Would you agree that our government is becoming very similar to a totalitarian gov.?

Question

Recently, I wrote a argument that historically our gov. has been taking away our rights during times of war but, now it seems as if our rights may not be returned cuz of how many threats we keep getting. They keep treading on our civil liberties and the threat seems neverending.

Answer 1

I do agree that ever since the PATRIOT ACT has been passed, the government has violated some of our rights, such as private domain. They now have the power to lawfully tap into our phone conversations, emails, and private records without a warrant. I grudgingly support this because if you think about, numerous threats and attacks have been stopped because of this piece of legislation. However, I strongly disagree with you when you say that our government is becoming a totalitarian government. We still maintain almost all of our vital rights. Our government is not controlling every aspect of our personal and public lives. For example, they do not control what jobs we can and cannot do. We still have the right of press, limited free speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition. Our government has not yet used propaganda or ideology to overtake the minds of the people. We still maintain freedom of the media, so that is another difference between our government and a totalitarian one. Also, another difference is that we have free elections, where we may run or vote for office. In a totalitarian government, a single party (where no other elections are held) controls the country.

Overall, just because the government suspends a few of the rights of the people does not mean they are completely controlling their lives.

The Framers set up our government in a way that it would be very hard for corruption, such as a monarchy, or a totalitarian government to form. There are checks and balances set upon the government, as well as power restrictions.

Finally, the war will end soon and the government will have no excuse to keep violating our rights.

Answer 2

I agree.  Though political freedom is difficult to quantify, I am certain that modern Americans have less of it than Americans of a century ago.

This is the result of several factors.  I will list a few that come immediately to mind.

First, the interstate commerce clause of the Constitution has been interpreted to allow Congress to outlaw any activity that might however remotely relate to something somewhere crossing state lines.

Second, the necessary and proper clause was not merely interpreted but redefined to mean "convenient," allowing Congress to make any law that is convenient.

Third, individualism is gradually being subjugated by what I call groupism -- the notion that the group is more important than the people that comprise it.  This leads to legitimization of laws and customs that trample individual rights.

I wish I could go on to offer some advice on how to reverse the trend, but I've been thinking about it for years, and I haven't come up with any viable solution yet.  For now, the best you can do is vote for libertarian or libertarian-leaning candidates, and hope for the best.

Answer 3

i honestly think it isn't that clear-cut.

I'll be blunt. I think white heterosexual non-immigrants rights have gone down. But at the same time, homosexuals, non-whites and immigrants have gotten more legal protection.

At the same time, however, the government is taking steps that could easily lead to authoritarian like situations *Ahem* guantanamo.

But then again, its only been 8 years and one president. Who knows what's going to happen. Let's just hope we keep up the vigil just in case.

Freedom would be a terrible thing to lose because of complacency and ignorance.