start an eaarthquake?
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 11:43 AM
-- Posted by BCStoned on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 12:18 PM
True! :-)
-- Posted by not_sorry on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 12:19 PM
"...police state is alive and well..."
Actually, it's not.
But now the paraniods are no longer satisfied with just railing against imaginary consequences of somewhat plausible events, they are now ranting and raving about the imaginary consequences of imaginary and fictitious events.
-- Posted by commonsensematters on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 1:33 PM
I have just discovered Common's 10 top reasons for voting Democrat.
TOP 10 REASONS TO VOTE DEMOCRAT
#10. I vote Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I've decided to marry my German Shepherd.
#9. I vote Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene, but the government taxing the same gallon at 15% isn't.
#8. I vote Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.
#7. I vote Democrat because Freedom of Speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.
#6. I vote Democrat becausegI'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves. I am also thankful that we have a 911 service that get police to your home in order to identify your body after a home invasion.
#5. I vote Democrat because I'm not concerned about millions of babies being aborted so long as we keep all death row inmates alive and comfy.
#4. I vote Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education, and Social Security benefits, and we should take away Social Security from those who paid into it.
#3. I vote Democrat because I believe that businesses should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the Democrat Party sees fit.
#2. I vote Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.
And the #1 reason I vote Democrat is because I think it's better to pay $billions$ for oil to people who hate us, but not drill our own because it might upset some endangered beetle, gopher or fish here in America. We don't care about the beetles, gophers or fish in those other countries.
Note:
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.
-Albert Einstein
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 2:33 PM
Wheels, what is your source for the list?
-- Posted by blender on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 3:31 PM
The internet of course.... where all things are 100% factual.
-- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 5:27 PM
But now the paraniods are no longer satisfied with just railing against imaginary consequences of somewhat plausible events-- Posted by commonsensematters on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 1:33 PM
Once again you prove how irrational you are. Even the far left democrats don't agree with you. Diane Feinstein is concerned about the expanding powers of the police state and upset with the NSA targeting of her. Jimmy Carter said he writes letters to avoid the snooping by the NSA on the internet. Now the Obama-loving Facebook creator Zuckerberg says the Obama snooping is too much and Obama has not taken enough steps to stop it.
A couple of decades ago there were 3,000 SWAT raids. Now there are about 50,000/year.
Common... standing alone... with his man Barack. A love and devotion like no other.
-- Posted by not_sorry on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 5:46 PM
And of course we can't forget the paranoid, irrational NY Times today:
"New York Times reporter James Risen called the Obama administration "the greatest enemy of press freedom that we have encountered in at least a generation" on Friday, explaining that the White House seeks to control the flow of information and those that refuse to play along "will be punished."
Silly right-wing, racist NY Times eh Common?
-- Posted by not_sorry on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 6:10 PM
-- Posted by We Regret To Inform U on Tue, Mar 25, 2014, at 2:21 PM
The people have allowed the government to get to big. This is nobody's fault but "we the people" for not paying attention over the years what our government was doing and how it was growing at a rapid pace. Now you see what we got a monster out of control. Some times "we the people are our worse enemy". Pay attention to what your government is doing and elect the right people to leadership positions instead of electing them because of a wide smile or he talks and raps good or because he is coolll. Come November elect responsible people instead of celebrity's or community organizers.
-- Posted by swampeastmissouri on Sat, Apr 5, 2014, at 6:42 AM
Add the USPS to the list of agencies buying up ammo, along with Dept of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Assoc., Small Business Admin., Social Security Admin., Dept of Energy, Dept of Health and Human Services, Commerce Dept., U.S. Agency for International Development, FDA, IRS, Dept of Interior, Beaureau of Land Mangagement, etc., etc.
-- Posted by FreedomFadingFast on Mon, Apr 14, 2014, at 7:06 PM
-- Posted by FreedomFadingFast on Mon, Apr 14, 2014, at 7:06 PM
Freedom: This ammo shortage is going on it's second year now....the government is going to get there gun control by drying up the ammo supply.
-- Posted by Truth Slinger on Mon, Apr 14, 2014, at 7:24 PM
"little more than a year ago, the Social Security Administration put in a request for 174,000 rounds of ".357 Sig 125 grain bonded jacketed hollow-point" bullets."
Well them dang baby boomers will need some thinning out so we don't corrupt SS for the drug addicts and the fake disability claims. We can be taken out and our assets divided up by the leech class of youngsters.
