Monday, March 18, 2013

Living under occupation

It increasingly feels like we’re living under occupation. This is largely due to overbearing government, but it also involves the private sector, as well as the unholy collusion between the public and private sectors. It’s coming so fast, from so many directions, but it’s hard to keep track. Off the top of my head, here are some examples:
i) Domestic drones
ii) Black boxes in cars
iii) Ubiquitous security cameras
iv) Cell phone hacking and tapping
v) Coercive speech codes
vi) The paramilitarization of local police
vii) TSA mission creep (e.g. roadblocks, security checkpoints)
viii) Public school teachers who imagine they have the authority to dictate social policy.
ix) Gun bans and gun confiscation. Ammo buy-outs.
x) Food police
xi) Obamacare
xii) Environmentalists bullying homeowners
xiii) Judicial fiat
xiv) Executive fiat
xv) CPS
Let’s suppose, for the sake of argument, that this isn’t part of a concerted plan to create a totalitarian police state. Let’s suppose that to a great extent these represent independent developments. Still, once all of the tools are in place to make a totalitarian police state possible, then isn’t the next step well nigh inevitable? In other words, once the totalitarian apparatus is in place, won’t govern officials find that irresistible? Will they look a gift horse in the mouth? Will they exercise commendable restraint?
Even if you put the most charitable interpretation on various developments, we seem to be backing into totalitarianism. It remains to be seen whether the electorate will retake the reins before it’s too late.
















1 comment:

  1. "Even if you put the most charitable interpretation on various developments, we seem to be backing into totalitarianism. It remains to be seen whether the electorate will retake the reins before it’s too late."

    Evil happens when good men do nothing and say nothing. (h/t to Edmund Burke)

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