A Critical Distinction

Republicans are not fascists. They’re just being run by fascists.

And in case that weren’t clear enough, the senior fascist in the Bush regime has just come out again to remind us of the G.O.P. leadership’s true agenda. Tricky Dick Cheney is making the rounds, spouting the fascist line that the Tsar must have absolute power to wage war — including torturing prisoners — however he sees fit, without all that pesky Congressional oversight.

In other words — and I can’t imagine the intent could be any more explicit — we need the president to function as an absolute dictator.

The twist this time is that he’s not coming out in opposition to those irritating liberals, who just don’t know when to roll over and die, but to fellow Republicans. Republicans who, apparently, aren’t getting with the program that the party has decided to wield power à la Saddam Hussein. Republicans like John McCain, John Warner, and Lindsey Graham, who (how dare they?) are entertaining the notion that the United States of America really should establish some limits to just how much we can torture prisoners, hide them secretly, and otherwise completely evade the provisions of the (already-ratified) U.N. Convention Against Torture.

Duh-bya, of course, is saying flat out that he’ll veto any defense bill that includes such restrictions against his dictatorial authority. But preliminary indications are that defense amendments being proposed by McCain already have some serious Republican support; Democratic support (though not yet solicited) is probably a given.

I can’t believe anyone can still swallow the story that America has a duty to “spread democracy” when our executive branch is so determined to squash it here at home. But we, as a nation, finally have an opportunity to say that — whatever our differences as to the right course for the nation — we will absolutely not allow ourselves to be represented by a power-mad dictator. We may not be able to get rid of him just yet, but at least we can keep him from asserting overt dictatorial authority.

I’m not at all convinced that most Americans are willing to make that assertion. After all, it’s not like this fascistic bent is anything new, and this nation voted him in anyway. But I’d certainly like to be shown that my lack of faith may be unwarranted.