The Presidential Diatribe

Today I interrupt my planned schedule in presenting the steps in a fascist shift to comment on a real-life use of one of the steps by the President of the United States. In a much-maligned broadside aimed at domestic critics and given before a foreign audience, G. W. Bush used one of the tactics of fascism this past week. Speaking before the Israeli Knesset, Mr. Bush attempted to equate critics of his policy toward Iran with the appeasers of Hitler. This preposterous and inaccurate comparison was deeply unjust both to history and to patriotic Americans who simply disagree with the President's policies.

It was also an attempt to characterize simple dissent as treasonous. This bizarre attempt to link legitimate and thoughtful political discussion to those who failed to oppose Hitler, stands history on its head. And coming from the President of the United States and before a foreign audience no less, it was an effort to vilify a sitting U.S. Senator, Barack Obama, and all those who simply do not agree with an ill-conceived rush to war with Iran, so reminiscent as it is of the rush to war with Iraq.

I will have more to say about this outrage at a later time. For now, I continue to recommend Naomi Wolf's best-selling The End of America as a most important resource for understanding the America of now.