The 1933 to 1939 pre-war years were strange for the average law-abiding German. There was prosperity and high employment, yet everyone lived in secret fear of a visit by the Gestapo. People pretented not to notice their neighbors suddenly just gone.
It seems like our political system has really gone down the crapper in the last ten years or so. I was not in favor of the patriot act, because I knew it would be abused by democrats. There is no respect for the taxpayer anymore and no consideration for how bad laws impact freedom. They just pass laws to make it look like they’re doing something.