Never before in U.S. history have prospects seemed more dire for continuation of democracy. That form of government of the people, by the people and for the people has been an aspiration for millions of people across the globe for more than 200 years. Yet leaders of our national government and legions of their supporters have given top priority to instituting an all-powerful executive branch, the presidency.
It is no longer government by the people, but rather government by an autocratic president, apparently for himself and his cohort of wealthy colleagues.
Other nations have gone through such authoritarian periods, and a few have emerged with strengthened democratic institutions following years, even decades of repression. The most common way an authoritarian regime grasps and maintains control over citizenry is imposition of police state mechanisms, characterized by all-pervasive surveillance, paid or intimidated informants and political and economic repression. The latter mechanism, repression, can be through imprisonment and assassination or by economic strangulation, such as coercion to cancel business contracts, elimination of social services and deliberate damage to a resistor’s reputation.
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ARTICLES AND REFLECTIONS
COUNTER-MEASURES TO POLICE STATE TACTICS
From the schoolyard to the Oval Office, the bully’s most effective way to dominate is to instill fear. As many a recess victim has discovered, the best way to end the bullying is to stand up to the perpetrator. Handing over lunch money or not fighting back reinforces the bully’s
UNETHICAL
Do you think you’re being tricked into spending more for the same items at the grocery store? Sometimes it’s “shrink-flation” Bigger cereal boxes with less inside them? Have you noticed an increase in deceptive advertising or marketing?. More scams coming to your email? Over all, have you noticed that more
WHAT TO DO IN A POLICE STATE
In a police state, which is a government’s systematic, pervasive surveillance and repression of citizens who oppose an authoritarian ruler, it’s as important to know what you should do as what you shouldn’t do. Of course, the autocrat insists on everyone’s complete obedience to his or her goals, objectives and
DISCLAIMER:
MEMBERSHIP OR AFFILIATION CONFIDENTIAL: No roster of Guardrail Society members or affiliating individuals is maintained. Steps have been taken to maintain confidentiality of participants, given some citizens’ reasonable concerns about retaliation despite Constitutional protections. Participants’ experience derives from life in apartheid South Africa, Venezuela, China, Iran, Uganda, Brazil and Chile among other known centers of police state repression.