this post was submitted on 09 May 2024
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US Authoritarianism
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We stopped being a free country after the patriot act
You mean Reagan right.
The military industrial response to Vietnam protests and the utter unpopularity of an evil war that continues for decades and still has scars on America let alone SE Asia for me is the defining turn post WWII. Ike himself, as a general, directly stated the greatest threat to American democracy was the military industrial complex. The threats have multiplied since then.
The Atomic Cafe is a great documentary made solely with archival footage including the Ike quote above. It's chilling hearing that said 60+ years ago by a general and sitting president.
Just look up Eisenhower's speech when he left office where he warns of the Military Industrial Complex. He knew what was coming.
You're not wrong, but there was plenty before Reagan and more to come.
Oh absolutely, it started as a shithole, how could it not end as one.
JFK's assassination.
Edit: Fun little song
See also CIA-Nixon takeout
https://youtu.be/E8gOI-6BpWY&t=34m50s
Damn, how did I know it was Kitty History before I checked the link?
Im so glad Trevor lives in other's heads as well.
I blame Polk, personally. But Reagan gets some credit.
Were we ever free though?
The freedom promised by the constitution rang hollow on every enslaved person, every native, and every woman and every other marginalized group when it was written, and it still rings rather hollow now.
Were we ever free though?
All men were created equal, right? Except women, PoC, queer folk, non christians, catholics (sometimes), the Irish, the bottom 99% and so on.
The freedom promised by the constitution rang hollow on every enslaved person, and every woman.
I think freedom is qualified differently here. You're free to own property. Then we "democratically" decide who and what can be owned as property based on our interpretation of the Jedi ancient texts.
/s
I hear a lot of Americans use that word. Online but also in real life. But what does freedom in the sense of a "free" country even mean?
It sounds like a propaganda term that does not have a clear definition.
Once asked some stranger at a burger place in San Francisco if it would be likely if the police would stop me walking around with a cup of coke (to check if I have alcohol in there). I really did not want a confrontation with the police. They said better not risk it. Talked to them a bit. Very friendly people but they also said that a lot of problems in the US are because they have too much "freedom" but asked what that even means they couldn't answer me.
At the same time the only reason I even talked to them was because I did not have the freedom to walk around with an open alcohol container... Which I would be free to do in many places in Europe.
I think this word is just a way to evoke emotions and knee-jerk reactions and should probably be avoided...