Examples of police state-like attributes
Most nations have police state-like attributes. This has led to public demonstrations in many countries.
As previously discussed, it is not possible to objectively determine whether a nation has become or is becoming a police state. As a consequence, to draw up an exhaustive list of police states would be inherently flawed. However, there are a few highly debated examples which serve to illustrate partial characteristics of a police state's structure. These examples are listed below.
The South African apartheid system is generally considered to have been a police state despite having been nominally a democracy (albeit with the native, Black African majority population excluded from the democracy).
Nazi Germany, a dictatorship, was, at least initially, brought into being through a nominal democracy, yet exerted repressive controls over its people.
In Cuba, 22 journalists who attempted to publicise non-government authorised news remain imprisoned. Arrested in March 2003, the journalists are serving prison terms of up to 27 years. It is also reported that journalists not in prison are frequently threatened with the same fate.[8]
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders ranked North Korea last out of 168 countries in a test of press freedom.[9] It has been reported that the only TV channel in North Korea predominately eulogises the country's present leader Kim Jong Il and his father (and previous leader) Kim Il Sung. As a result, some locals in Pyongyang have been quoted as stating that their leaders are gods.[10]
The United Kingdom is felt by some to be moving in the direction of a police state,[11] with biometric identity cards,[12][13] mass surveillance and detention without trial all having been introduced by the government. The UK has been described as "the most surveilled country".[14] Protests within a half-mile radius of the Houses of Parliament are illegal in the UK unless authorised by the Metropolitan Police.[15] Leading politicians have been arrested under conditions of secrecy.[16] Claims of police state behaviour have been dismissed by the UK government.[17]
The United States has also been characterized as moving towards a police state. On June 27, 2002 U.S. Congressman Ron Paul said in the House of Representatives:
"...'Is America a Police State?' My answer is: 'Maybe not yet, but it is fast approaching.'"[18]
There has also been criticism of the US over the use of mass surveillance. 'Compulsory' vaccinations (not required by law but enforced as such) are also in use and it has been argued that this constitutes an infringement of individual liberties.[19][20][21]
