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Comment by clarkmoody | Hacker News Reader

> And if there's a major terrorist attack under Trump's watch, it'll be open season on our liberties.

I'm starting to believe that there is not a single world leader who is more than one crisis away from "reluctantly" assuming dictatorial powers. And the populations of advanced economies have no conception of the value of their liberty, since they so willingly give it away.

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There have been bombings, gun battles and other mass murders in the streets of Paris, Marseille and elsewhere in Europe, and no sign of dictatorships.

France has curtailed liberties in the wake of recent attacks. No dictators though, you're right.

I think in Europe the reactions are usually a little more measured. After the attacks in Paris and Brussels, there was a reaction and a rise in populism, but I wouldn't call it assuming dictatorial powers.

I don't think it could be compared to Trump's reaction in the hypothetical case where there was a similar terrorist attack in e.g. New York.

It's interesting that countries like Germany where the population experienced the Nazis and the Stasi are the leaders in resisting this populism.

In the US, we probably don't understand how bad it can get yet.

Europe also has had more experience with organised terrorism in the 20th century: Rote Armee Fraktion in Germany, CCC in Belgium, ETA in Basque country, IRA in Ireland, to name just a few. That might also partly explain why the reactions to terror attacks are more measured.

And, over time, they too will start to forget just how bad it was. It's just how humans are wired.

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