ICD: ... do ultra-conservative political regimes all have the potential to create fascist types of environments?
IMO all political regimes have that potential - even Britain's, where we have become surveillance-mad. We face the introduction of ID cards in peacetime, we are under constant surveillance by CCTV almost at the level George Orwell described in "1984" (the only difference is there are no cameras in private dwellings ... at least, not ordinarily so). England (not UK) already has the largest database of citizens' DNA in the world, and once you're on it, you stay there (it's intended to help fight crime), but it's 100% certain it'll be used for other things. You DNA goes on it if you're arrested for all but the most minor crimes - the non-recordable ones, and it stays there even if you're never convicted: even if you're never formally charged.

Is it for our own good? If I have nothing to hide, should I be worried?

Our Government is nominally left-wing, being controlled by the Labour Party. However, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown dropped the socia1ist policies espoused by this movement and moved "New Labour" to the right of our free-enterprise party, the Conservatives (Maggie Thatcher's party - you remember her? ... Gengis Khan re-incarnate). Under this government Britain has become one of the most "watched" countries in the world. How the Stasi would've envied what we have here!

So, I think this demonstrates the potential for any government to go off the rails. Meanwhile, what shall I do? Go to Canada? It has its appeal.


Socia1ism = communism? I regard myself as having socia1ist leanings, but I'm not a communist. I believe in help for the destitute, in pensions for the old, in free health-care, and I will gladly pay taxzes to bring this about. I don't see why USA should be apprehensive about becoming a more caring society, either. Certainly, USA can afford social welfare schemes more easily than any other nation.

Yes, I often think we Brits, as a nation of self-made men, do everything right and the rest of the world gets it wrong. That lifts a huge burden of responsibility off the shoulders of God! Jingoism is an easy trap to fall into. While it's limited to flag-waving and tub-thumping, perhaps there's no harm. But give it its head, and it's another step towards fascism.

There but for the grace of God ...

Insulting Bush ... count me in! (We used to have a regular satirical tv sketch over here, "The President's Brain is Missing". It was aimed at Reagan. Bush makes Reagan look good!)

TYWD

Final thought, You can't blame Bush for the economy. It's a world-wide depression. It happens every 7 years or so. Sometimes they are deeper than others. There's probably another cycle that determines how often the really deep ones occur. All Bush can do, if he's able, is to ameliorate the effects to some small extent or other.