How close is the US to becoming a totalitarian state?

[Cyclotron]

Well, I don't think it is. But as far as the election goes, anyone who says Gore won is as bad as Ashcroft as far as ignoring the constitution. News flash: The president, according to the constitution, is not elected by popular vote. To say that the current president is not really the president is as blatant a desecration of the constitution as is the obstruction of civil liberties.

I didn't even vote for Bush.

[Dom Pedro II]

America will probably get to be more of a conservative authoritarian country... or at least one more like Mussolini's Italy.

A Corporate Republic would be a good term since "Republic" is not necessarily a democracy. But I think that the American corporations and the government will blur even further and one way or another, American citizens will be subject to a terrestrial force far beyond their control.

[Lord Merciless]

I think corporations have far less influence on the US government today than 100 years ago, when Robber Barons were running the show.

[The Andy-Man]

nah, the whole of the western world is being increasingly dominated by corparatism, especially as the flow of privatisation increases. I mean, in a country where every thing is privatised, what is the point of a govt?

[GePap]

The US is closer to 1900 levels of wealth inequality than 1960's levels.

NO, the US isn't becoming a totalitarian state anymore than most modern democratic states. After al, england has as restrictive laws as the US in some respects, and yet I don't see anyone screaming about the English dictatorship.

Also, Dino and company: you guys can be so pathetic sometimes. Tass posts a poll that is not written in a provocative manner, yet all you guys do is react in a knee-jerck jingo fashion. Give it up! Had he posted a clearly provocative, slanted poll, perhaps, but not this one.

[Gangerolf]

I thought the US was 50 totalitarian states.

[Gangerolf]

Originally posted by TheBirdMan

If it is going to be part of a greater deal, most danish are ready to give the Faroe islands away for free. Anybody interessted?

You should give them back to Norway. And Greenland as well please.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
The trend is clear. If Americans feel their security is threatened, they will jettison their freedoms faster than a sinking ship will jettison ballast.

Yea I know. We shouldn't have the right to get rid of our freedoms like that. I want to move to a country where people aren't allowed to choose whether they can turn their freedoms over in exchange for safety.

[Zkribbler]

And take a moment to read chegitz's No-Fly thread.

You find your name on the No-Fly List. There's no way to find out why you're on the list. And there's no way to get off the list.

[Drake Tungsten]

Some of you guys need to really figure out what a totalitarian state really is. America is about as far from a totalitarian state as you can get, along with England, Australia, Canada and other Anglophone states.

[Pandemoniak]

Le Pen's party was the rightful winner of your last election. It's only been a horrible conspiracy by Chirac that has kept him from claiming his rightful post. It's time for another revolution to restore democracy in your country!

DinoDoc, you're pathetic. You talk bull.****s like Fez. Get more informations about what happened before you dare talk of that to me.

[Chris 62]

Originally posted by Tassadar5000 If they were threatening to take civil liberties away, yep. Definately.

And what exactly would those "Liberties" be that are "threatened"?

Keep in mind, your saying parts of the Constituiton are being threatened, what parts? (Civil liberties are defined in the US bill of rights, which is part of the US Constitution)

[Ãskallin]

Originally posted by TheBirdMan
If it is going to be part of a greater deal, most danish are ready to give the Faroe islands away for free. Anybody interessted?

Iceland should get Greenland and North America afterall
We found it 500 years before Columbus

and Norway should get Faroe islands and Denmark get a big part of England and Scotland and Ireland

Then things are getting as they should be!!!

[GePap]

The farthest one could be from a totalitarian state is the Liberterian utopia various posters constantly praise in these boards.

I agree that the US isn't going to become a totalitarian state, but we do share various things is common, just as any political party shares things in common. Thats just the nature of being a modern state, which both our current democracy and Totalitarian states are. You can't classify two things in a single category without them sharing various key characteristics.

As for your question Chris:

Well, the right of habeas Corpus, and a fair and free trial for American citizens is threatened by the new law that states that the Government can, without any judicial oversight ability, classify an American citizen as an ilegal combatant thus denying them not only constitutional guarantees but also Geneva convention guarantees. Then there was that issue brought up by Che of denying some peole the right to move about freely because of political statements they had made. Then there is the fact that as part fo the patriot act, the burden of proof authorities had to meet to get searches approved by the copurts has been lowered.

So, thats the 1st, 4th, and 6th ammendments that are under some form of 'threat'.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Chris 62
And what exactly would those "Liberties" be that are "threatened"?

Keep in mind, your saying parts of the Constituiton are being threatened, what parts? (Civil liberties are defined in the US bill of rights, which is part of the US Constitution)

Off the top of my head:

Freedom of speech, petition and assemble, as peace actitivist and Green Party members are placed on the No-Fly List. (Also see Asher's recent threat about being afraid to post here anymore because of potential future retaliation from the government.)

Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, as the govenment increases its routine spying on everyday citizents.

Freedom to confront your accusers, as the Administration considers whether it should try American citizens before military tribunals.

I'm sure there's more.

P.S. To all those screaming that we are not living in a totalitarian society, I agree. All I and others have said is that we are moving in that direction.