It looks like George Bush might have studied these ten simple steps for subverting democracy as, to some degree, his administration has been practicing them.
It is obviously an exaggeration to claim that Bush is turning this into a fascist state, but for those of us concerned with the need to limit the power of government to preserve liberty, many of these actions are alarming. It is especially disappointing that most conservatives, who claim to distrust the power of government, can safely be predicted to respond to this article with support for Bush’s policies. The fact that over thirty percent of the country continues to approve of George Bush, and so many in the conservative media and blogosphere defend him, shows how precarious democracy is.
This is the most ridiculous article I have come across in a really long time. Comparing America to horrible fascist regimes which thousands upon thousands of our countrymen gave their lives for is unbelievable and disrespectful. Sure some of the arguments are thought provoking, but they all are trumped up to make this anti-American statement. It’s no wonder that moderates and conservatives see these uber-liberal views and equate them to our Democratic leaders in congress who want to leave Iraq in a state of chaos.
It was George Bush and the Republicans who are responsible for Iraq being in a state of chaos.
These are all legitimate warnings of government actions which erode our liberties and place our democracy in jeopardy. Heeding such warnings, and preserving our democracy, is the way respect the sacrifices made by those who gave their lives for their country.
To write these off as “disrespectful” and allow the abuses of power under Bush to continue is a sign of the dangers we face.
Don’t lump in moderates with conservatives. Moderates have joined with liberals in opposing the Republicans following their move to the far left. Only the far right would see heeding the warnings of the founding fathers about the needs to limit government power as being “uber-liberal.” There was a time when conservatives claimed to hold such views.
That’s an interesting take, Ross, since I think that this is one of the most perceptive articles I’ve across in a really long time. If you study the concept of fascism rather than
having a knee-jerk reaction to the emotions the word evokes and are open-minded, you might find disturbing parallels as do many others who want only the best for this country, irrespective of convenient labels.
Disrespect? Disrespect is this administration’s evisceration of the Constitution and our rights as American citizens.
And if uber-liberal means standing for the rule of law, against torture, against preemptive war, and for a truly representative and honest government responsive to the American people, I’ll wear the label proudly.