Disqus - Latest Comments for turbulenceahead

Re: More Canuckophilia

turbulenceahead — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:02:39 -0000

By making me think about my activities ... ;-)

It's not just 'looking in the mirror and seeing a police car', it's the pervasive sense surveillance and the self-monitoring of behaviour that goes with that. And the guns of course (they're for killing people, right?). Our cops don't carry guns (nor do the security guys in our shopping malls).

So it's a state of mind I guess: I feel free when there aren't any gun bearing policemen around - but others might prefer the security of having a cop on every street corner. America leans way towards the latter, Europe towards the former. I know which I prefer.

But I will be back I'm sure to holiday in what is still one of the greatest countries in the world :) Just not an especially free one.

Re: More Canuckophilia

turbulenceahead — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:32:52 -0000

You know the one about the frog in the pot of water: turn up the heat slowly, it doesn't notice etc. Having jumped into the boiling water of your country's nascent police state whilst on holiday in July, I was relieved to get back to the freedom of 'old Europe'.

I wonder do people in America realise the extraordinary way in which their freedoms have been whittled away in recent years? When you go there on holiday (from Ireland in my case) after a period of years it just hits you in the face. You can't go 20 minutes in the United States without seeing a policeman - I was back in Dublin nearly 48 hours before seeing my first 'garda'.

I wish you luck with the discussion Will - you're always welcome here in dirigiste Europe if Canada/New Zealand aren't a option!