Fascism in America

Cindy Sheehan wants to talk to George Bush. She wants to talk to him about why her son, Casey, had to die in Iraq. She wants to question Bush about whether his reasons for taking the unprecedented action of a preemptive attack on another country were legitimate. She demands answers about the reason her 24-year-old son was in Iraq.

Bush is steadfast in his resolve not to speak with her. He spoke with her once before; that's enough. Emphasizing his 'human' side, Bush expresses empathy for her and says she has the right to protest outside his ranch in Crawford, Texas, but he refuses to sway. Like always, Bush will not admit to any mistakes; he will not admit to his lies, his subterfuges, his gross deceptions.

Ultimately, Bush doesn't care about Cindy Sheehan. He doesn't care that her son died as a direct result of his calculated decision to attack a country that didn't pose a threat to the United States. His concern is whether his 'leadership' is unwaivering. In his myopic vision, a 'leader' never changes his mind, once a decision is reached. His supporters can depend on him; they know he will not change his mind, because he is inflexible. His supporters know their paychecks will arrive and their bonuses will remain intact.

Bush proclaims himself to be champion for the common man. He claims to be a fervent defender of freedom and a devoutly religious man. His response to Cindy Sheehan tells another story. It tells a story that is frighteningly similar to the story of Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip.

Buzz Windrip is the main character in a book by Sinclair Lewis, It Can't Happen Here. He is a charismatic Senator who champions the cause of the common man, but who is in the pocket of big business and who is favored by religious extremists, due to his careful use of religion as a political weapon. He eventually becomes the ultimate ugly capitalist. Boosted by Hearst newspapers (the FOX News of its day), he successfully incapacitates Congress and the Supreme Court, and then strips the people of their freedom and installs a fascist dictatorship.

Bush, in his treatment of Cindy Sheehan and in his treatment of the rest of us, is positioning himself as a dictator. He does not have to account for his actions. He must only insist that he is doing everything he can to protect us; he suggests that disagreements with his position are unpatriotic. Bush has figured out that an enormous number of Americans have been misguided into equating religious zealotry with patriotic strength and he is catering to that attitude. Unless the rest of us join hands with Cindy Sheehan, who is simply seeking answers about her son's death, we will be giving tacit approval to Bush to install a dictatorship. We will be offering our support of living in a society guided by corporate greed and religious bigotry. We will be endorsing Fasiscim in America.