Is Canada Becoming a Police State?

[WhatThe]

Is Canada a police state? No.

Is it becoming one? Doubt it.

If someone here wants to bring up an overarching hypothesis on why we're becoming one, I'd be glad to listen/debate with them on this topic.

overarching hypothesis... That's a papers worth of writing. Perhaps starting at the beginning...
The definition of police state is going to vary from person to person depending on poitical and social beliefs, as well as Social technological dependencey.
A libertarian will most certainly have different feelings than one who subscribes to current/sitting political ideas and leanings.
What role does technology play in a modern police state? Is it a pre-requisite for a modern police state, or just another tool?

[steelrules]

I have first hand experience of what a police state is.
And I tell you all that we here in Canada are %60 of the way there.

[Captain Awesome]

I have first hand experience of what a police state is.

Do tell. Cause we seem to be lacking definition.

[steelrules]

Not that you deserve a responce greater than your avatar demands D'oh!
But most of my family was trapped behind the Iron curtain & I have traveled Iron curtain countries.

I have first hand experience of what a police state is.

Do tell. Cause we seem to be lacking definition.

[Smurf]

I don't believe we are a police state or even becoming one. But I do believe we are getting what we deserve. More and more laws because we can't act as a responsible society. When we start to respect other people, their rights, their property etc. we will not need any more laws. Till that time comes we will get more and more and justly so.

[hellomynameis]

overarching hypothesis... That's a papers worth of writing. Perhaps starting at the beginning...
The definition of police state is going to vary from person to person depending on poitical and social beliefs, as well as Social technological dependencey.
A libertarian will most certainly have different feelings than one who subscribes to current/sitting political ideas and leanings.
What role does technology play in a modern police state? Is it a pre-requisite for a modern police state, or just another tool?

I'm willing to accept, from wiki,

The term police state describes a state in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic and political life of the population. A police state typically exhibits elements of totalitarianism and social control, and there is usually little or no distinction between the law and the exercise of political power by the executive.

Or a variant of this as a definition of what a police state is.

"What role does technology play in a modern police state? Is it a pre-requisite for a modern police state, or just another tool?"

I think a "modern police state" denotes the use of a modern level of technology, pre-requisite or not. Ditto with the tool question. But if you wanted to take this line of questioning somewhere please do.

[Liberty and Truth]

our freedoms are slowly being diminished in the name of a war on terror and more dumb laws concerning drugs

also diminishing our freedoms - more and more inane bylaws related to environmental issues as well as idiotic taxes based on carbon consumption. When I have to look over my shoulder when my car is idling for more than 2 minutes and I have to worry about which lane I am driving in when I am driving through Kelowna, we are definitely more of a police state than we used to be, and the sad part is - we are achieving no benefit to society for giving up these freedoms.

[Woodenhead]

Are we a police state? :: Nope.

Are we on our way to becoming one? :: I suppose so, but the USA is miles ahead of us there; the UK may have lapped us already. We're better than most, FWIW.

[MAPearce]

YES.

[maxx]

A police state....hmmm....I'd have to say no. What we do have is a nanny state where our civil liberties and personal responsibility have been stripped away. Life is full of risks. There are many ways available to protect yourself from harm - personal or otherwise. If you take reasonable steps to protect yourself, you'll be just fine and your carefulness will rub off on the people around you. If you start relying on someone else to make those choices for you, you'l loose your freedon by not assuming responsibility for your actions. IMO

[MAPearce]

A police state....hmmm....I'd have to say no. What we do have is a nanny state where our civil liberties and personal responsibility have been stripped away. Life is full of risks. There are many ways available to protect yourself from harm - personal or otherwise. If you take reasonable steps to protect yourself, you'll be just fine and your carefulness will rub off on the people around you. If you start relying on someone else to make those choices for you, you'l loose your freedon by not assuming responsibility for your actions. IMO

Be responsible....Have one beer(or glass of wine) wait one hour to drive(because you want be safe AND responsible)drive through a roadblock and be honest with the officer..Result. 24 prohibition.Honest ,Yes.Impaired,No.
Come to Canada,do not yet know english,get *bleep* off because you've spent 12+ hrs in the airport being ignored,Get killed.
Have to produce ID and register to buy a can of spray paint...(not a law YET)
The list is HUGE,these are EXAMPLES ONLY.
Not a police state?.Hmmm.

[WhatThe]

Hellomynameis wrote...
"I  think a "modern police state" denotes the use of a modern level of technology, pre-requisite or not. Ditto with the tool question. But if you wanted to take this line of questioning somewhere please do."

Yes I agree with the wiki definition. However I brought up the technology aspect because the chances of Canada ever going the way of North Korea or China is very unlikely.  We have a 
Constitution and charter which is thankfully upheld by the courts. Surveillance however, as in traffic cameras, plate recognition cameras, 
GPS tracking legislation and biometrics/facial recognition software, etc becomes an issue worthy of attention. All combined creates a surveillance net where individuals can be identified simply by electronic means anytime anywhere.
 I would consider this a pre cursor or,pre requisite, to a police state in Canada.   

[grammafreddy]

Given the huge numbers of people who have GPS on their cell phones and in their vehicles - and quite willingly, I might add - why would the government and/or police need to do anything to legislate it? We are doing it for them - and to ourselves!

We are also heavily into credit and paperless financial matters, we get our pay and our government cheques deposited electronically, we pay our bills online, our income tax is done electronically, and we shop online, too - there is no cash there anymore as a cushion against government, should they decide to let the water drain out of our bathtubs.

As crime rates rise, we install security cameras to watch and to protect. We do this quite happily and nobody seems too concerned about it any more. We sometimes even smile for the cameras! They are on the streets and in the shops and banks and we are doing the surveillance work for the police and anyone else who wants to know who has been where, doing what, at no cost and with no urging from governments or the police.

We allow corporations and police to monitor our spending habits with our use of store cards for discounts and overpriced "gifts". We leave a long paper trail with our credit and debit cards.

We have become so deeply in debt ourselves that it is an accepted way to live - and when our governments go into debt, we shrug our shoulders because it has become "normal" in our way of lifestyle to be in debt.

Mega world financiers and power-hungry world leaders are pulling strings behind our backs and attempting to create a global economy which sinks individualism amongst countries. We pay for the sins of many. We have been sold a bag of scare-mongering and swallowed it hook, line and sinker to the point where we will give up many freedoms in the name of "common good".

Thus far, governments have done little to get us moving toward a police state - we have practically demanded it! We have demanded governments take more of our responsibilities off our shoulders and we are happy to have all our social cushions to land on and cover our personal inadequacies. We have demanded laws to deal with our stupidity and our intolerance toward our neighbours and we have demanded the police enforce them.

When they make their final moves, we will be caught in a web of our own creation and we will all wonder "How did this happen?"

[WhatThe]

As I recall GF, BC has legislated mandatory GPS in cell phones for emergency services so if someone calls 911 they can locate them. You are absolutley righ about financial info, there are huge data bases colected.

Hit the nail on the head with the "We" have let them examples. Power is given, not taken. "We" give govt power over us for the sake of safety and security. Too scary.

[damngrumpy]

We are gripped with fear as a society sort of an American emotional hangover. We are trading
freedom for security. Yes slowly but surely we are becoming a police state not there yet but on
our way,