I don't like the trend. Think of yourself as a Mexican American whose family has been in South Texas for oh 400 years or so, think you'd be happy to cooperate? The last time I got stopped in one of these increasingly common vehicle saftey checks I changed tactics. It's not "sir" any more. From now on it's " fella." These are your employees treat them as such or they'll forget.

Taken individually, any one of the changes in the last few years can be characterized as "no big deal".

Taken as a whole, the trend is decidedly leaning toward "your asses are mine, sayeth Big Brother".

So...how much oppression by government does it take before the revolution starts, anyway?

There will be no revolution. The future, to borrow Orwell, is a boot stomping on a human face, forever. (As was the past; the Enlightenment was an abberation now coming to a conclusion)

Aren't you the happy little bumblebee in the flower patch.

*cough* ;)

The time of revolutions is past. Say everyone in America did wake up and tried to overthrow the government. ZAP! The first ones to go will be those who bought registered guns. The rest of us would amount to a few small guerilla groups hiding out in the rural parts of this nation and being taken down pretty damn quickly by all the sophisticated weaponary, sattelite information, etc. that the average citizen has no access to.

And anyone who thinks we can merely vote the bastards out of office is a damned fool. The revolution will not only not be televised, it will not happen. All we can do is spread our cheeks and smile.

Small groups with popular support can do a lot of damage. For example, they can fly airliners into buildings. Food for thought.

Ah bullshit, Americans are as revolting as anybody on the planet.;)

Hmmm.... You give me hope, Jag. Viva la revolucion!;)

So, just to clarify, you're in favor of the "enlightened" few exerting control over the ignorant masses?

It may just be me, but has that road ever led to anything other than an oppressive dictatorship?

that's the rub, isn't it. Who gets to decide who the enlightened few are, and who the ignorant masses are? I know several fundamentalist Southern Baptists who would love to exert control over the ignorant masses. There’s a very good reason why it takes an overwhelming social mass to effect real cultural change.

-sm

that may be the single most repugnant thing you've ever posted.

What's repugnant about it?

Happy to oblige. I've been working on my repugnancy and I'm glad to hear my efforts are bearing fruit. By the way, if you are attempting to imply that I delighted in the 9/11 destruction, I consider that a slander, sir. What gave me hope was the thought of what small groups of determined people could do in the face of government outrages. Like the King of Denmark (or was it Sweden?) publicly appearing wearing a yellow ribbon on his armband after the Nazi's ordered all Jews in that country to wear such identification. Upon seeing their king with the yellow armband, all Danes whether Jewish or not began wearing armbands. This was more along the lines of what I was thinking, but if you wish to view me as being capable of killing thousands of innocent people, that's your problem, not mine.

You've got too much time on your hands,...get a job.:rolleyes: