The US Police State

Commentary By Ron Beasley

Back in July of 2007 the always shrill Republican Paul Craig Roberts wrote the following:

Unless Congress immediately impeaches Bush and Cheney, a year from now the US could be a dictatorial police state at war with Iran.

Bush has put in place all the necessary measures for dictatorship in the form of "executive orders" that are triggered whenever Bush declares a national emergency. Recent statements by Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff, former Republican senator Rick Santorum and others suggest that Americans might expect a series of staged, or false flag, "terrorist" events in the near future.

Well Bush may be gone but nothing much has changed.  The Obama administration gives the appearance of winding down the occupation of Iraq and at the same time indicates a reduced occupation for years.  The attempt to occupy Afghanistan  is being accelerated in spite of continuing failure.  One thing that hasn't changed is Dr Roberts is still shrill.

It Is Official: The US Is a Police State

On September 24, Jason Ditz reported on Antiwar.com that �the FBI is confirming that this morning they began a number of raids against the homes of antiwar activists in Illinois, Minneapolis, Michigan, and North Carolina, claiming that they are �seeking evidence relating to activities concerning the material support of terrorism.��

Now we know what Homeland Security (sic) secretary Janet Napolitano meant when she said on September 10: �The old view that �if we fight the terrorists abroad, we won�t have to fight them here� is just that � the old view.� The new view, Napolitano said, is �to counter violent extremism right here at home.�

�Violent extremism� is one of those undefined police state terms that will mean whatever the government wants it to mean. In this morning�s FBI�s foray into the homes of American citizens of conscience, it means antiwar activists, whose activities are equated with �the material support of terrorism,� just as conservatives equated Vietnam era anti-war protesters with giving material support to communism.

That's right - anyone who opposes the forever war and the war profits it brings is supporting the terrorists while the Islamophobes who throw fuel on the fire are simply exercising their free speech rights.

Dr Roberts continues:

Anti-war activist Mick Kelly whose home was raided, sees the FBI raids as harassment to intimidate those who organize war protests. I wonder if Kelly is underestimating the threat. The FBI�s own words clearly indicate that the federal police agency and the judges who signed the warrants do not regard antiwar protesters as Americans exercising their Constitutional rights, but as unpatriotic elements offering material support to terrorism.

�Material support� is another of those undefined police state terms. In this context the term means that Americans who fail to believe their government�s lies and instead protest its policies, are supporting their government�s declared enemies and, thus, are not exercising their civil liberties but committing treason.

As this initial FBI foray is a softening up move to get the public accustomed to the idea that the real terrorists are their fellow citizens here at home, Kelly will get off this time. But next time the FBI will find emails on his computer from a �terrorist group� set up by the CIA that will incriminate him. Under the practices put in place by the Bush and Obama regimes, and approved by corrupt federal judges, protesters who have been compromised by fake terrorist groups can be declared �enemy combatants� and sent off to Egypt, Poland, or some other corrupt American puppet state � Canada perhaps � to be tortured until confession is forthcoming that antiwar protesters and, indeed, every critic of the US government, are on Osama bin Laden�s payroll.

Almost every Republican and conservative and, indeed, the majority of Americans will fall for this, only to find, later, that it is subversive to complain that their Social Security was cut in the interest of the war against Iran or some other demonized entity, or that they couldn�t have a Medicare operation because the wars in Central Asia and South America required the money.

The press, and not just FOX, will aid the government and the majority of Americans will go along with it and cheer the police state.

Cross Posted At The Moderate Voice