On Tour In America & It's A Police State. No Doubt About It.

How quickly Americans forget that they are the cause of this crap.

When 911 happened people went off the deep screaming for better security so people can be safe.

It seems the terrorists won after all.

This is why I live in a small town.

reply to post by MRuss


Really?

See there is this event that we Americans hold every 4 years called the Presidential Elections and due to 9/11 security is heightened. You need to keep traveling and not assess your "police state" attitude based on DC & NY(laughs).

I travel the US on business all the time and go where ever I please without being accosted by government or local authorities. It just so happens that the areas you are touring in the US are heavily targeted areas by terrorist. The rest of US is on heightened security but the world continues to turn.

I must call BS on your thread here and say that the US(as much as most people here on ATS would like to see it) is NO POLICE STATE!

Just holding down the fort... that is all.

Originally posted by nightstalker78
reply to post by MRuss

 

Stop whining.That's all I'm getting from your post.It's not that big of a deal to me.There is a reason why there's so much security.It is not 1920 anymore.The world has changed and so has America.Really,if you don't like it either do one of two things.Find another job or move to another country.Also,do you really expect security not to be tight in our nations capital?REALLY?

edit on 10-4-2012 by nightstalker78 because: (no reason given)

There's so much security because our evil government is using George Orwell's 1984 as an instruction manual. Start paying attention and stop drinking the kool-aid already.

Originally posted by Domo1

I'm a tour director.

Change careers if it's that big of a deal to you. Saying America is a police state is ridiculous and insulting to anyone who has ever had to live in such a horrible situation.

Saying Amerika is a police state is an understatement. It's not a state, it's just a prison. I await the day when they start being honest about it and start tattooing the bar-codes into our foreheads. It's only a matter of time, you know.

Originally posted by poloblack
reply to post by nightstalker78

 

Security? Give me a break. If they were so concerned about ''security'' in the nation's capitol, why the hell does D.C. have one of the highest crime rates in America? You really believe these people are concerned about your security? And who are you to tell someone that they need to move to another country because they disagree with a growing police state? Unbelievable!!

I agree. It seems the government is less concerned with the actual safety and well being of its own people, and is more concerned with their own safety, reputation, checkbook, and finding ways to rape your checking account.

In the area I live in, the law enforcement has made it abundantly clear that they're out to stop drunk drivers. Seems honorable enough right? So, now we have random check points every weekend which if you're not drinking are an extreme inconvenience, (especially when needing to use the restroom!) or if you have had say, one glass of wine with dinner, are now scared for your freedom and embarrased when asked to step out and perform the "field sobriety test."

They literally have turned this thing into an assembly line, even now with mobile jails so they dont have to waste time going back and forth. They're making a fortune off the people who get caught, are rounded up like cattle and herded off to some holding cell for processing. In some cases this is rightly so, I'm assuming everyone in their lives has encountered a severely drunk person either driving or on foot, and knows the difference between a car that is swerving from lane to lane, running up curbs, and a car that has an elderly couple who have been for the better part of sixty years having a drinks with dinner and driving home safely. Police these days do not, nor do they care to.

Yet, these are the same law enforecement agencies that I called when a drunk driver crashed into my neighbors home, had enough time to take his beer cans and dispose of them in my neighbors trash can, and have his car towed off, all before any law enforcement was on the scene. I called them several times, each time assured someone should be on site shortly, not one ever arrived.

Thank god my neighbors were out of town at the time, but unfortunately even with the license plate number and severe damage to their home, they were unable to sue the driver for financial liabilty, nor ever see justice in criminal court. Meanwhile, the businesses, bars, and restaurants in the area are all going out of business because everyone is too afraid to go out anymore.

We dont have public transportation in my area, and calling a cab to go out to dinner is more expensive than renting a limousine for the night.

Please someone explain this to me

Originally posted by nightstalker78
reply to post by MRuss

 

Stop whining.That's all I'm getting from your post.It's not that big of a deal to me.There is a reason why there's so much security.It is not 1920 anymore.The world has changed and so has America.Really,if you don't like it either do one of two things.Find another job or move to another country.Also,do you really expect security not to be tight in our nations capital?REALLY?

edit on 10-4-2012 by nightstalker78 because: (no reason given)

You're such a gullible sheep. I used to live outside DC and I frequented the Georgetown bar scene on weekends, and used to hit the museums quite a bit. NEVER any security, EVER. You could walk around DC day or night and you'd see DC police in their cars, that's about it. Never ANY checkpoints or security screeners at any of the Smithsonian facilities, ever. You could walk right in and have a look at the original US Constitution any time the place was open.

