While we Kossacks are daily enmeshed in the insidious tentacles of BushCo's Moonie-like and unrelenting pursuit of power and profit, with a generous side dish of wall-to-wall corruption, both economic and political, how to frame and explain for the average American voter???
I mean, let's face it, they're really good at this whole black-and-white, smear-till-you-drop, brief slogan thing! The total lack of conscience is a big help for them.
Anyone who has read the "14 Characteristics of Fascism" understands what a perfect fit the Nazi/Fascist comparison is, but they have somewhat co-opted and devalued that thru such idiotic minions as O'Lielly and Glenn Beck.
But fear not, gentle (and no so gentle) Kossacks--we may have a new frame that is guaranteed to drive them bat-shit crazy!!! (Well, ok, even more so...)
What occurs to me as a particularly apt analogy didn't emanate from one of the high-priced DC Consultants, but from a quite-principled Constitutional Law Professor named Jonathan Turley. As he reviewed the latest atrocities in the DOJ Scandal last nite w/KO on Countdown, Turley mused that the clear preference for fierce party loyalty over any semblance of expertise or even competence was reminiscent, for him, of the Soviet system of apparatchiks, where, usually, loyalty trumped ability.
While the DOJ examples are sufficiently alarming, we are increasingly aware that this Sovietization, quarterbacked by Cheney, who is loath to brook any type of dissent or disagreement whatsoever to his ossified point of view, has, in fact, been implemented throughout what used to be our Government.
A recent diary detailed the manner in which the dismantling of Douglas Feith's "Feith-based Intelligence" apparatus at DoD had in fact morphed into broader control of Intelligence capabilities through Military Toadies. At FDA, Interior (yes, even our precious parks!), NASA, the Centers for Disease Control, FCC, Dept. of Health & Human Services, etc., etc., loyal Moonies from Regent U. and other fine institutions of 'higher' learning have infiltrated and stifled the Organs of Governance.
Oh, and let's not forget that whole "spying on your own citizens to maintain power" thing!!!
We have read and heard the horror stories of Cherubic but Clueless Idiots placed in charge of such as the Iraqi Finance Ministry under the CAP. It seems quite likely that the arrogance and idiocy (a toxic mix, that, but I guess that blend starts at the top!!!) has already cost us billions upon billions of dollars and thousands of lives.
I'll retire to join you in the comments following one more thought: It was not really Reagan or our Armed Forces that won the Cold War, it was the fact that the Soviet Union spent itself into absolute bankruptcy on its military, trying to keep pace w/the US Joneses in an Idiotic Race that, in fact, benefitted no one on Earth who wasn't a Military Contractor. Are we really dumb enough to repeat that mistake, as we have repeated those of Vietnam???
I'm dismayed when I see Dems uncritically cheer on the prospect of larger armies and greater military spending. We already spend more on this than all of the rest of the countries in the World combined!!!
As the Republican Presidential Candidates prepare to Debate tomorrow at the site of the Reagan Presidential Library, why not point out that they have in fact BECOME the Cold War rival they so virulently opposed???!!!