AMERICAN FASCISM 2

Yesterday’s blog presented the viewpoint of one citizen who has decided to leave the United States and return to Germany in order to escape the growing tyranny of the U.S. government. I agree with his belief that the administration of George W. Bush uses tactics that threaten our very system of government.

Whether or not a person buys into the theory that the neo-cons have backed Bush in order to subvert our Constitutional form of government into an autocratic form, (see: Is There Any Doubt Now That It Is A Coup Attempt?
By CanYouBeAngryAndStillDream) an objective look at the way the administration has functioned and the kind of draconian measures it has put in place through legislation could not possibly lead one to conclude that they are striving to ensure openness in government and absolute freedom for the people! What follows is a list of items 9 through 16 from a list of 20 impeachable offenses compiled by www.impeachbush.org.

9. Acting to strip United States citizens of their constitutional and human rights, ordering indefinite detention of citizens, without access to counsel, without charge, and without opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the detention, based solely on the discretionary designation by the Executive of a citizen as an "enemy combatant."
10. Ordering indefinite detention of non-citizens in the United States and elsewhere, and without charge, at the discretionary designation of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Defense.
11. Ordering and authorizing the Attorney General to override judicial orders of release of detainees under INS jurisdiction, even where the judicial officer after full hearing determines a detainee is wrongfully held by the government.
12. Authorizing secret military tribunals and summary execution of persons who are not citizens who are designated solely at the discretion of the Executive who acts as indicting official, prosecutor and as the only avenue of appellate relief.
13. Refusing to provide public disclosure of the identities and locations of persons who have been arrested, detained and imprisoned by the U.S. government in the United States, including in response to Congressional inquiry.
14. Use of secret arrests of persons within the United States and elsewhere and denial of the right to public trials.
15. Authorizing the monitoring of confidential attorney-client privileged communications by the government, even in the absence of a court order and even where an incarcerated person has not been charged with a crime.
16. Ordering and authorizing the seizure of assets of persons in the United States, prior to hearing or trial, for lawful or innocent association with any entity that at the discretionary designation of the Executive has been deemed "terrorist."

Are these really impeachable offenses? To answer that, you need to do your own research and come to your own conclusions.

Are they dangerous signs of a tyrannical bent within the administration? To my mind, there is no question at all. What else besides tyranny could they represent? I sure won’t buy the argument that they are actions taken to ensure my security. Nothing any foreign person or government has done during my lifetime has ever done more to shake my sense of security than the actions this administration has taken over the past six years.

Are they reminiscent of the governmental approach taken by Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party in the Germany of the 1930s? To me, the detention of either citizens or non-citizens based on a determination made, not by a court of law but by an administration official, combined with restrictions that make it impossible for them to argue or even declare their innocence is tyranny of the highest order. Is it Fascist? Well, it ain’t democratic!!

Another characteristic of tyranny is the actions it takes to stifle dissent. Under an autocrat, only sycophants (psychophants?!) are allowed positions within the government or the military. Recent news has carried stories of this tendency in the military and even more on the politicization of the Department of Justice and the disappearing agency behind it (American Center for Voting Rights). Witness after witness has come revealed the political screening process that has resulted in the firing and replacement of attorneys unwilling to toe the party line with those who are. Most of those witnesses have come from the sycophantic ranks who could be considered hostile to the investigation, but even they cannot successfully hide, deny or whitewash the obvious attempt to stack the DOJ with attorneys willing to prosecute non-existent voter fraud and pursue party-oriented investigations.

How does a justice system operate in a Fascist setting? Free and open, maybe, and with unbiased prosecutors? Or could it be that such a government would find it advantageous to have a justice department that was willing to prosecute (read persecute) anyone who holds a different view from the administration? Isn’t this exactly the advantage that the Bush Administration has been seeking? More tomorrow.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. -- M. K. Gandhi

Individually we have little voice. Collectively we cannot be ignored.
But in silence we surrender our power. Yours in Peace -- BR