[alphadenied]

A government that hides its actions is a government that is overstepping its bounds and needs to be slapped around a bit. I think we're decades behind in the slapping around department.

Make everyone a criminal and spy on everyone so you can control them and scared them to death. What a wonderful way to run the "land of the free"

I bet most people thought the spying was for terrorists.

[chunkyslink]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

The USA is a tyranny, there is nothing you can do about these things.

[api]

One of the principal mechanisms used in the USA to maintain its system of oligarchy / tyranny is distraction of the population via "culture war" issues and identity politics.

As long as people vote based on who they'd rather have a beer with, or based on issues like homosexuality and religion, they will not vote based on issues of social justice, economic well being, or against the politics of corruption.

The culture war and identity politics are a classic divide and conquer technique. It's used because it works.

[cavilling_elite]

I've long thought this, but never read someone say it so starkly. My heart dropped with every sentence.

Any suggested reading?

[obstacle1]

Culture war plus culture of entertainment.

I note the above digression in this thread -- which incidentally is higher upvoted than the present thread -- wherein people marvel at how similar the recent abuses are to the plot of the TV show "The Wire".

Tune in next week! Until then, tune out.

[mr_spothawk]

>there is nothing you can do about these things. It's gonna take generations of work to resolve it, but there's absolutely a way out of this. We may never find it, though.

[DamnYuppie]

I agree with your first statement, yet we have many avenues open to us still before all is lost, but that window is closing fast.