-- Posted by We Regret To Inform U on Mon, Apr 14, 2014, at 7:38 PM
-- Posted by We Regret To Inform U on Mon, Apr 14, 2014, at 7:38 PM
Regret: Another reason for us not to give up one inch of our Right To Bear Arms.
-- Posted by Truth Slinger on Mon, Apr 14, 2014, at 8:32 PM
You got it.....
-- Posted by We Regret To Inform U on Mon, Apr 14, 2014, at 9:20 PM
But now the paraniods are no longer satisfied with just railing against imaginary consequences of somewhat plausible events, they are now ranting and raving about the imaginary consequences of imaginary and fictitious events. -- Posted by commonsensematters on Mon, Mar 24, 2014, at 1:33 PM
The voice of the sheeple has been heard. It's amazing the worship a person will invest into their party / man. Frightening.
-- Posted by not_sorry on Mon, Apr 14, 2014, at 9:42 PM
-- Posted by FreedomFadingFast on Mon, May 26, 2014, at 5:57 PM
Freedom, I scanned through those links pretty quickly because my reading comprehension is poor according to one of our most esteemed posters.
Not saying I don't believe but for some reason my gut feeling is these could be fabricated or at least twisted versions of factual events. Maybe it's the sentence structure or something.
Now I do think we could be headed for that type of police state with the current 'Forward' agenda of today's government though.
-- Posted by Old John on Mon, May 26, 2014, at 7:08 PM
Maybe they are. I don't know.
-- Posted by FreedomFadingFast on Mon, May 26, 2014, at 8:29 PM
Freedom, A friend some years ago lived down the road from a fellow that had a lot of visitors all hours of the day that only stayed a short time. One of the reasons he gave for moving was being worried the SWAT people might get the wrong house.
-- Posted by Old John on Mon, May 26, 2014, at 9:20 PM
Also remembering GHWB ending his membership in NRA because the call the FBI jack booted thugs.
Maybe not an accusation that outrageous today.
-- Posted by Old John on Tue, May 27, 2014, at 9:05 AM
DT,
One mile over will get you a ticket in Illinois right now.... they need cash.
And FYI, be very careful on I55 while traveling through Pevely, they will hand out Double Fine Speeding Tickets if you happen to wander into a Construction Zone doing less than 10 MPH over at 12:15 AM on Sunday Morning (that would be quarter past midnight on Saturday night/Sunday morning). I can attest to it with first hand information.
I made it a couple of blocks into the zone before the while thinking about something else, before the bubble gum machine came on.
And there had been no construction going on since Friday afternoon.
-- Posted by Have Wheels Will Travel - ΑΩ on Tue, May 27, 2014, at 1:39 PM
DT,
Those City Cops in Pevely do anything that pleases them and get away with it in most cases. I am glad your Sister got it thrown out.
I don't think getting a ticket in a State Posted construction zone when there is no construction would pass the test either but I did not pursue it. There was no obstructions, all traffic lanes were open, the shoulder was open and it was 12:15AM on a Sunday morning.
Gave it to a lawyer who plea bargained it and they happily took my money which was all they wanted in the first place. And I saved on my insurance. Cannot describe it any further on here, I might go postal. ;-)
-- Posted by Have Wheels Will Travel - ΑΩ on Tue, May 27, 2014, at 2:51 PM
Here is how justice is meted out in 2014 in Imperial Valley California. How can a routine traffic stop go so astray?
-- Posted by Have Wheels Will Travel - ΑΩ on Tue, May 27, 2014, at 8:15 PM
Anyone know if Cape County Sheriff has an MRAP yet?
You know, "Mine resistant, ambush protected" vehicle? Joplin got one, Christian County got one, maybe Pulaski County also...people in Christian County were pretty upset, asking the sheriff why on earth he needed one. He said to move his people in close to a situation, I guess some hail of bullets. They got it from the military for only the cost of transporting it.
Perfect example of "militarizing the police."
-- Posted by Givemeliberty on Sun, Jun 1, 2014, at 2:31 PM
Menu
Life in the Emerging American Police State: What's in Store for Our Freedoms in 2014?
By John W. Whitehead
The Rutherford Institute
January 2, 2014
Email Print
FacebookTwitterShare
In Harold Ramis' classic 1993 comedy Groundhog Day, TV weatherman Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) is forced to live the same day over and over again until he not only gains some insight into his life but changes his priorities. Similarly, as I illustrate in my book A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State, we in the emerging American police state find ourselves reliving the same set of circumstances over and over again--egregious surveillance, strip searches, police shootings of unarmed citizens, government spying, the criminalization of lawful activities, warmongering, etc.--although with far fewer moments of comic hilarity.
