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America: A 21st-Century Soviet Union?
FrontPageMag.com ^ | February 12, 2002 | Tanya Metaksa

Posted on 02/12/2002 4:28:28 AM PST by Radioheart

America: A 21st-Century Soviet Union?
By Tanya Metaksa

Has our nation overreacted to the dangers, both large and small, that we’ve faced in the past six months? Do new "security measures" place us in danger of becoming a Soviet-style police state? continue…



TOPICS: Editorial; Government
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1 posted on 02/12/2002 4:28:28 AM PST by Radioheart
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To: Radioheart
Free speech BUMP
2 posted on 02/12/2002 4:45:05 AM PST by steve50
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To: Radioheart
Yep, just don't tell anybody even though it's slowly but surely becoming the truth
3 posted on 02/12/2002 4:46:19 AM PST by billbears
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To: Radioheart
Been working toward it for years.
4 posted on 02/12/2002 4:50:42 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants
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To: Radioheart
It is a great curiosity that some fifty years after WWII ended Americans still patiently tolerate the "temporary" withholding provision of the IRS code designed to help win that war.

Surely We The People could remove one tiny aspect of this oppressive funding scheme as part of a larger process to bring down the entire house of cards.

There can be no tyranny without the tacit support of the oppressed.

No money, no bureaucracy. Pretty basic.

Best regards,

5 posted on 02/12/2002 5:00:37 AM PST by Copernicus
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To: Radioheart
great piece

bump!

6 posted on 02/12/2002 5:00:43 AM PST by Tauzero
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To: Copernicus
"Surely We The People could remove one tiny aspect of this oppressive funding scheme as part of a larger process to bring down the entire house of cards."

But I'd sorely miss my annual tax refund...

This is a nation of sheep. Many people actually like making interest-free loans to the government and think they're getting some kind of bonus when they get a refund check.

7 posted on 02/12/2002 5:04:34 AM PST by Tauzero
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To: Copernicus
There can be no tyranny without the tacit support of the oppressed.

The scary thing is that there are amongst conservatives, a large number of "The Law is the Law - If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear - security at all cost" types that would be the first to throw you into the gas chamber for speaking "dissent" because they were told to by any authority figure.

Ahhh for the good old days of Reagan. But alas, his words were not heeded and here we are now. The chips are already being implanted, the cameras are scanning and recording as we speak, the Patriot Act has opened the door for the state to make people just "disappear" without trials, etc. The attorney general is calling anyone who complains about their liberty-depriving security an aid to terrorists. It is almost impossible not break some law somewhere and thus lose one's RKBA. Medical and Juvenile records are being searched and compared against currect gun registrations to further deprive citizens of their armed heritage.

Believe me, the names of the dissenters are being duly noted and while they are for now only being heckled as tinfoilers or black helicoptor types, they too, will disappear, while the good patriots who sold their freedom for a few more years of security in the gilded, state approved cage will continue bending over for the priviledge of a rectal exam by every badge on every corner.

The laws won't go away, and the people who enforce them won't always be a nice guy like Bush.

*snifff ahhhhh - smell that? It's the smell of freedom in America a few years from now, the smell of a rubber gloved thumb up the gumper.

8 posted on 02/12/2002 5:50:43 AM PST by Wm Bach
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To: Radioheart
This is nonsense. The security procedures at the airports is ridiculous because it is not necessary in its present form. We could come up with a better and more efficient way to clear passengers if intelligent thinking was employed. Frequent flyers could be pre-cleared and whisked through the gates. Obvious questionable characters should be scrutinized. We should also kick out undocumented aliens and others who have overstayed their visas. The present set of laws are entirely sufficient.

To say we are like the former Soviet Union is to ignore history where people were systematically murdered by the state or imprisoned on the whims of a dictator. They also had no property rights and really no rights at all when you study study soviet history. We are in no such state nor will be.

9 posted on 02/12/2002 6:01:00 AM PST by RichardW
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To: RichardW
To say we are like the former Soviet Union is to ignore history where people were systematically murdered by the state( Wounded Knee, Ruby Ridge, Waco ) or imprisoned on the whims of a dictator.( Patriot Act - imprisonment on mere suspicion...or for peeing... ) They also had no property rights ( guns seized in divorce cases, property seized in EPA or DEA falsified cases, chimneys outlawed, home prayer services outlawed... ) and really no rights at all ( you have a right to a National ID card or chip ) when you study study soviet history. We are in no such state nor will be.

Yes, a state of denial.

10 posted on 02/12/2002 7:10:33 AM PST by Wm Bach
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To: Wm Bach
Baloney!
11 posted on 02/12/2002 7:59:55 AM PST by RichardW
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To: RichardW
Baloney!

Well, that sure convinced me over the numerous examples given.

12 posted on 02/12/2002 8:07:51 AM PST by freeeee
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To: freeeee
Good grief man! This is analogous to our war in Afghanistan. The U.S. is not embarking on a policy of killing innocent civilians. The Soviet Union and Stalin murdered millions. Estimates ranged upwards of 60 million innocent people. Anyone Stalin considered to be capable and having ambition was systematically murdered as a deliberate policy. To say the U.S. is the same is an obscenity.
13 posted on 02/12/2002 8:16:59 AM PST by RichardW
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Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: RichardW
I agree. We aren't as bad as the Soviet Union, yet.

While a recreation of the worst atrocities under Stalin is unlikely for now, the Soviet style police state atmosphere and mindset is well ingrained and is increasing by leaps and bounds with no sign of slowing down.

Eventually, the US will have more in common with the Soviet Union and other oppressive states than with our own heritage. I would say we've already passed the halfway point.

Sure, we can point out that we don't have a Stalin killing 60 million people. But if that's the only significant difference between us and them, we don't have anything to be proud about.

15 posted on 02/12/2002 8:30:04 AM PST by freeeee
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To: freeeee
Well, that sure convinced me over the numerous examples given.

Only if you think those examples are a reasonable comparison with the Soviet Union progroms; an absurd comparison.
The Soviet Union was never subjected to terrorism from without.

If your house is on fire, would you attend to a possible abuse by your government first? or would you tend to the fire?

16 posted on 02/12/2002 11:14:22 AM PST by Publius6961
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To: Publius6961
The Soviet Union was never subjected to terrorism from without.

Gotcha there. The Soviets were extremely paranoid of other nations. They considered themselves threatened on literally every border they had. I've seen maps of theirs with arrows pointing from every direction into their country, depicting foreign invaders. Their response, as in 1984 and now our own nation was to install a police state because of a foreign threat, real or imagined.

And you can bet they called it terrorism.

Only if you think those examples are a reasonable comparison with the Soviet Union progroms; an absurd comparison.

Secret police, military as law enforcement, midnight knocks (or flash bangs) and on and on.... All of these are new or relatively new. We're moving in the wrong direction.

17 posted on 02/12/2002 12:26:10 PM PST by freeeee
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To: freeeee
Gotcha there.

I don't think so.
Paranoia is one thing; actually suffering damage something else entirely.

Name one actual event similar to our 911 incident.

18 posted on 02/12/2002 12:32:58 PM PST by Publius6961
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To: freeeee
We're moving in the wrong direction.

I agree, we are moving in the wrong direction, but most of that was under Willie's watch, with no real justification.
I do not believe that the American public, absent a greater danger, will ever tolerate further intrusion into our normal state.
Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

19 posted on 02/12/2002 12:44:37 PM PST by Publius6961
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To: Wm Bach
Nancy Reagan said it best:

"Just say no!" Applies to police states too I guess.

Best regards,

20 posted on 02/12/2002 8:08:27 PM PST by Copernicus
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