Yes, Don, you were entirely correct if that's what you said at the time. I have been saying myself for years now that there is a neo-fascist takeover happening in America at the topmost level of government, and I think that's been quite clear to many people outside America, but it has been less clear to many people in America, because it is just so unthinkable to people brought up to believe they live in "the land of the free". They think it can't happen in America. It can. It can happen anywhere. You can still have your elections. You can still have your shopping malls and your Nintendo games and all your entertainment shows...but under what is, in fact, an elected dictatorship that perpetuates itself. It can happen with either party (Dems or Reps) in power, provided simply that both parties are corrupted at the highest level, which I suspect they are.

Carol - No, I don't necessarily think Canadians are immune to being terrorized by their government in that fashion. It could certainly happen, but only if some extreme crisis arose within our borders...or was arranged. Such things can be arranged by those with the will to do it.

I'm not sure whether or not Mr Harper is possessed of such a will.

The innate unwillingness of our public (and many of our legislators) to accept such government action would be stronger here than in the USA, I think, because this is basically a more moderate society that does not take too readily to initiating or adopting violent measures. We don't tend to think in those terms.

Ultimately, though, yes it can happen here too. As I said above, it can happen anywhere.