Pick up a few history books, then read your local newspaper. You'll see plenty of parallels. I would guess you've been brought up to take a sort of semi-neutered lifestyle for granted. The overwhelming police presence in every little incident, the abuse at the airports, the endless obscure regulations and need for attorneys to conduct daily affairs, pay taxes, run a business, the IRS targeting political groups. None of that worries you, so I imagine it will take a pretty nasty smack to wake you up. I can't imagine what it will be, but governments by nature will keep pushing until they reach that point.
You said ways that will shock me, so I was expecting something good and you posted a bunch of nothing.
"overwhelming police presence in every little incident" - that's what police do. When there is crime, usually police. I'm sure you have police in Japan.
"abuse at the airports" - what? Are you talking about screening? Something that every airport has and something that's always been around. Why in the world would somebody have a problem with that, how is that supposed to shock me?
"endless obscure regulations and need for attorneys to conduct daily affairs, pay taxes, run a business," Common sense regulation is fine. I have my own business, didn't need an attorney, now it's a small business and I have an accountant, but that was of my choosing. Big business has lawyers, and? We have this thing called the law so if something comes up in that regard, you have a ........lawyer. If you have a plumbing issue you can't handle yourself, you get a ........ plumber. Taxes? Don't see the point in that one. You do understand the need for taxes and what they're used for?
"IRS targeting political groups" - they look at everybody. Again, the ones you're referring too all god approved. You had some Dem ones in the past, disapproved. Looks like they went over the line some but they are supposed to check things out.
So no, none of that worries me because there is nothing there to worry about.
I agree that the US has often stepped up to the plate for other countries, but Uncle Sam is not always right.
I am a citizen of a country with no enemies, as such I should never have been dragged into that global crusade, the US-led war on terror that is actually a war on the people, freedom and democracy.
Of course we're not always right. As far as war on terror, so you suggest what? We do nothing?
I'm curious how you think the U.S. should handle some situations.
North Korea steps to South Korea, U.S. should..........?
Somebody steps to Israel, U.S. should...........?
Do nothing?
When Saddam invaded Kuwait, we stepped in and handled it. Should we have done nothing? Just let Saddam run them over? Would things have been better if we did that?