/townhall/ - Townhall

>>10561
>What do you think about the historical legacy of what happened?

It's generally viewed negatively.  Most seem to believe a modern state should not make decisions based on race.

>Are you concerned that such things could return at some point in the distant future in the U.S., perhaps? Or the near future, even?

Not in exactly the same way -- along strict race lines, but certainly in the state creating a list of people considered a potential threat to national interests during a conflict.  Or that an algorithm has flagged.

And maybe it's not necessary to put them in a physical camp.  Probably actually undesirable since they might organize in that camp.  Better to covertly flag them for special surveillance, and take only actions as necessary.

>Alternatively, have lessons been learned from the past?

I imagine the lesson would be something like -- try to seem less overt and racist about muting people seen as potential threats during times of national insecurity.

I take an optimistic view, personally.

For myself, I feel like the American public has generally trended in a libertarian-ish direction in terms of matters of "national security" and "social order".

For example, efforts by the Bush and Obama administrations to implement mass surveillance of Americans such that basically every single e-mail message, personal letter, phone call, or whatnot gets monitored by the state has resulted in widespread pushback and outright distrust (with Edward Snowden, in particular, being viewed by regular Americans as a kind of whistleblowing hero).

Something as drastic as actual harm done to people physically would generate such total opposition as for it to simply not be possible, I think.

And in terms of race, I also think that attitudes are far more favorable to racial toleration and are far more opposed to racial prejudice today compared to decades ago, by far.

Take, for example, views about immigration that are widely positive in the country:

https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/09/10/voters-attitudes-about-race-and-gender-are-even-more-divided-than-in-2016/pp_2020-09-10_voter-attitudes-race-gender_0-10/ ("Majority of voters say growing number of newcomers to the U.S. strengthens American society")

Thus, I'm optimistic.

>>10561
WWII has a lot of really bad moves and overreaches by the state.

Alas, while I'd like to say it wouldn't happen again, war makes for good excuses to limit freedom, as does any crisis.

I doubt it would happen along racial lines, but just look at the covid reactions, and what's happening now in Canada, for evidence this type of thing absolutely could occur again.

>>10583
Admittedly, the Donald Trump election and his efforts towards establishing totalitarianism in the U.S. does give me pause, but really the American people gave him so much opposition that I don't think that interment could happen again, really. Or anything really close. The people just aren't that supportive.

As far as coronavirus restrictions go, that even pragmatic types who'd be kind of predisposed to support harsh measures such as full-economy-wide lockdowns look back and find them a problem... that seems telling, to me. Same thing, really. The general populace isn't supportive of big government being domineering most of the time.

Your point about (that I think you're making) how anti-coronavirus measures have been indeed really restrictive in terms of freedoms and thus can present a legal framework for future seriously bad ideas is a valid one. Don't get me wrong. I don't exactly disagree.

>>10589
What totalitarianism?
He didn't seem to do anything of the sort.

If anything the backlash seems to be a greater overstep against liberty.
Holding people without bail for petty crimes like trespassing is exceptionally severe.
Especially when it seems rather evident the event was known,  and rather than act on it, law enforcement stood aside,   If and still to this day insists that footage of the event must be restricted refusing numerous FOIA requests for the footage, and locking out trials from transparency,  even going as far as to put gag orders on people during them.

>>10566
My impression was although Snowden's revelations were met with widespread pushback, given the processes of state data collection were secret, it would not be appropriate for American citizens to be aware of any effect of that push-back, and just as it was appropriate for state officials to have lied in the past to protect government data collection methods, potentially lying to the public would continue to be appropriate.

>>10591
>the event
I don't follow the news a lot -- an event having to do with the lockdowns?

>>10589
>establishing totalitarianism in the U.S.
Former President Mr. Trump did seem to prefer a more autocratic style where the head of state is less confined by law and tradition.  Totalitarianism is a profusion of state involvement in everyday life.  I suppose it's hard to guess how Trump would have continued toward totalitarianism, if that was a mission of his.