O'Connor claims that Republicans are dragging US towards dictatorship

[Agathon]

That's Sandra Day O'Connor... Reagan appointee and recent member of the SCOTUS.

Audio link here.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5255712

Slate Story

http://www.slate.com/id/2137961/

Grauniad

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1729345,00.html

Wow... I'm surprised that she would use such strong language. Sounds like Michael Moore.

Who'd a thunk it...

Yay!

[Imran Siddiqui]

That isn't exactly what she said, Aggie, but hyperbole seems to be your manner.

She said we have to be wary interference in the judiciary (mainly by Republicans) because it may begin a slippery slope towards the kind of actions done by former Communist regimes.

From the Guardian article:

O'Connor said we must be ever-vigilant against those who would strong-arm the judiciary into adopting their preferred policies. It takes a lot of degeneration before a country falls into dictatorship, she said, but we should avoid these ends by avoiding these beginnings."

She is saying that the ends of these policies may be dictatorship, and even though it won't happen anytime soon ("It takes a lot of degeneration..."), we shouldn't start on the slope.

[Jon Miller]

I argee...

the current republican leadership are fascists..

not that any group in power doesn't become fascist..

JM

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
That isn't exactly what she said, Aggie, but hyperbole seems to be your manner.

She said we have to be wary interference in the judiciary (mainly by Republicans) because it may begin a slippery slope towards the kind of actions done by former Communist regimes.

From the Guardian article:

O'Connor said we must be ever-vigilant against those who would strong-arm the judiciary into adopting their preferred policies. It takes a lot of degeneration before a country falls into dictatorship, she said, but we should avoid these ends by avoiding these beginnings."

She is saying that the ends of these policies may be dictatorship, and even though it won't happen anytime soon ("It takes a lot of degeneration..."), we shouldn't start on the slope.

Merely saying that the current state of affairs is the beginnings of a move towards dictatorship is an extreme comment for an ex Republican Supreme Court Justice.

This is essentially the same thing that many liberal bloggers are saying.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Merely saying that the current state of affairs is the beginnings of a move towards dictatorship is an extreme comment for an ex Republican Supreme Court Justice.

While not an ex Supreme Court Justice, I notice you've apparently never heard of Bob Barr?

http://swerveleft.blogspot.com/2005/12/bob-barr-says-military-dictatorship.html

Former Republican Congressman and CIA official Bob Barr says that there is a danger recent developments describe a trend of America slipping into a totalitarian society and that the Bush administration are doing everything in their power to see that this happens.

During a radio interview with host Alex Jones, Barr outlined where the country is heading.

"Basically, as long as you smile when you demand to see somebody's ID at gunpoint sitting on a bus I guess it's OK for the government, that's sort of the way they operate. It can be a totalitarian type regime."

"I think it's a real danger where we have the military becoming involved in all sorts of domestic matters and we have the government being able to seize very private personal records on people without any suspicion that they've done anything wrong. This is a dramatic turn of events that has accelerated greatly since 9/11."

Barr made comments very similar to those of current Republican Congressman Ron Paul in stating that natural disasters could be used by the government as a pretext to abolish posse comitatus.

"If we have the military involved whenever there's a windstorm, rain or tornado then what we are doing is that we are undermining the entire basis on what our constitutional representative democratic form of government was founded."

Barr said that legislation like the Patriot Act and its imminent re-authorization and expansion were more of a threat to the American way of life than any terrorist attack.

"Even when the leaders in Washington say we're not going to let the terrorists change our way of life, they are implementing policies that do precisely that."

Barr elaborated that the manipulation of fear was a key cornerstone in the government's coup de 'tat on constitutional liberties.

"They're using people's fear of another terrorist attack to move forward with various government programs that the government has wanted to gather and put in place for many many years. They're using the fear which is now driving public policy in this country which is very unfortunate and very un-American. Our leaders are shamelessly playing on that fear to implement and grab power."

Speaking on the topic of the second amendment, Barr said that his position as a board member on the NRA enabled him to judge the difference between how the Clinton and Bush administration's approached the issue. Barr echoed the sentiments of many other prominent conservatives in expressing his frustration about how the Bush administration was even more anti-second amendment than the Clinton office.

"It's my impression to be honest with you, and this is confirmed by a lot of folks who are involved very heavily in regulatory matters involving firearms, that it is more difficult dealing with this administration than it was dealing with the prior administration."

Barr is currently working with the ACLU and others in trying to prevent the sunset clauses of the Patriot Act from being renewed, which could happens as early as this week.

(Yes, yes, I know the source, but plenty of sites have stated similar about Barr's remarks)

[Berzerker]

Bob Barr complaining about the loss of civil liberties is a real hoot

the guy was a major player in pushing the drug war and that policy laid the groundwork for all the spying

[Ted Striker]

Bob Barker hasn't had a valid opinion since he was sexually harassing Holly and Diane

[Ted Striker]

PS SCROTUM

[Last Conformist]

If the Judiciary was under the control of the popularly elected pieces of the state, wouldn't it all be more democratic?