The following is just a sampling of what we can look forward to repeating if we don't find some way to push back against the menace of an overreaching, aggressive, invasive, militarized government and restore our freedoms.
Government spying. It's hard to understand how anyone could be surprised by the news that the National Security Agency has been systematically collecting information on all telephone calls placed in the United States, and yet the news media have treated it as a complete revelation. Nevertheless, such outlandish government spying been going on domestically since the 1970s. Recent reports indicate that the NSA, in conjunction with the CIA and FBI, has actually gone so far as to intercept laptop computers ordered online in order to install spyware on them.
Militarized police. With almost 13,000 agencies in all 50 states and four U.S. territories participating in a military "recycling" program, community police forces across the country continue to be transformed into outposts of the military, with police agencies acquiring military-grade hardware--tanks, weaponry, and other equipment designed for the battlefield--in droves. Keep in mind that once acquired, this military equipment finds itself put to all manner of uses by local law enforcement agencies under the rationale that "if we have it, we might as well use it."
Police shootings of unarmed citizens. Owing in large part to the militarization of local law enforcement agencies, not a week goes by without more reports of hair-raising incidents by police imbued with a take-no-prisoners attitude and a battlefield approach to the communities in which they serve. Sadly, it is no longer unusual to hear about incidents in which police shoot unarmed individuals first and ask questions later, such as the 16-year-old teenager who skipped school only to be shot by police after they mistook him for a fleeing burglar.
The erosion of private property. If the government can tell you what you can and cannot do within the privacy of your home, whether it relates to what you eat or what you smoke, you no longer have any rights whatsoever within your home. If government officials can fine and arrest you for growing vegetables in your front yard, praying with friends in your living room, installing solar panels on your roof, and raising chickens in your backyard, you're no longer the owner of your property. If government agents can invade your home, break down your doors, kill your dog, damage your furnishings and terrorize your family, your property is no longer private and secure--it belongs to the government. This is what a world without the Fourth Amendment looks like.
Strip searches and the loss of bodily integrity. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was intended to protect the citizenry from being subjected to "unreasonable searches and seizures" by government agents. While the literal purpose of the amendment is to protect our property and our bodies from unwarranted government intrusion, the moral intention behind it is to protect our human dignity. Unfortunately, court rulings undermining the Fourth Amendment and justifying invasive strip searches have left us powerless against police empowered to forcefully draw our blood, strip search us, and probe us intimately.
Invasion of the drones. As corporations and government agencies alike prepare for their part in the coming drone invasion--it is expected that at least 30,000 drones will occupy U.S. airspace by 2020, ushering in a $30 billion per year industry--it won't be long before Americans discover first-hand that drones--unmanned aerial vehicles--come in all shapes and sizes, from nano-sized drones as small as a grain of sand that can do everything from conducting surveillance to detonating explosive charges, to middle-sized copter drones that can deliver pizzas to massive "hunter/killer" Predator warships that unleash firepower from on high.
Criminalizing childish behavior. It wouldn't be a week in America without another slew of children being punished for childish behavior under the regime of zero tolerance which plagues our nation's schools. Some of the most egregious: the 9-year-old boy suspended for allegedly pointing a toy at a classmate and saying "bang, bang"; two 6-year-old students in Maryland suspended for using their fingers as imaginary guns in a schoolyard game of cops and robbers; the ten-year-old Pennsylvania boy suspended for shooting an imaginary "arrow" at a fellow classmate, using nothing more than his hands and his imagination.
Common Core. When viewed in light of the government's ongoing attempts to amass power at great cost to Americans--in terms of free speech rights, privacy, due process, etc.--the debate over Common Core State Standards, which would transform and nationalize school curriculum from kindergarten through 12th grade, becomes that much more critical. These standards, which were developed through a partnership between big government and corporations and are being rolled out in 45 states and the District of Columbia, will create a generation of test-takers capable of little else, molded and shaped by the federal government and its corporate allies into what it considers to be ideal citizens.
If you're in the business of making New Year's resolutions, why not resolve that 2014 will be the year we break the cycle of tyranny and get back on the road to freedom. As I've said before, it's time for a second American revolution.
Replies (56)