Sure, we may officially live in a democracy right now. Free and fair elections, having checks and balances that work efficiently between the co-equal branches of government, a fourth estate that vigorously investigates the Congress and the President are all things that we hold sacred and that our founding fathers helped create over 200 years ago.
Of course, they really aren't working up to their potential at the moment, President Bush has been viciously attacking these tenets of our government and plans on stopping at nothing to make sure that his will and his will alone is carried out. Well the UK Guardian has studied up on what it takes to turn a country fascist and has come up with examples to following ten steps:
1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy
2. Create a gulag
3. Develop a thug caste
4. Set up an internal surveillance system
5. Harass citizens' groups
6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release
7. Target key individuals
8. Control the press
9. Dissent equals treason
10. Suspend the rule of law
That list sounds a lot like what Hitler and Mussolini did, doesn't it. Well in case you haven't been paying attention, it is what the Bush Administration has been up to for several years now. The Guardian provides plenty of examples on how Bush implements his ten steps, but if you read the news objectively, it isn't hard to see with your own eyes. Remember, even Bush said it would be easier if the United States was a dictatorship. So why just talk when you can really turn our democracy on its head?
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