Reply #36: for a couple of years, now, I have wondered about a sort of

[salin]

"Third Worldization" going on - and pondered whether a developed country had ever moved backwards (economic and politically wise) towards a banana republic type system. In the extreme - that looks as if that is where the slate of policies seems to be intended to take us.

Now I am starting to want a tin foil hat, as it seems that the series of revelations of executive power being used to override congress - and to take action against citizens isn't the beginnings of setting up a one-party rule system using the govt to enforce it (think the force of the govt used in the old soviet system to force people to join the party, and that only economic and career success could be attained if one rose (esp as a youngster) as a party leader or up and comer. Still far fetched - but suddenly not completely out of the question as to answer the "but why?" in response to some of the moves by bushco.