This mostly a consequence not merely of a right wing de facto coup d'état that the press has accepted but also of an abdication of responsibility of the American people who were lulled to sleep by the "Bush Doctrine" of "Ask No Sacrifice." It started with the the notion after Vietnam that having a professional army instead of a draft would be a good idea, in spite of the lessons of history that a professional army is essentially a mercenary force rather than a citizen force. For democracy to survive there MUST be a citizen army. On the other hand, empires REQUIRE a mercenary force rather than a citizen army.

Post-Vietnam that Right realized that they had to do away with the citizen army and replace it with a "professional army." The next step was to privatize it with a proliferation of "contractors" AKA mercenaries. Of course, that's expensive, and it's where empire runs into trouble when it has to tax the public to pay for the army. So, the BushCO answer was to put it all on the tab and keep the war off the official budget.

The American public has been all to willing to go along with this because it wasn't required to pay for it directly in the blood of their own children and treasure in the form of higher taxes. Rather, the dead and wounded could be justified on the basis that they volunteered for it, and while few liked the idea of bigger debts, no one wanted to pay higher taxes.

So until American face up to paying for wars as they fight them, ending the "professional" (mercenary) force and privatization of public responsibility, as well as re-instituting a citizen army, democracy is at risk. Why should the news media tell the people what they obviously don't want to hear -- until it's too late.

Besides, Prof. Mansfield would backtrack in a second if the omnipotent Prez suddenly decided to revoke his tenure at Harvard (assuming he has tenure, I did not look him up).

Conservatives, to their credit, do attempt to establish intellectual credibility.

Good point. Strike that from the record!

From the National Review Online, Thomas Sowell has gotten some attention for this article entitled, Don’t Get Weak.

When I see the worsening degeneracy in our politicians, our media, our educators, and our intelligentsia, I can’t help wondering if the day may yet come when the only thing that can save this country is a military coup.

An article in the WSJ and in NRO within a couple of days of each other introducing the need for a strong man or a junta? I will be looking for some kind of ratcheting up this theme if it is to be part of one of the new right wing themes. I hope to hear NOTHING more.

Hannity: Today, we have with us the distinguished Professor from Harvard of all places, Dr. Harvey Mansfield. Welcome, Professor.

HM: Thank you, Shawn, it is good to be with you.

SH: I gotta tell 'ya. Your article in the Wall Street Journal caught my eye. I mean, it sounds like you want a dictator. That sounds so completely un-American.

HM: First of all, Shawn, I am not asking for a dictator, but I am pointing out our need to save freedom from its many enemies. Sometimes ...

Manliness in action On Colbert.

with apologies to Paul Tillich, in putting up this Harvey Mansfield post is around the general topic of how the unspeakable gains traction in the public square. Just think of how the policies and practices of the current administration were only thoughts in the minds of various right wing "fringe" thinkers some years or even decades ago.

What new futures are now being cooked up these dark minds who have controlled the debate in this country since WWII?