by Paul Craig Roberts
Dictatorships seldom appear full-fledged but emerge piecemeal. When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon with one Roman legion he broke the tradition that protected the civilian government from victorious generals and launched the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. Fearing that Caesar would become a king, the Senate assassinated him. From the civil wars that followed, Caesar’s grandnephew, Octavian, emerged as the first Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus.
Two thousand years later in Germany, Adolf Hitler’s rise to dictator from his appointment as chancellor was rapid. Hitler used the Reichstag fire to create an atmosphere of crisis. Both the judicial and legislative branches of government collapsed, and Hitler’s decrees became law. The Decree for the Protection of People and State (Feb. 28, 1933) suspended guarantees of personal liberty and permitted arrest and incarceration without trial. The Enabling Act (March 23, 1933) transferred legislative power to Hitler, permitting him to decree laws, laws moreover that "may deviate from the Constitution."
The dictatorship of the Roman emperors was not based on an ideology. The Nazis had an ideology of sorts, but Hitler’s dictatorship was largely personal and agenda-based. The dictatorship that emerged from the Bolshevik Revolution was based in ideology. Lenin declared that the Communist Party’s dictatorship over the Russian people rests "directly on force, not limited by anything, not restricted by any laws, nor any absolute rules." Stalin’s dictatorship over the Communist Party was based on coercion alone, unrestrained by any limitations or inhibitions.
In this first decade of the 21st century the United States regards itself as a land of democracy and civil liberty but, in fact, is an incipient dictatorship. Ideology plays only a limited role in the emerging dictatorship. The demise of American democracy is largely the result of historical developments.
Lincoln was the first American tyrant. Lincoln justified his tyranny in the name of preserving the Union. His extra-legal, extra-constitutional methods were tolerated in order to suppress Northern opposition to Lincoln’s war against the Southern secession.
The first major lasting assault on the US Constitution’s separation of powers, which is the basis for our political system, came with the response of the Roosevelt administration to the crisis of the Great Depression. The New Deal resulted in Congress delegating its legislative powers to the executive branch. Today when Congress passes a statute it is little more than an authorization for an executive agency to make the law by writing the regulations that implement it.
Prior to the New Deal, legislation was tightly written to minimize any executive branch interpretation. Only in this way can law be accountable to the people. If the executive branch that enforces the law also writes the law, "all legislative powers" are no longer vested in elected representatives in Congress. The Constitution is violated, and the separation of powers is breached.
SOURCE
Bush Has Crossed the Rubicon
Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by poncho, Jan 17, 2006.
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"Both political parties, most constitutional lawyers, and the bar associations are willing to set aside the Constitution whenever it interferes with their agendas."
How true. How true and how very, very sad. :( -
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While I don't believe that Republicans actively seek to do so, they are all too often willing accomplices to the Dems when they seek to do so. Yeah, I know this invites debate on the FISA/NSA issue but we've been there and done that.
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Don't kid yourself. The republicans are just as eager to rule us as the democrats. You don't give them that kind of power, if you have any sense.
I see the Supreme Court just handed Bush another defeat, telling him that he hasn't got the right to tell states how to license physicians or to rule on how they practice. His new (supposedly conservative) Chief Justice voted with the other two advocates of federal control of everything.
Do you remember when "conservative" meant "limited government?" -
More like "Bush has crossed the Rio Grande" to help Wal-Mart and Tysons employ illegals who then
are abused by Wal-Mart and Tyson.
I think bush is hoping for a another attack on American soil to get his butt out of a crack(no pun intended)and keep his fearmongering culture rolling along that has kept him in power...folks its fear and it sure isn't faith. -
In the classic novel 1984, the government kept its citizens perpetually under its thumb by maintaining a state of constant war. That's exactly what Bush has accomplished with his war on terrorism. Watch for another bogus terror alert like the one in NYC right before the last election. (NYC officials saw nothing out of the ordinary to be concerned about.)
The next step would be to suspend elections. People on here in another thread talk about why a Christian should strongly support the right to bear arms. If Bush suspends the 2008 elections that'd the time to rebel. -
I am trying to figure out where the Black Helicopters and UFO's figure into the Anti-Bush conspiracy theories given above. And what brand of tin foil is used for the hat-making.
Suspending the 2008 elections, indeed. The real power behind it all (Hillary) wouldn't allow that! ;) -
That makes all the sense in the world :rolleyes: . Look, Bush isn't perfect but he isn't looking to become dictator either.
BTW, where were you during the Cold War when the US gov't did much worse than Bush is accused of in the name of protecting us from a country that never made the first act of aggression toward us?
We don't live in a day when you can wait for the enemy to attack and then respond. You have to respond to threats. The enemy can do great damage before a response can be organized... perhaps even defeat us.
After 9/11, a recovering economy went back into the tank for another 2 years. What if the attacks were more substantial? What would happen if they floated a dirty nuke up the Hudson River? Or the Potomac? Mississippi? San Fran Bay?
We are very vulnerable.
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The Bush "dictatorship" will only last 3 more years and 3 days.
Most dictators "serve" for life, don't they? :confused: -
Yeah... and Bush sure has been brutal, huh? He's hurt many feelings and been downright mean to those who have sworn oathes to destroy the US and Israel.
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By every testimony I have ever read about the private character of the man... your charges are without foundation. Even his adversaries that know him aren't making such grotesque accusations.
How do you justify such hatred? -
OldRegular for someone who sleeps alot and clucks like a chicken are you saying the bush culture does not use fear....get real.
Bush was created from fear and he is no natural born leader all his slogans are jokes.
"I am a uniter not a divider" hah!
"I am a compassionate conservative" biggest lie of all -
Too much "blue dress" coverage... bomb an aspirin factory. Too many questions about Rose Law... bomb Iraq.
At least with these accusations toward Clinton there is coincidental facts. You have nothing to base such an accusation on about Bush.
In fact, your political math is even poor... Bush is right now buoyed by the fact that the US hasn't been hit again on his watch.(he sure isn't getting due credit for the economy) -
Off topic for a moment:
Can you imagine, Scott, what would have become of Monica if she had not held on to that blue dress? -
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OldRegualr bush is a baby christian who needs to be taken to the woodshed by a Baptist Elder/Deacon Board ..bush falls back on his past
and must face the consequences..that is what he
himself preaches "Their must be consequences" well quess what George ..God looks at you first before he looks at a Muslim or an un believer..that is etched in stone..written in "Forever oh Lord you word is settled in heaven"
Bush uses fear to stay in power imho I stand on that.
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