If you're so in love with the police state here, then you are the one who should move, because pretty soon the people are going to hit their tipping point and all hell is going to break loose. Obama thinks he can ease himself into a dictatorship? He is mistaken. Sit back and watch (since we all know you won't be a participant).

reply to post by MRuss


I'm gonna throw in here, because the people who are so skeptical that it's too much might be interested in a comparison.

I went back to grad school in the EU with a US based study, so I have been flying back and forth regularly for a couple years now, and as a result I can't help but feel like the security in this country is either a dog and pony show or is truly focused on monitoring Americans.

I have flown out of Frankfort, Copenhagen, Paris, Athens, London and a few others that I have probably forgotten recently, and I don't even have to take my shoes off, except one time in London when they were doing spot checks, no fancy body scanners, and more than once have flown all the way to the states with liquids in carry on that were then confiscated for my domestic flight.

100's of flights come in to the United States every day to New York, D.C., and Chicago from foreign ports and these passengers were not required to go through even half of the security checks that one encounters when trying to fly from Pittsburgh to San Francisco.

You can debate the reasons why, but I have a problem with such domestic paranoia when our enemies are given an open door come in.

Originally posted by EvilSadamClone
How quickly Americans forget that they are the cause of this crap.

When 911 happened people went off the deep screaming for better security so people can be safe.

Wrong - Congress screamed for better security and the people didn't do anything to prevent it. They were still in shock that the government could commit such a vile act against its own people just to tighten security on its own people. If any of you don't think that's what 9/11 was all about, you're in serious denial.

The people may not have caused it, but they certainly haven't prevented it, either. This will come to a bloody revolution yet, mark my words.

Also, it's not that easy to just quit and move away. Like RIAA's going after people in other countries, like the FEDs go after moonshiners hidden away in the mountains, the FEDs and the Jack Boots will eventually come after you. They can't help themselves and their paranoia.

I wish they'd learn other ways, to let people be, but they just can't.

The only thing you can do to those pos is send them off to somewhere else.

Like the center of the sun.

Originally posted by JanAmosComenius

Originally posted by Doc Gator

I am also very concerned about our eroding liberties. But, saying that we are living in a police state or that we are becoming a police state is ridiculous. We aren't even close. We suffer some inconveniences in our daily lives, and we must be vigilant, but if you think this is a police state, you have no idea what governments can do to their citizens.

I was raised up in "totalitarian state" ... what is going on in Europe now (personal experience) and in USA (mediated experience) is far more oppressive that I could imagine under Bolsheviks reign. Those "inconveniences" were NO NO even for Bolsheviks - at least at 70.-80. ... for sure at 50. it was other story.

Oh, there was something similar in 50. in USA ... ask McCarthy

edit on 10-4-2012 by JanAmosComenius because: to add McAss

I haven't lived in a European totalitarian state, so I can't speak intelligently about that. I can, however, speak about what it was like to live in China.

Every room in my apartment, except the bathrooms, had cameras and microphones in them. The only reason the bathrooms weren't bugged was because their equipment couldn't hold up in the steam.

My office was similarly bugged.

Every time I left my apartment, I was followed.

Every phone call, email and fax was monitored. Sometimes you could hear those monitoring the calls chatting in the background.

I was forced to hire people who worked for the PLA so that they had people inside my business.

Internet access was extremely restricted.

When CNN (the only western news outlet available at the time, and only available to foreigners) ran stories that the PLA did not like, they cut the feed.

I have been detained (for up to two days) searched and interrogated while crossing into and out of China on several occasions.

After a while, all of the above starts to become "normal" and "routine". When that would happen, I would go down to people's stadium and watch them execute prisoners who dared to speak out against the government. That never failed to put things back into perspective.

As I said, I can't speak about European totalitarian states, but I don't see anything close to this stuff in the US. Maybe it's a matter of perspective.

It is extremely easy to live in America you're whole life and not experience any "police state". Just don't break the law. I've managed to somehow do it for 35 years (and counting). Don't do illegal things people! I don't have any family members or friends who have been in prison. It isn't hard. Common sense is required though.

I couldn't help but notice you said most of your travels were in those disarmed violent states.Have you traveled inland to normal america?

reply to post by Doc Gator

As you have no experience with Central European totalitarian regimes I have no experience with China. There is also big difference how foreigners and locals are treated. Especially if you work in some sensitive business. All foreigners in former Czechoslovakia were somehow tracked.

