When as Americans did we become afraid to verse our opinions?

Question

It seems as though we are or our country is run by a dictatorship.A king who rules and americans too afraid to be free for we have become afraid of the consequences if we stand up for what we beleive.What happened to America

Answer 1

After 9/11. Anything voiced that was critical of the administration was considered anti-patriotic. Even when I questioned Ashcroft and the Feds busting(maybe 30 days after 9/11?) medicinal marijuana distribution centers legalized by the state and the Oregon state right to die law.Republicans suddenly abandoned states rights as long as they disagreed with the practice.

But I agree with your statement. I have since quit the job I was afraid of losing.

Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread
domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

Answer 2

This is not new. It's been going on since at least 1964, with the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and suddenly people of color didn't know what they wanted to be called. They weren't Negroes and Black was Beautiful and then they were Africans (despite generations of dwelling in the United States) and for now they're African-Americans, despite the fact that some might be Islanders.

Hate crimes laws made it possible to go after someone who expressed a negative opinion if a minority-type person were abused in some manner.

Political correctness, which emerged some while ago, decided that some opinions were acceptable and others weren't.

Then people decided that if your opinion didn't match theirs, you were nuts, subversive, bigoted, a terrorist, or whatever.

And No, the United States doesn't borrow from the Federal Reserve, it borrows from Social Security. Entitlement pay comes from there, too, and that's where benefits for illegal immigrants will come from. Those who say old folks are draining the coffers are nuts. See, I said it, too.

For Middle-Aged and Not Quiet, the FIRST responsibility of government is to provide for the common defense (that means military).

Answer 3

Dear person before me(and everyone else)...she didnt say she could'nt she said when did we become afraid to voice them.
Also, Just because some of us are not afraid does not mean there aren't many out there who are.
To All:
I believe it is very true.We don't say how we feel like we used to. I am not certain if it is either because people just don't give two cruds anymore or if they are frightened of the consequences.
Whether or not you want to admit we are given consequences for saying our peace. It is viewed as stirring up trouble or some such and "handled" quickly.
I think that many people are afraid to try and change things now. Some say you can't change it and won't even try, some try and our "brought to justice" and the rest just don't think about it anymore they have given it up to the government.
(except of course their vote...which, is a whole different issue)
Maybe, if you are devoted enough you can a few back out there with you.
As to exactly when it happened... I don't know it seems to me that there are still some out there fighting... so I think it has just slowly dwindled and not actually stopped and/or started. If it has done that at times it would be hard to number the dates.

My heavens! If you are all as interested in these issues as I am then I would also like to promote the link above. It focuses centrally on the lack of an income tax law though... at least for the amount of time I had to spare for it today. Still I'm glad I watched the video about it.

Answer 4

The "fascia" was an ancient Roman tool used by Roman soldiers to punish any citzen who dared speak against the government, taxation, abuse at the hands of Legionnaires, or just because that particular soldier was constipated. It literally means "force". So, therefore fascism is "rule by force". So, if in this day and age of American fascism, if you dare to speak with more than 3 syllable words, or find yourself opposite of mainstream, non-thought, you'll find yourself not in a vigorous debate, but rather belittled(usually behind your back), and/or attacked by those who don't want to do the hard job of thinking. Most people just find it easier to attack the person, rather than actually LEARN SOMETHING. You'll see that most destroyers are usually tied in some way to religion, as they're the most susceptible to their masters marching orders. I'm neither republican nor democrat...I'm just a thinker.

Thank you for having the courage to ask a beautiful question.

Answer 5

We aren't ruled by a single king, but a web of them. Our own government has put itself in a position which is borrows money from a private bank called the Federal Reserve. So who really makes the laws? Our politicians, or the private/corporate bankers who control the nations money? These powers that be are moving us to a New World Order, a One World Government. Why do you think they won't close the Mexican border? They wish to unite America, Canada, and Mexico into one nation, destroying our American Constitution. They wish a world without borders, and it's time for us, the people, to get mad as hell and rid ourselves of these bankers who wish to control us with national ID cards, and finally implantable computer chips. Sound nuts? Watch this video, just give it ten minutes of your time, thats all. You won't turn it off I promise!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173&q=freedom+to+fa

Answer 6

Not me. I keep voicing my opinions on Yahoo Answers even though I don't get the 10 points. This is unjust because I take a lot of time answering intelligently. One person was so unjust, he/she wasn't satisified with not giving me the 10 points, he/she contacted me to accuse me of ranting. (All I had done was give scientific details in my answer to her/his question.) That person must be more than just unjust; he/she is evil, because we are total strangers. And the Yahoo system blocked me from replying. I would have suggested that person take up something like yoga to instill into them positive thoughts. But there is so much injustice around, that I was blocked out of making that kind suggestion. Are you going to be just, and give the 10 points?

Answer 7

It does seem that everythig has become to PC now. I don't have a problem with any particular person (instead I hate both parties equally), but did you notice that if anyone spoke out against the immigration bill they were a "racist"? America needs to get it's common sense back and kick all these people out of office and start over.

Answer 8

Funny question coming from the law area. It is mainly because of the intimidation of lawyers that people do not speak their mind. Say what you think, and some ****** lawyer will sue you.

Lawyers have long ago abandoned any idea of ethics. There are too many of them, and to make money they now sue everything and everybody, making life miserable for normal people.

If we got rid of 90% of the lawyers in this country, most problems would just vanish.

Lawyers are the sickest people in this society, ranking somewhere sociopaths, and violent criminals. They are the scum of the Earth, they know it, and they don't care. That is a pretty good definition of a sociopath...

Ron.

Answer 9

Oh Here we go with the "new world order" garbage. This has been going on since the end of WW2, when this group was screaming the new word order was the commies and they were going to take over the world. Guess what, they didn't and neither will Mexico and Canada.

Answer 10

Sorry, but I have never been afraid to "voice" my opinion, no matter who's in the White House.

Funny, but those who whine the loudest about not being able to voice their opinions do precisely that right after they tell you that they can't do it.

Answer 11

I stand up for what I believe in. The problem is that no one listens, not that we don't voice our opinions.