I would love to give you the long version of this, but here is the answer to your question:

The US became a police state as soon as the CIA did its coup of the executive branch. Now, when this actually occurred is debatable - but my opinion is that they succeeded 100% once GHW Bush took the VP spot as Reagan's handler.

This coup was a LONG time in the making -- and goes all the way back to Prescott, but ever since 1980 - every president has been a puppet of GHW Bush and the CIA.

If you're interested in sources and history, we can discuss further...

Intriguing. So why did GHWB lose his reelection campaign? Did he do something to upset his superiors or was losing just a smokescreen to better orchestrate things from behind the scenes?

The illusion of hoice must continue. While I cannot say that GHW Bush wanted to lose the election, I can say that it didn't mater.

Clinton was brought into the CIA fold after his complicity to allowing CIA drug importation to Mena Arkansas.

Here is a brief clip where Clinton does not deny any of the allegations of the trafficking - he simply attempts to deny any awareness of it.

Watch the Mena Connection....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDMktUYvC7k

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There is a lot more to it as well.

Perhaps a better question is, in what decades did the US start being a bully to others, including its own citizens.

It probably started with Latin American countries (CIA coups, Smedley Butler), vietnam, Iran (Shaw), Afghanistan (when the CIA radicalized them to fight the russians), etc. Ike warned of the MIC, and he was right. Now we're turning the lens inward, as the empire is totally insolvent.