The Police State is Closer Than You Think

[pberq]

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts10102005.html

October 10, 2005
The Corpse of Habeas Corpus
The Police State is Closer Than You Think

By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

Police states are easier to acquire than Americans appreciate.

The hysterical aftermath of September 11 has put into place the main components of a police state.

Habeas corpus is the greatest protection Americans have against a police state. Habeas corpus ensures that Americans can only be detained by law. They must be charged with offenses, given access to attorneys, and brought to trial. Habeas corpus prevents the despotic practice of picking up a person and holding him indefinitely.

President Bush claims the power to set aside habeas corpus and to dispense with warrants for arrest and with procedures that guarantee court appearance and trial without undue delay. Today in the US, the executive branch claims the power to arrest a citizen on its own initiative and hold the citizen indefinitely. Thus, Americans are no longer protected from arbitrary arrest and indefinite detention. . . (more)

[Birthmark]

1. No it isn't

It's already here and has been here for a while. It probably won't get too much worse. The trick to running a sustainable police state is to get the captive populace to think that they are free, up to and including running the entire charade of democracy. ;)

[Deja Q]

2. More empty boogeyman scare tactics, just like bird flu chatter.

Let's just wait and see; so far I've seen no abuse of arresting people indefinitely. Just those who seek to destroy, based off of official chatter.

Still, it is a fear most of us have.

So just act in line and not go around saying you want to blow anything up or overthrow anybody. (And don't have ties to Al Quaeda either!) I think that's the point. (and we should all be damn lucky the DU mods and admins take little haste in deleting such alarming posts and I've read a few that couldn't have been more alarming!!! For DU, to me, is an emotional catharsis. Not a breeding ground for suspect rabblerousers! "Underground" does not imply we are. I hope!!)

[400Years]

3. I guess 24 hour surveillance of citizens is just "for our protection"

We've been living in a police state for quite some time.
Under that velvet glove is a fist of steel.