Could this ever happen in the U.S.?

Question

In class, we were talking about how in Argentina in the 80s a lot of people the 'desaparecidos' were taken because they were suspected of being leftist terrorists. the problem is that the hysteria got out of control and for the smallest thing you could be sspected. do you think that in this day and age, with enough hysteria that this could happen in the U.S? After all, we had the Japanese internment camp in the 40s, do you think we could ever be like that again? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Yes, it could.
Especially with the Middle Eastern immigrants, naturalized citizens & born citizens being persecuted by the ignorant here in the US already.

I think it depends largely on the views of Mr. Bush, Congress and the citizens of the US whether we see another government-sponsored mass persecution. Some citizens follow the President or a political party blindly, some are bigoted, and others are simply ignorant.
I'd like to think that the American people would not let this sort of thing happen... but of course, it wouldn't be the first time.

Answer 2

I do think that has a great risk of happening here. It won't happen if we can successfully stave off another large-scale terror attack (or, perhaps more potently, a large number of small attacks) for a long time, but if we ARE the victims of another large-scale attack... think of the rights the majority of the populace was willing to sacrifice for security to the Patriot Act and amendments to FISA (domestic wiretapping, the Military Commissions Act, bank activity monitoring).
Personally, I see a revolution in thought within the next 50 years. Maybe not my children, but my children's children? I don't know which way it will go, but I certainly hope that I'm alive to see it...

Answer 3

It's possible. To date a few of the rights have been suspended by the Patriot Act.
I truly don't think the American people would be drawn into a paranoia that would move them to support what happened in Argentina.

....then again, maybe in Texas.

Answer 4

It is already set up to do this here.

It was called the elimination of Habious Corpus.

All the administration has to do is declare you a "enemy combatant".

This declaration does not require any evidence, hearing, judge or jury.

This declaration can be imposed on anyone including a US citizen.

This power granted to the president by congress has yet to be abused as far as I know of, but as history has shown time and time again, power granted is power used and abused.

Answer 5

There is some risk. But after the Japanese internment mess, people will be very leery about doing that sort of thing again.

Answer 6

No.

1 - The American people wouldn't put up with it.
2 - Politicians with that much ambition for power (think Hillary Clinton) would have a significant amount of difficulty realizing their dreams.
3 - There are approximately 300 million fully functioning firearms in the US; unhappy people that well-armed would make for a real donnybrook!

Answer 7

It happened 5 years ago and most of the people are still at Guantanimo Bay.

Answer 8

Google "Senator Joseph McCarthy" or "House Un-American Activities Committee" and see how it actually DID happen right here in the U.S. McCarthyism was the Salem Witch Hunt of the 20th century...

Answer 9

It did during the Cold War.

Remember the fear of Communism during the 50's and 60s?

Answer 10

As long as it's leftists, hey, why not?

But seriously, in this age of omnipresent video and media, the likelihood of any large scale event like that happening is nil. Rare individual cases may occur, but beyond that, no.