You can obviously define words to mean whatever you want them to mean. However, in common discourse, the phrase "police state" has a very definite meaning that does not incorporate most developed countries, where routine street-level weapon searches by the police are not only legal - they are standard police procedure.
“where routine street-level weapon searches by the police are not only legal - they are standard police procedure.”
Ironically, I think in you’re explanation on what a police state is and is not, you just defined “police state”
Wrong, in common discourse, that is the very definition of a police state.
How do you feel about internal passports and being greeted with, “Show me your papers!” a few times every day?
You have a disappointingly high tolerance for tyranny. If it isn’t too awfully instrusive and makes you feel safer, you appear to be OK with most any intrusion.
Good Germans didn’t really have to worry about the Gestapo, did they? It was a bit of a hassle to be stopped, but it brought a high level of order to society, only affecting those that everyone agreed were a problem, so where was the harm?