Totalitarianism (split from School Computers thread)

[David Robertson]

The only 'society' more totalitarian than ours is the United States of America. We are so totalitarian we don't even know it.

Under what possible definition of "totalitarian" can this be true?

None. Everything that follows is dribble.

[John McKenna]

David Robertson>… None...<
Now there's someone trying to start an argument. Note though that he is giving 'none' - just looking to trade insults.

[Arshad Ali]

The only 'society' more totalitarian than ours is the United States of America.

Dunno about that. Look at this article in today's Independent:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr ... 13858.html

Though the Americans might take a leaf out of Britain's book and start doing the same (e.g., posthumously stripping drone victims of their US citizenship).

Both USA and UK have been eviscerating citizen's rights and the checks and balances essential for any kind of democracy to work. There are reasons for this which have nothing to do with the bogeyman of "terror." Both countries are caught inexorably in a downward spiral of economic decline. Increased and arbitrary state power is one way of dealing with restive proles.

By the way, am I the only one who noticed that Syme's name was missing this morning from the list of members of the chess committee?

[John McKenna]

J. McKenna>The only 'society' more totalitarian than ours is the United States of America.<
Arshad Ali>Dunno about that...<

Thanks for the link to the Independent.

I may be wrong but I think I read online (The Telegraph 28 Feb. 2013) that the US do not have to bother to strip their citizens of their citizenship in order to legally strike them dead in any part of the world!

Remember what Teddy Roosevelt said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

Everyone knows the Brits have just gone soft and carry an ever-shrinking wand.

As for Syme, he was one of many but none of them mattered, and Smith ended up a broken man playing chess against himself.

[Arshad Ali]

I may be wrong but I think I read online (The Telegraph 28 Feb. 2013) that the US do not have to bother to strip their citizens of their citizenship in order to legally strike them dead in any part of the world!

Correct, but it still creates a bit of uneasiness among the sedated and hypnotised population. To paraphrase Martin Niemoller,

First they came for the terrorists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a terrorist.

Then they came for the moslems,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a moslem.

Then they came for the dissidents,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a dissident.

Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.

[John McKenna]

If pushed I'd be in the dissident category and since 2008 I've been shoved from time to time.
The question of 'totalitarianism' was raised by someone else in the original thread that this was split from. My post that starts this thread was in response to "... from a country more totalitarian than ours..." The people revolting against Arab dictatorships - many created and until recently supported by the West - are more free than Europeans and Americans because they know something is drastically wrong and have had enough of it. We in the West are too busy doing other things to know or care.
After what the Libdems have done under Clegg and Alexander and the way Huhne departed I can't believe anyone could vote for them for at least 5 years. But will they do that? Most probably not. So some in the world are giving their blood, sweat and tears to get rid of their leaders while in the West we can't even not give them our votes. At least in Italy about 25 percent voted for a non-political movement led by a comedian. That's some kind of protest vote. I was abroad when Tony & Gordon won their third term and I could not believe it. I was sure that the people had seen through their slipperyness and spin by then. Why do they need to use an iron fist at home when the majority are eating out of their hand or politically comatose?
Abroad is another country - our great ally and true friend (now we are no longer a rival) spends more than all the other nations on earth TOGETHER on 'defence' and has military presence or bases in a GREAT MAJORITY of those nations. What for? The defence of freedom? No the defence of the US and its interests around the world. To stop any nation from rivalling its position as the only superpower. Only the Chinese are capable of beginning to do that - by pushing America's allies further out to sea and away from China. America will brook no foreign power in its backyard but will camp out fully armed in everyone elses.

[John McKenna]

It's simple, all you've got to do is ask yourself if your interests are the same as America's and if they are then "have a nice day". But, don't forget to ask yourself if you know what America's interests really are, and that's not so simple.

[Peter D Williams]

We in the West are too busy doing other things to know or care.
After what the Libdems have done under Clegg and Alexander and the way Huhne departed I can't believe anyone could vote for them for at least 5 years. But will they do that?

The Libdems as is the labour party are rather good at getting their postal vote out and signing people up for postal votes.Once signed up a Libdem can pop around to your house help you fill it in and post it for you Lot of seats are decided on postal votes I have heard of block postal votes in some areas with very few checks to see if these people really do live at this address.This was quoted on BBC web site A panel has been set up to investigate allegations of fraudulent postal and proxy votes in a Lancashire borough.

Pendle Council is looking into the issue after concerns were raised by residents, councillors and MP Andrew Stephenson.

Conservative Mr Stephenson said not enough checks were being made following a dramatic rise in postal votes in parts of the borough

people can report postal fraud to the Electoral commission

Most people are to busy working to want to do anything.

Thats it me for on here till Monday bye for now happy posting Saturday and Sunday should where possible be post free days to use the time to spend with family friends