Now we are arguing if this or that bastards are MORE or LESS intrusive. We are not talking about simple fact that intrusion is bad. Patriot Act is WIN for terrorists! If you have brain in your skull, you perfectly know who are terrorists.

Originally posted by Maluhia

Five things more dangerous than TERRORISTS

Auto Accidents: A quick check shows deaths by terrorist over 9 years 4,300 = 478; deaths by drunk drivers each year 10,000 = 20 times more likely to be killed by a drunk driver then a terrorist.

Don't worry about that one. The nanny state is all over it. Can't remember which commie politician it was, but there is a law coming to fix it. They are simply going to require breath analysis devices in all new cars manufactured. Don't get me wrong, I am very much against drunk driving. Lost a friend to it. But I am very much against prior restraint too. Why should I have to do this just to drive my car? Though I can't say I have never driven drunk. I did once as a 20 something year old. It was very stupid and thank god I didn't hurt anyone. But I learned my lesson and have never done so again. Almost 50 now. When I drink I stay home generally. If I am out I limit to one or two over several hours. I realize there are lot's of folks out there that are not as responsible. But putting chains on all of us is definitely not the answer...

Originally posted by JanAmosComenius
reply to post by Doc Gator

 

As you have no experience with Central European totalitarian regimes I have no experience with China. There is also big difference how foreigners and locals are treated. Especially if you work in some sensitive business. All foreigners in former Czechoslovakia were somehow tracked.

Now we are arguing if this or that bastards are MORE or LESS intrusive. We are not talking about simple fact that intrusion is bad. Patriot Act is WIN for terrorists! If you have brain in your skull, you perfectly know who are terrorists.

I think we are on the same page. As I said in a previous post, I am very concerned about our deteriorating rights and I fight these intrusions every chance that I get. But the simple fact is that we are not living in a police state.

Have we had a lot of our rights infringed over the last decade? Yes.

Are we in danger of losing more rights? Absolutely.

But, are we living in a police state now? No, not even close.

reply to post by nightstalker78


I feel sorry for people who think like that. People who prefer security over freedom...that's pretty sad. It isn't normal to have all this in place. Plus the reason they give?!?!? Terrorists? Believe me, if the US ever start to bomb the crap out of Canada just to get to our oil (It's never gonna happen..I know) You best believe I'll strap on some powerful fireworks and take a few elected official along for the ride.

Originally posted by nightstalker78
reply to post by MRuss

 

Stop whining.That's all I'm getting from your post.It's not that big of a deal to me.There is a reason why there's so much security.It is not 1920 anymore.The world has changed and so has America.Really,if you don't like it either do one of two things.Find another job or move to another country.Also,do you really expect security not to be tight in our nations capital?REALLY?

edit on 10-4-2012 by nightstalker78 because: (no reason given)

You're out of your ever-lovin' mind.

Here's a novel thought - how 'bout we make THIS country free again, like it's supposed to be - and YOU tuck your tail and run off to another country?

I was born here, and I'll die here. THIS is where I make my stand.

Yeah, there's a reason we have so much security - and it's not to make us secure. How 'bout if the timid weak sister stay inside their damned hoses, doors locked safe and secure, and let the rest of us live free?

Originally posted by Domo1
reply to post by poloblack

 

Not at all. I can go out whenever I want. I go shooting whenever I want, I can say what I want. I don't feel like I'm living in a police state. There are problems, sure. Saying America is a police state is like whining about a hangnail to an amputee.

No, Domo1, it's more like whining about an infected hangnail with gangrene setting in to an amputee, and hearing him say "well, you better see to that" as he waves his stump at you.

no police state? i live in california, and you try and buy a gun to protect yourself from all the thug drug dealing gangsters in my neighborhood and see how much of a police state it isn't.

yeah the middle east is horrible, so that must mean the US isn't a police state because we have it better here.

this "america #1!!!" BS attitude is the reason why we let things like "peace time martial law" be passed.

also there are no military bases near me that haven't been closed, yet everyday i see military trucks carrying tanks, troops, and helicopters driving through town. note that the "peace time martial law" can be initiated through economic crisis. gearing up for something? it is starting to appear that way

Originally posted by Trublbrwing
reply to post by MRuss

 

Thank you for your inside perspective, and please, pay no attention to the hillbillies since they won't be getting on board until they come for the guns. We have swapped places with the Russians, as they enjoy freedom and a booming economy we are putting up walls and surveillance cameras.
This sucks.

Hey Percy!

This hillbilly is ready to march whenever you are.

Matter of fact, I'll bet dollars against donuts that I start marching before you do.

Finish up your latte and saddle up.