Unforeseen Contingencies

The most recent posts on Unforeseen Contingencies have suggested that America is sliding into fascism. Our readers seem to have doubts, and frankly I understand – posting this sort of commentary bothers me a great deal. But I’m not sure what other conclusion I might reasonably reach, given what is happening in America. Two presidents in a row, from “both” viewpoints, argue that opposing them might constitute criminal behavior. Both administrations have argued for unchecked power of the executive. The current president has gone farther than the previous one to crack down on those who expose wrongdoing by the government. (Glenn Greenwald has been documenting how the Obama administration has greatly exceeded the Bush administration in this regard. If you’re not reading Greenwald’s posts on Salon, you should do so. They are well documented and chilling.) The Secretary of State, Madame Clinton, has declared that "citizenship is a privilege, not a right" and that the Secretary of State ought to have the power to strip a citizen of citizenship without court oversight – thus depriving one of access to American courts. "Independent" senator Joseph Lieberman has introduced legislation towards this end. And then there’s the stunt of bring a president of the failed third world narco-state to lecture Congress on "human rights." Mr. Calderon tells us that Arizona’s immigration law, which requires state and local officials to enforce federal law, is a violation of "human rights." And among his solutions is the imposition of strict gun controls. I could go on with the political insanity, but the point has been made sufficiently – the current political clime is one of expanding, without check, the power of the state. All of it promulgates the absolute state. That's indeed fascism, and it is extremely dangerous. This, coupled with the precarious financial position of the American government, is enough. If we do not change course very soon, the American Revolution, the most magnificent political event in history, will be over.

And it will be time for a new one.