How far away is America from being a police state?

the_syco

When I read the two below articles, I wonder what direction the US is heading? I wonder will it end up as a police state, or something like Israel where it assumes that everyone is trying to attack it, and thus to keep America free, Americans cannot be free.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/24/chicago-police-detain-americans-black-site

Chicago police detain Americans at abuse-laden 'black site'

http://abc7chicago.com/news/widespread-militarization-of-illinois-police-forces-uncovered-by-i-team/259740/

The ABC7 I-Team is uncovering thousands of pieces of military equipment meant for the battlefield that are instead now in the hands of local police forces statewide.

DamagedTrax

i would suggest that the US has been a police state ever since the patriot act was signed into law in october 2001.

i would also go as far as to suggest it has been a police state in training since long before that.

Torakx

Well they send their police over to Israel to train with Israeli special forces, so even the police are gearing up for war. Consdiring that the police are ment to police internally, you have to wonder who they are planning to have war with.
I'm my mind America is a police state, clear as day.
Whatworries me more is thatIreland and the Eu are following their lead.
We already see gardai enforcing private contracts on citizens.
Arresting them when they protest within 20 feet! that is insane.

Imagine holding up a placard 19 feet away from someone putting in a water meter. You can be jailed for that now. As you might know already, there are 5 people imprisoned in Ireland just recently for doing so within 20 feet of an installation and illegal enforcement of a private contract.
We are very quickly heading down a very dangerous path.
i can see just how easily we could be invaded by european police to manage terrorism(protesters).

If the government wanted to do so they just need to do another bombing run like Omagh(yes my own Ct there) and have it blamed on a fringe group of protesters.
It's also easy to get some tool to do it for them and take responsibility for a cause they think is just. Much like omagh again I would say.
Soon I can imagine the Irish won't just be dealing with Irish gardai enforcing illegal contracts, but also running up against other eu police who are sent away from their local birthplace to cause more friction.
They move gardai away from their local areas in order to keep them separate from the locals. it causes more friction that way(although thewillgive other sensible reasons which are somewhat acceptable too).

the_syco

Torakx wrote: »

Whatworries me more is thatIreland and the Eu are following their lead.
We already see gardai enforcing private contracts on citizens.
Arresting them when they protest within 20 feet! that is insane.

If a court order tells you not to be within X amount of distance from the IW workers, and you break this, you can't be surprised if you get arrested for it.

The court order was for the protesters to stay 20 metres away from water meter installations, not 20 feet.

Torakx

20 meters, 20 feet, even 2 feet is ridiculous when you consider the law on contracts.
My main point with that issue, is that gardai are being used to enforce an illegal installation in order to attempt to force people into a contract.
That's not how people are supposed to do business and the gardai are not supposed to be openly acting like a business, that part is supposed to be disguised. But I don't want to take away from the topic of an american police state at the same time.
I just wanted to show that we are also heading in the same direction.

Absolam

Torakx wrote: »

20 meters, 20 feet, even 2 feet is ridiculous when you consider the law on contracts.

I'll bite. How does the law on contracts impact the range of a court order?

Pat Mustard

Torakx wrote: »

20 meters, 20 feet, even 2 feet is ridiculous when you consider the law on contracts.
My main point with that issue, is that gardai are being used to enforce an illegal installation in order to attempt to force people into a contract.
That's not how people are supposed to do business and the gardai are not supposed to be openly acting like a business, that part is supposed to be disguised. But I don't want to take away from the topic of an american police state at the same time.
I just wanted to show that we are also heading in the same direction.

I don't think that water meter installation is a good example of Ireland becoming a police state.

Water meters are not being illegally installed. Legislation gives Irish Water the power to install the water meters. No law is being broken.

If people are going to break the law and obstruct water meters being installed, there is no option except for Gardai to enforce the law.

If people do not wish to use the water, they can source their own water. For many people, it is unrealistic to expect them to source their own water but those people are expected to pay for the water that they use.

I understand that some people are angry about yet another charge being imposed by the government but at the same time, the infrastructure and the cost of production of drinking water has to be paid for by somebody.

Turning back to the issue of whether we are becoming a police state, I would say that maybe nanny-state might be more appropriate for the direction that Ireland may be heading. I don't think that we live in a nanny state yet but we seem to be getting there. We seem to have more and more legislation imposing upon motorists for what must be marginal gains in terms of road safety, at this stage. Your car can fail an NCT for locks. Locks?! Locks on the car affect the roadworthiness of the vehicle? No, they do not. That requirement was a concession to people in the motor industry, who want to make more sales. Aside from motoring, we have that blasphemy law since 2009. Blasphemy, really? What a load of codology.

degrassinoel

lads, as much as i agree with how ridiculous the IW situation is here, it's swaying the topic away from it's original purpose

You can if you feel there's a conspiracy in there, create a new topic on it here, but dont derail this one please.

Torakx

To repair some of the damage

http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-police-get-anti-terror-training-in-israel-on-privately-funded-trips/5403801

“If American police and sheriffs consider they’re in occupation of neighborhoods like Ferguson and East Harlem, this training is extremely appropriate – they’re learning how to suppress a people, deny their rights and use force to hold down a subject population,” said Khalidi, a longtime critic of the Israeli occupation."

It seems that major incident on 9/11 has enabled the American government to subjugate the general population.
To find out why, it is best to ask who benefits the most.

miss tickle

Torakx wrote: »

To repair some of the damage

http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-police-get-anti-terror-training-in-israel-on-privately-funded-trips/5403801



It seems that major incident on 9/11 has enabled the American government to subjugate the general population.
To find out why, it is best to ask who benefits the most.

When you see signs of privatization of the policing system you know demand will have to be justified, and for the sake of the bottom line, a constant perceived threat to security will be necessary.

Reg'stoy

Just for my own clarification might the OP offer his opinion as to what they perceive a "police state" to be as opposed to one that isn't.

Having traveled myself to the States, I personally didn't see too much evidence of a Police State. I did notice a heavier police presence than here, particularly as there seemed to be one on every street. I, again personally didn't find this uncomfortable.

Torakx

I think in America it is more progressed. Like an experiment that is taking place and is being updated globally as a method of securing governing methods as they are.
I would see Israel as a sort of military wing of their world police and for perfecting strategies to diable dissent without enviting vengence from onlookers.
When looking at things from an international perspective and the different groups that are set up for this organised work(Bilderberg, Federal reserve backers, CFR etc), it seems a logical thing to me.

In the US I think a lot of the work is on disarming citizens.
Which obviously is against their constitution or was.
I can't remember how the patriot act effected that in reality.
It depends on how persons are able to be labeled. Tagged and bagged.