Tea-Publican tyranny: The impending death of democracy in Michigan is a warning to America

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." This famous "quotation" is frequently misattributed to Sinclair Lewis

The earliest known incident of such a comment appears to be a partial quote from James Waterman Wise, Jr., reported in a 1936 issue of The Christian Century that in a recent address here before the liberal John Reed club said that [Wiiliam Randolph] Hearst and [Father Charles] Coughlin are the two chief exponents of fascism in America. If fascism comes, he added, it will not be identified with any "shirt" movement, nor with an "insignia," but it will probably be "wrapped up in the American flag and heralded as a plea for liberty and preservation of the Constitution." The Christian Century, Volume 53, Feb 5, 1936, p 245.

At the time Mr. Wise made this statement in 1936, European fascism was the greatest threat to the world. Mr. Wise could not foresee that his profound prediction would be realized today under a home-grown version of American authoritarianism, wrapped up in a symbol of American patriotism — the Tea Party — "and heralded as a plea for liberty and preservation of the Constitution."

I have previously posted about the "financial martial law" in the state of Michigan, which empowers the new Tea-Publican governor of Michigan to declare a financial emergency and to dissolve cities and towns and their duly elected city and town councils and place them under state receivership and the control of an "emergency financial manager" appointed by the governor – which can be a corporation – with absolute (dictatorial) power. 'It Can't Happen Here' (its happening now in Michigan and coming soon to your state).

The Rachel Maddow show on Thursday night aired a segment on the Tea-Publican tyranny in Michigan that goes well beyond the tyranny of Michigan's "financial martial law." Tea-Publicans in control of the Michigan legislature are passing 'emergency" measures in contravention of Michigan law and denying Democratic legisators' demands for a roll call vote on these bills. They are not only disenfranchising minority voters in Michigan who tend to vote Democratic, but they are disenfranchising their elected Democratic representatives in the legislature as well. They are circumventing democracy, and as Maddow said, "this is beyond radical, it is revolutionary":

What happened in Michigan, I believe, is the most radical thing that Republicans have done anywhere in the country. They have eliminated democracy. They have eliminated voting rights at the local level in their state. They have tried to eliminate Democrats' voting rights in the state legislature. Whether you are on the left, or on the right, or in the center, or if you don't particularly care about politics — If all you care about is that we have a form of government in this country called democracy, we vote; If you care about the idea that we still use voting here, we still use democracy; If you care about the Constitution — frankly, Michigan ought to have a flashing red light and siren on it right now.

The impending death of democracy in Michigan is a warning to America. Wake up! Because it CAN happen here. (It Can't Happen Here, a novel by Sinclair Lewis – 1935).

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