4 ms·

yeah def has a feel of communist Russia

by vaksel 16y ago

rdtsc 16y ago
Except that in Communist Russia he would have probably "disappeared" into some labor camp in Siberia. We are still far from that. However, at the same time, in Communist Russia nobody had the illusion that it was a free, open, morally superior country. All that propaganda bullshit was recognized as bullshit. Except for some old WWII veterans who believed in the "system", everyone in private knew it was all a spectacle. In case of the American society, the majority still think they live in a democracy, where they can do whatever they like, say whatever they like, that the government doesn't spy on them, doesn't put people on black lists, that searches are really "random" and so on. And I like how the FBI agents want to talk about "human rights". Wow! Such a cheap shot at creating rapport. They couldn't really come up with anything better !?
- kragen 16y ago
  Except that in Communist Russia he would have probably "disappeared" into some labor camp in Siberia. We are still far from that. That's what happened to Maher Arar when his plane had to make an unplanned landing in the US a few years back. Except it wasn't a labor camp; it was just a Syrian prison, where he was tortured, for months. If he hadn't been able to send an SMS to his wife while he was being disappeared, and if he weren't completely innocent of any wrongdoing, he'd still be there. We have no way of knowing how many other people this has happened to.
  - rdtsc 16y ago
    That's a good example. Yeah I remember being shocked at the lack of media coverage and indignation over the case, also at other Americans' indifference to it all. I guess if you don't restrict my comment to just American citizens, then yes, we have crossed into the "fascist police state" territory a while back. > We have no way of knowing how many other people this has happened to. Very good point. We only know about the people who have "disappeared" unsuccessfully from the point of view of the ones doing the "disappearing". Of course the point is for there to not be any evidence. The better they are the harder it is to convincingly blame them.

yeah def has a feel of communist Russia

by vaksel 16y ago

yeah def has a feel of communist Russia

rdtsc 16y ago

Except that in Communist Russia he would have probably "disappeared" into some labor camp in Siberia. We are still far from that. However, at the same time, in Communist Russia nobody had the illusion that it was a free, open, morally superior country. All that propaganda bullshit was recognized as bullshit. Except for some old WWII veterans who believed in the "system", everyone in private knew it was all a spectacle. In case of the American society, the majority still think they live in a democracy, where they can do whatever they like, say whatever they like, that the government doesn't spy on them, doesn't put people on black lists, that searches are really "random" and so on. And I like how the FBI agents want to talk about "human rights". Wow! Such a cheap shot at creating rapport. They couldn't really come up with anything better !?

kragen 16y ago
Except that in Communist Russia he would have probably "disappeared" into some labor camp in Siberia. We are still far from that. That's what happened to Maher Arar when his plane had to make an unplanned landing in the US a few years back. Except it wasn't a labor camp; it was just a Syrian prison, where he was tortured, for months. If he hadn't been able to send an SMS to his wife while he was being disappeared, and if he weren't completely innocent of any wrongdoing, he'd still be there. We have no way of knowing how many other people this has happened to.
- rdtsc 16y ago
  That's a good example. Yeah I remember being shocked at the lack of media coverage and indignation over the case, also at other Americans' indifference to it all. I guess if you don't restrict my comment to just American citizens, then yes, we have crossed into the "fascist police state" territory a while back. > We have no way of knowing how many other people this has happened to. Very good point. We only know about the people who have "disappeared" unsuccessfully from the point of view of the ones doing the "disappearing". Of course the point is for there to not be any evidence. The better they are the harder it is to convincingly blame them.