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Further to this. I'm interested if this is a "limited hangout"... What if Snowden really is a limited hangout and the Arab Spring was just the rehearsal. What

Further to this. I'm interested if this is a "limited hangout"... What if Snowden really is a limited hangout and the Arab Spring was just the rehearsal. What if the powers that be wanted to see how far they could poke the stick at the American people to see (like in a controlled burn) how they would respond. Even after ripping up The Constitution, spying domestically, and approving drone strikes to kill US citizens abroad, the general populace are asleep. No mass protests. No impeachment. What if this all was a charade to prove that complete control is within grasp without consequence.

deciplex 12y ago
What if the powers that be are mostly not coordinated and basically grabbing whatever they can, while they can? Meanwhile, bureaucracies like every three-letter agency ever, mostly exist because they provide hierarchies for people to climb? What if the conditions for success in those organizations are what they are, because of decades of decisions which are long-term really terrible, but short-term tolerable and even advantageous (to a few people, that is)? The state America finds itself in might me due to malevolent actors, but it might also be that: * American culture doesn't value liberty, and there is no path to get there. * American government is paralyzed, and while everyone knows it, no one has the power to do anything about it. This does eventually lead to tyranny, but there doesn't have to be some secretive cabal leading everyone in that direction. It could just be that the society is just sort of wandering there due to a handful of unfortunate factors. From where I sit, I can't really tell the difference. Nor do I think it really matters. But, generally I'm of the opinion that tyrants are creatures of opportunity, and lack the patience required to gradually shape a nation into a police state over a span of decades.

deciplex 12y ago

What if the powers that be are mostly not coordinated and basically grabbing whatever they can, while they can? Meanwhile, bureaucracies like every three-letter agency ever, mostly exist because they provide hierarchies for people to climb? What if the conditions for success in those organizations are what they are, because of decades of decisions which are long-term really terrible, but short-term tolerable and even advantageous (to a few people, that is)? The state America finds itself in might me due to malevolent actors, but it might also be that: * American culture doesn't value liberty, and there is no path to get there. * American government is paralyzed, and while everyone knows it, no one has the power to do anything about it. This does eventually lead to tyranny, but there doesn't have to be some secretive cabal leading everyone in that direction. It could just be that the society is just sort of wandering there due to a handful of unfortunate factors. From where I sit, I can't really tell the difference. Nor do I think it really matters. But, generally I'm of the opinion that tyrants are creatures of opportunity, and lack the patience required to gradually shape a nation into a police state over a span of decades.