Danger Signs

There are a lot of things about the Bush Administration that disturb me. There’s one thing, though, in particular that, if not curbed, will seriously erode this bastion of democracy that we still have the privilege to live in.

I’m referring to the systematic attack by conservative commentators and administration spokespersons on the three professions in our society from whence our intellectuals proceed — journalists, professors and judges. These are the watchdogs of a free society, truly our best and brightest, who use their mental acuity and judgment as a career, who study and think through issues affecting us all.

A review of any fascistic takeover in history will show that, before that occurred, there was a withering denunciation and demonization of those three areas of society, on those who provided commentary and context for the general public about their government, about their history and culture.

I’m not quite calling the Bushies fascists, but I think they want some of those benefits that dictatorships enjoy, like free rein to foist their policies on the country and the world without serious resistance from the media, the academic world or conscientious judges.

As it is now, courtesy of their attack-dog intimidators on talk radio, at FOX and elsewhere, almost half the country believes that if someone in one of those three professions criticizes the Bush Administration, what they say or write is immediately discounted as B.S. spouted by America-hating liberals.

This administration so relies on people being easily manipulated by their shallow and fear-based appeals, not to mention their overt prevarications and cynical dissembling, that they don’t want the real thinkers to have any credibility. In their place they want to have packaged news and bought journalists. They quote and promote puppet academics who are on the payroll of the right wing "think tanks." And as for judges, the shrill comments of Tom Delay and others has surely sent a negative message to our independent judiciary, i.e., that they better be a little less independent, or else.

Funny aside: Recently, our president tried to use a fancy word, always a hoot. He said that oftentimes Muslim detainees purposely "disassemble," going on to show off his supposed knowledge by saying "that means to not tell the truth." So he butchered both the pronunciation and the meaning! The best one, though, is still Georgie's saying "feces" over a dozen times in a speech when his text read "fetus." Leader of the Free World? God save us!