An email discussion
I've been trying to find a proper description for what I think is
developing in this country.
I've come up with "corporate police state."
What do you think?
couldn't have described it better myself...
I call it "The Matrix".
you might want to tweak that and label it closer to a quasi-military
state....
here's the picture that I saw, if only for a brief moment, but quite
possibly a harbinger of things to come.
just after the US 'invasion' of Iraq which then prompted the Office of
Homeland Security (& new dumping ground for our taxes) to elevate the
threat level, if we recall...military apparatus were deployed
throughout the capital thus dotting the landscape with the unmistakable
presence of force. Let's also recall that immediately after 9/11 & once
planes started flying again, in certain airports throughout the
country, the US Reserves were brought in to facilitate (more like
confuse) the augmentation of additional security.
Heck, right after 9/11, I was crossing the Sagamore Bridge (Cape Cod,
Mass) and right at the bottom of the bridge yet another 'picture' of
military presence in the form of a Reserve with weapon in hand standing
at the ready -finger lying across the trigger (it's actually quite
laughable -now- when you take a moment to envision this scenario).
Fast forward today, and once again in some 'testing grounds' aka more
airports, police are fully armed with high-powered fully automatic
weaponry and as I understand it from my brother-in-law (who is one of
them!), they are a permanent unit and fixture in many of our nations'
airports....AND that's just the stuff that we see!
In any case, all of these security 'pictures' have one thing in common,
uniformed & 'militarized' personnel.
The question is are they in position to protect, or enforce?
All we need is one more 'nasty' hit and there'll be a Hummmer and a
rocket launcher (used to be a jeep/machine gun) on every corner.
> you might want to tweak that and label it closer to a quasi-military
> state....
"Police state" covers it.
I was looking for as dense and compact a term as possible, one that was
immediately understandable (like "liberal"), has no redeeming
characteristics and is true.
I'm leaving out the theocratic aspect because there's too many people
who'd have no problem with it because the magic word "God" is attached. It
would actually mitigate whichever term it was attached to in too many
cases.
"Police state" is an accusation the right bandied about. They've already
carved a space in the public psyche for such accusations, and the
P.A.T.R.I.O.T Act, not to mention Patriot II, gives support to the threat.
And the only thing people like less that government nowadays is Corporate
America. All the corporate influence on this regime is known.
Of course you have to do more than just lay the term out there, but it's
clear, and so clearly applicable. Using it would involve supporting the
term more than establishing or defending it.
The Holy Roman Empire.
The Fourth Reich....
Simply call it what it is, Earl - the United States of America.
The USA has always been a police state for our people; and business
interests (especially corporations) have always wielded disproportionate
power and influence over the general population and various levels of U.S.
government as well.
Calvin Coolidge said it best: "The business of America is business."
I am so feeling you.
The reason I will not leave it at that is, people who don't see this
already will reject the statement out of hand when said like this.
Assuming activism can have impact, it's obvious there isn't sufficient
numbers active to change the current state of affairs. People are more
likely to act on a threat they feel is legitimate than one they feel is
over the top.
I'd rather put the concept out there in a way that describes a real threat
and let other people add to it in their particular circles. Ensuing
discussion shouldn't dilute the impact of the initial statement. It's one
reason I left out the theocratic element of the threat.
My $.02:
"Corporate military state". "Police" implies something more civil, and with
the Patriot Acts I &II, there's an increasing blur between the two.
posted by Prometheus 6 at 5/18/2003 12:26:46 PM |
Posted by P6 at May 18, 2003 12:26 PM
| Trackback URL: http://www.prometheus6.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/610
