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I happen to live in Austria, and while the presidential election (between a far right and a far left candidate) stirred up global attention, I can tell you we a
by _98fj 10y ago
I happen to live in Austria, and while the presidential election (between a far right and a far left candidate) stirred up global attention, I can tell you we are not a tyranny or authoritarian state.
I always read about this supposed "freedom" in the US, but what does that mean actually?
I mean here you can drink alcohol in public, wear no t-shirt on the subway, still smoke in many bars, say what you want online, and there are even illegal misdemeanours like kids smoking weed in public that nobody really cares about.
- venomsnake 10y agoI said that European countries are moving in that direction. Not that we are tyrannical yet. Although France with its permanent Extraordinary Circumstances since Paris ... But if in 2050 I live in united authoritarian Europe, I won't be surprised the least.
- _98fj 10y agoI understand. But still: the US has homeland security, the patriot act and so on. Aren't those rights like "permanent extraordinary circumstances"? We don't have anything in that magnitude. I think it's actually way easier to defend yourself against the state here, than in the US.
- venomsnake 10y agoWell the US have headstart before us. But as with electric grid voltage, telephones and wall sockets - we the europeans take their innovation and do it right. Everything you say is true. But I think that adding yet to the end of each statement is not great stretch.
- _98fj 10y agoYou know, I don't think europe's immediate future is pretty either. But I don't think there will be much more oppression of it's citizens. I think the borders will be closed and immigration forced to stop. After that happens people will be content enough to stop leaning further to the right.