From Hitler to Pinochet and beyond, history shows there are certain steps that any would-be dictator must take to destroy constitutional freedoms.
And, argues Naomi Wolf, George Bush and his administration seem to be taking them all
Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy
Create a gulag
Develop a thug caste
Set up an internal surveillance system
Harass citizens' groups
Engage in arbitrary detention and release
Target key individuals
Control the press
Dissent equals treason
Suspend the rule of law
As difficult as this is to contemplate, it is clear, if you are willing to look, that each of these 10 steps has already been initiated today in the
United States by the Bush administration.
"The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands ... is the definition of tyranny," wrote James Madison. We
still have the choice to stop going down this road; we can stand our ground and fight for our nation, and take up the banner the founders asked us to
carry. |