Quote:
Originally posted by James
I don't think we are becoming fascist, but I do see a trend in recent years moving us towards a police state. But no single presidency can be blamed for that.
The combination of the war on terror, war on drugs, militarization of the police force and modern technology is what is taking is down that path,
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I agree that fighting terrorism is partially, and logistically, just an extension of aggressively enforcing ant-drug laws.
The militarization of police is over stated, and limited to certain areas. This "trend" started years ago, most notably in LA. It has already been discredited by its ineffectiveness. New York City is now (by far) the safest big city in America. It got that way by moving in the opposite direction of LA. The NYPD put more officers on the street (not in vehicles,) and made them become more interactive with the neighborhood. Other cities have noticed. Unfortunately, most cities in America are built around the automobile, so they can't get the same benefit that a pedestrian based city can. This issue is not really one of militarization, but one of terrible urban planning.
In other words, no matter what policies are adopted, New York will probably be a much safer city than LA, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, or Cleveland for the rest of our lives.
Modern technology is what it is. It has the potential to do graet good and great bad. I believe that the best thing is to let it move forward until a clear understanding of how to reasonably regulate it emerges. When government trys to get ahead of technology, it stifles it. We're competing on a world stage, and we can't afford to allow idiotic, and unneeded regulations send the best and brightest elsewhere.