American Police state successfully exported (pics)

I'm ashamed to report that a USA style Police State concept has spread
and has been adopted in a very far corner of Earth.
Latvia. Riga city.

Today police fined and took away home grown apples,
hand-picked mushrooms. flowers and other garden products from
several old ladies who were trying to make some living.
One of them is 85 years old and her only income is $70 per month!!! state pension.

Keep in mind - the average wage in Latvia is around $700 (ten times more her monthly income).

Here goes the photos of taking the apples away and reporting her for "illegal sales and avoiding tax".









A link to full article HERE. In Latvian (use google translate, for instance)

Don't you think your overreacting?
American cops would have used a tazer and cuffs.

a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71
Maybe they would.
It always starts small.
Once people get used to it, they scale it up to an "international standard"
This has been a long tradition to let elderly people sell homegrown fruits and veggies without "state intervention"

Perhaps the cops were hungry? is $700 a month enough to live on? (for the cops)

a reply to: pikestaff

I'd say it isn't enough .
The average wage covers the basic necessities - like food and rent. But there is no such thing as saving money going on at this corner of the earth.

I work in sales my ass off and I'm happy I get $1500 per month.

a reply to: FIFIGI

More like corporate state enforced by corporate police. Can't have any competition now can we? I'd love to set up a table on my street(my garage is back in the square and invisible from the road so a garbage sale goes unnoticed).

Out on the main street boulevard I could at least catch the eye of passing motorists and maybe make a couple dollars.

The first cop that came along would do the very same thing to me.

They'd take my stuff and issue a court appearance resulting in a fine.

a reply to: intrptr

True. It's somewhat linked to corporate state, where free trade is made illegal under international "Free Trade Treaty"

originally posted by: FIFIGI
I'm ashamed to report that a USA style Police State concept has spread and has been adopted in a very far corner of Earth.

Latvia. Riga city.

Umm, while I don't dismiss some crappy happenings by police here in the U.S., we are hardly the originators of a "Police State concept."

a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

I think that given a granny is just selling some fruit and flowers that the four cops dealing with her are over reacting.

So wonderful to see them taking her goods away too. It would be a real fekker of a police man who just showed a little compassion and either ignored her or moved her on, eh?

a reply to: skalla

I'd like to point out that the concept of Freedom is very recent
phenomena in human history and strongly originates from USA.

As a world superpower USA sets a standard of freedom.
And if they lower it, the rest of the world suffers.

Russia and China had a set a very high standard for a Police State.
And I'd really hate to see USA following down their path.
Because there are no other superpowers on Earth who could lead the world towards more personal freedom.


So, yes, 4 police man wasting my tax money is well overreacting.

What a shame, Wonder what major grocery chain, was right down the road. And how many police does it take , to confiscate some apples, and mushrooms from an 85 year old woman

originally posted by: Glassbender777
What a shame, Wonder what major grocery chain, was right down the road. And how many police does it take , to confiscate some apples, and mushrooms from an 85 year old woman

Might be the regional grocery chain Maxima.
You can see their sign in the back ground at one of the photos.

What was it like during communism there? Was there a police state then? I grew up ready to duck and cover at a moment's notice and was always told that the USSR keeps its people behind barbed wire fences with machine guns--over the entire huge border. And those police sure looked benign to me compared to the our SEAL wanna be police, but I like how you are trying to do something before it grows even more out of control. Is there a newspaper in Riga that you could write a letter to the editor or a local "Patch" type site that you can spread the word? Stay Staunch. a reply to: FIFIGI

a reply to: FIFIGI

(eta, i think you misunderstood my post, i was in support of your op) but...

Sorry, but i disagree with your post entirely. The idea of the USA as a beacon of freedom is so laughable that i may actually puke over my keyboard.

i liked your OP, but seriously.

Often brutal police state, corporate oligarchy maquerading as democracy, terrible education and (possibly no) health care unless you pay for it privately, massive social inequality, institutionally racist, poisonous media and food .... and crossing the road can get you arrested.

Free, lol.

originally posted by: georgezip
What was it like during communism there? Was there a police state then? I grew up ready to duck and cover at a moment's notice and was always told that the USSR keeps its people behind barbed wire fences with machine guns--over the entire huge border. And those police sure looked benign to me compared to the our SEAL wanna be police, but I like how you are trying to do something before it grows even more out of control. Is there a newspaper in Riga that you could write a letter to the editor or a local "Patch" type site that you can spread the word? Stay Staunch. a reply to: FIFIGI

Oh, man, this has gone viral.
This is completely out of order.
I'm just wondering where do they get the ideas and orders from?

Regarding Soviet time.
The collapse of USSR was pretty scary time. They just wouldn't let go.
Special USSR military units were shooting civilians and trying to intimidate everyone.

Before that it was mostly brainwashing.
Very little info got in and out of Iron Wall.
We didn't have any western products.
So the West was kept out in every possible way apart from radio waves.
Unless you were questioning the status quo the life was peaceful.

Once you were shaking a boat or trying to voice your questions, you were in trouble.
Police would follow every step you do.

People still managed to get out some video recordings of, for instance, work (slave) camps (prisons).
And USSR was put in a diplomatic stress.

For me, as a child, I had to deal with Russians - we were fighting all the time.
Latvian groups against Russian groups.
Some fights were pretty violent.

a reply to: FIFIGI
Blame the city or state for having these rediculous laws. Blame your d-bag politicians for not removing these dopey ordinances/regulations.

a reply to: skalla

Thanks for your support.

I know, I know. About the USA.
But you haven't lived outside USA.

Let's take Britain.
Almost entirely all of it covered with cameras watching your every move.

Let's take Russia.
Very little freedom of speech.
Media is fully controlled by the state.

Let's take Chine.
Let's not even go there.

You know what I mean?
The world is a very complicated place.
And the image of USA plays a role in a far corner like ours.
For example, we'd like to think that USA (NATO) will help us in a case Russia will make move similar to what's happening in Ukraine.

a reply to: FIFIGI

I'm British. CCTV has never bothered me and i've been involved in heaps of stuff i shouldn't have been. Most CCTV is privately owned and used for property security, it really is not like you think it is.

a reply to: skalla

Right.
I've spent some years in Britain.
They might be privately owned, but I felt awkward about it.

a reply to: FIFIGI

I've been engaged in activities that would interest police for over 20 years and it's never bothered me or limited what i do.