Bill, all I can say is that "moving in that direction" isn't consistent with the charge made in the article that lead this thread and the only case that's been made is that the US is a little more to the right than it was. OK, that's the direction of Fascism. Would moving to the left justify claiming we're moving to Stalinism? It's the right, I mean, correct direction. Puffs of smoke indeed.


Let's talk about your concerns about manipulating the system. Politicians have been gerrymandering voters, adjusting laws, altering finance and trying to control the courts since the beginning of the Republic. On all sides. Every adminstration tries to control retirements from the bench so they can control who gets appointed. FDR tried to load the Supreme Court to keep his programs from being struck down. Democrats gerrymandered electoral districts here in Texas without shame for over 100 years. There were no Republicans in high office in the state for most of that period. They used to preprint voter registration cards "Democrat" to discourage Republicans from registering. The Democrat's original version of campaign finance reform left staggering loopholes for their prime special interest groups. I was a little embarrassed in my list of people who are infamous for their voter fraud because they're all Democrats (honest, I don't know any Republicans off the top of my head). Democrats are out to win completely, too. Whatever gave you the idea American politics was softball?

You said, "They seem to be willing to do as Hitler did". We've had that conversation. Prove it. Be specific, don't speak out of an unease or vague feelings, give me something Hitler like and tangible. It's not enough that they're doing what politicians of all stripes from the time of the Greek city states have done. Tell me what they're doing that compares to what Hitler did. The list is of things he did in this thread is not comprehensive, but it's a good start.

As to what your grandchildren might face, well, by the time my grandchildren are grown (the first is still on the way), anything can happen. Only 25 years ago it would have been inconcievable that there's not only would we have Republican Governor, that Republicans would be the majority of either branch of the state legislature. By then both parties could be as obsolete as the Whigs and the Tories.

I'm not afraid of the kind of gradualism you seem worried about. I HAVE criteria for deciding when government has gone too far. Come on, so do you. We can both oppose what we don't trust without this hyperbole. Don't go to extreme over every issue you don't like. It creates noise in the system. I'm repeating myself, I know, but that kind of thing makes it difficult for people to be aware of the real thing when it comes along. You desensitize them to the horror. Don't be guilty of that.

IMHO.