"Fashionista?" Nay, the Real Question is, "Fascista?"

Is it fashionable to continue the unequal balance of power in the United States? It seems as though the Supreme Court justices may be fashionista. The continued collusion between corporations and the United States government has birthed a Supreme Court decision that now gives even more power to corporations, financial institutions, and the people who run them. Until recently, corporations and financial institutions enjoyed exponentially escalating profits over the past decade, unencumbered by regulations and enhanced by tax breaks. Those who ran them received extraordinarily high salaries, bonuses, benefits, and golden parachutes that exponentially increased the disparity of wages between CEO's and the average worker. Due to the recent Supreme Court decision that allows corporations and unions to spend unlimited dollars on campaign contributions, they now have unlimited power to influence the course of elections in favor of candidates who will continue to benefit them. Free speech belongs to individual people: one person, one voice, one vote. The Supreme Court justices have elevated corporations and unions to the same status as a person by also granting them the right to free speech. Next, maybe they'll let the CEO's and Union Leaders place votes for these new "people." I guess the old saying is true, money can buy anything. Too bad the new voices who have been newly granted the freedom of speech will drown out the voices of the majority of Americans who are unable to compete with such tremendously affluent budgets and increased power to steer the course of "democratic" elections. Perhaps a more appropriate word for the Supreme Court justices' decision may be fascista.

In 1785, Thomas Jefferson spoke about elective despotism: "Mankind soon learn to make interested uses of every right and power which they possess, or may assume. The public money and public liberty, intended to have been deposited with three branches of magistracy, but found inadvertently to be in the hands of one only, will soon be discovered to be sources of wealth and dominion to those who hold them... They [the assembly] should look forward to a time, and that not a distant one, when a corruption in this, as in the country from which we derive our origin, will have seized the heads of government, and be spread by them through the body of the people; when they will purchase the voices of the people, and make them pay the price. Human nature is the same on every side of the Atlantic, and will be alike influenced by the same causes. The time to guard against corruption and tyranny, is before they shall have gotten hold of us. It is better to keep the wolf out of the fold, than to trust to drawing his teeth and talons after he shall have entered."

What is Fascism? This link defines the Fourteen Defining Characteristics of Fascism: http://www.rense.com/general37/char.htm

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.

Finally, Gas for under $3/gal.! McCain/Palin "S" Word! NAFTA!

On my way home tonight, I was happy to finally see gas for $2.99/gal. It's about time. Oil and gas companies have been setting these high prices to greedily line their pockets by taking money directly out of ours. If there really was a legitimate shortage, nothing would make these prices drop. Hmmmm...

As for Palin and McCain using the "S" word, I think there should be no problem in Obama using the "F" word in reply. Obama is not a Socialist, but the entire policy of the Bush Administration, which McCain has enthusiastically supported, endorsed and for whom he campaigned twice, has for the past eight years been absolutely Fascist.

As for McCain bringing up Rev. Wright after promising he wouldn't, means he lies! So much for his promises.

NAFTA - multi-national corporations going into less-developed nations in Central and South America, using up the natural resources of these nations with little thought to adverse environmental consequences and unfair labor practices. Now, indigenous peoples of some of these countries are beginning to protest.