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Originally Posted by Rochard
While I am slightly concerned about the recent events in Missouri (mostly the tear gas for no reason at all the journalists being hassled in a fast food restaurant for no reason), I don't believe we have become a police state and or that we are even moving in that direction.
The armored cars look strange there in Missouri, but they are for the protection of the officers who are clearly out numbered five to one. When there is a riot, police respond with riot gear - it's just that simple.
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My point is those armored cars that look strange and all of the military training come out in full force on a regular basis. Yes, in Ferguson the cops were outnumbered. But that's a very rare occurrence. Most of the time it's the other way around - with too much overkill. Look at the police response to the Boston Marathon bombings. That wasn't over the top? Shut down the whole city and the outlying areas and they still didn't catch the kid. It was only after the lockdown was lifted that a house owner spotted the kid in his boat.
The authorities are getting bigger, more powerful, and less effective. They are only there to intimidate. Look at the white flags on the Brooklyn Bridge. And twice now kids have gotten to the new World Trade Center. Those are big targets that are secured with millions of dollars of technology because they are high value targets. Totally useless. And don't get me started about the TSA. Its all very expensive window-dressing.
My original point remains the same. The police are being militarized and perceive citizens as the enemy. Too many citizens have a "security at all costs" mentality. And that fits right in with the US Gov't's plans.