Congessman Broun of Georgia Fears an Obama-led Fascist State

Earlier today, Republican Congressman Broun of Georgia said he fears President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force in order to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship. Congressman Broun has the same right to freedom of speech as does every other citizen. However, his elevated place of power as an elected official in public office should inform his behavior and any statements he might make. As a public official, he is held to a higher standard and should make more responsible, considered and factual public statements, instead of spouting the usual fear-mongering that has been the trademark of the current administration. Didn't Hitler use fear as one of his methods of gaining power over his people and reducing their rights?

As for his comments about the President-Elect, I see that he is suffering from the psychological condition of projection, in which a person projects their own problem onto others. We already live in a fascist state, courtesy of President Bush, with security forces formed under the Patriot Act: the Department of Homeland Security. This department regularly hires Blackwater militia to assist them on and off our soil. When they named this department "Homeland," it reminded me of Hitler's "Fatherland." Excessive nationalism is one of the tenets of fascism. I remember when President Bush called those who opposed his invasion and occupation of a foreign country, unpatriotic Americans. Didn't Hitler use ultra-Nationalism while invading and occupying foreign countries?

President Bush has also allowed Blackwater, formed before his Presidency in 1997, to grow into what is now the world's largest private militia on our own soil. This is unconstitutional. Why is a private militia, not bound by Constitutional constraints and Congressional oversight, allowed on our soil doing Bush's bidding? Isn't this just like the Gestapo? He also pays Blackwater forces more money than he does our own armed forces to fight in Iraq. For all of his talk of his support of our military men and women, he ought to put "his money where his mouth is."

Homeland Security and the NSA actively and unconstitutionally monitor the private conversations of US citizens. They have recorded so many conversations that they are building a new storage facility in, go figure, Texas. They are able to type in a person's name and pull up any and all conversations they've recorded under that name. We may have freedom of speech, but absolutely no right to privacy. Think about being outside anywhere on this planet - surveillance is being conducted by satellite and, in many populated areas, by street webcams. How they can see a person's nose or the license plate on a car, yet have been "unable" over almost a decade, to find one, very tall man in Afghanistan, still boggles the mind.

Our right to habeas corpus was unconstitutionally suspended under the current President. The US Constitution clearly states that "The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it." There was no rebellion, nor was our country invaded - we were attacked; there is a very real difference between the words invade and attack.

I could go on, but will stop here. The framers of our country expected responsible citizenship from American citizens. I ask that all Americans read or reread the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Here are links: http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html and http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html. It is so easy to lose rights and privileges when you aren't aware you have them. Many people in this world still do not have the right to vote, yet approximately 40% of American citizens didn't even bother to exercise this right in the most recent national elections. Our own citizens fought and died so that we could vote and live in a democratic republic. So please get out and vote, in local, state and national elections. Finally, people may attempt to create a climate of fear; it is only when you listen to and believe them that you will be afraid and, in so doing, elevate the power of those fear-mongering people. Please use reason and knowledge, instead of emotion, to inform your beliefs.