The idea that the United States is transforming into a police state, a totalitarian condition where governmental and law enforcement entities covertly spy on civilians to exert control over them, is a notion most Americans would have once found hard to digest.
However, leaving the illusions behind and tracing the behavioral patterns of the government over the past two decades helps bring things into clearer perspective. The drastic shift in governmental direction, which began post the 9/11 terror attacks, took a nosedive with the introduction of the Patriot Act.
Dinesh D’Souza’s upcoming documentary, “Police State,” undertaken in partnership with Dan Bongino, takes us through this metamorphosis. Drawing from historical events like the sieges at Ruby Ridge in 1992 and Waco, Texas in 1993, the film dives into the undercurrents of how America walked into an era where citizens’ rights are continually encroached, and the public outcry against this remains disturbingly low-key.
Born out of the fear of terrorism post 9/11, the Patriot Act has been instrumental in fostering the surveillance culture and the nefarious extent of governmental control currently rampant in the US.
Employing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court instead of grand juries, this act shifted the focus to suspects within the United States, circumventing legal restrictions against inter-agency information sharing, fostering cross-district search warrants and reinforced penalties conspiracies, providing alternative pathways to combat terrorism.
However, recent trends showcase a distinct shift in surveillance targets from foreign terrorists to dissenting citizens. The position, emphasized by President Biden, backed by his DOJ, and the FBI, echoes the sentiment that domestic extremists act as the gravest danger to America. Parents vocalizing concerns at school board meetings, citizens opposing government-mandates for Covid vaccines, or simply exercising their first amendment rights are being cornered.
D’Souza’s film serves as a wake-up call for citizens, indicating our failure or inability to hold these elected leaders and their unelected affiliates in federal agencies accountable for their systemic assault on our rights. Already outselling his previous film, “2000 Mules,” it highlights the looming threat of ballot harvesting and its potential impacts on the 2020 presidential election. The film’s virtual premiere took place on October 27 and it’s currently available digitally on Rumble.
