Is United States Becoming the Next Germany?

How do you close down an open society?

1. Invoke an internal and external threat.
- elevate fear levels and hype the threat.

2. Secret prisons where torture takes place.
- enhanced interrogation techniques.
- people are not allowed to challenge their accusers or defend themselves (the military commission act) as enemy combatants.
- you can be tried and executed without anyone knowing about it.
- kangaroo courts.

3. Develop a paramilitary force.
- not directed by the people, e.g. Blackwater, Mussolini's blackshirts, Hitler's brown shirts.
- operate outside the rule of law.
- the state protects its own murderers.

4. Surveil ordinary citizens.
- USA's SSSS watch list (over 1 million on this list), Hitler's neighborhood spies, East Germany developed the stazi, China has the dungung system.
- for the purpose of mass arrests from these lists.
- so everyone becomes too frightened to stand up.

5. Infiltrate citizens' groups
- under cover spies to stifle dissent.
- psychologically messes with peoples' minds.

6. Detain and release ordinary citizens.
- intimidation tactic.
- offshore prisons.

7. Target key individuals.
- CD burnings, Gerbil's book burnings.
- destroying careers.

8. Restrict the press.
- imprisoning journalists.

9. Recast criticism as espionage and dissent as treason.
- criminalizing speech.

10. Subvert the rule of law.
- you can't just ignore parliament.
- declare martial law.
- it's very hard to get your liberties back.