Excellent Reading

These books should be read together. Wolf describes the effect of the erosion of civil liberties, a corporate-owned press, the methodical gelding of the rule of law, and the loss of the people's power in America. A bit alarmist for me, but possibly not alarmist enough. She lists ten steps used by practically every dictatorial regime to take power and lists parallels for each step currently used in America today. The examples for a couple of the steps are a bit weak to me, but overall she has an argument convincing enough to make you think. To me, under the right circumstances, much of what she points out could happen and we could end up with an America at the polar opposite of its founding. At the very least we are already on our way--we admit to using torture and justify it because of the extremes we focus on.
Moyers' books is a compilation of past speeches he's given addressing many of the same topics but on a higher plain. Moyers eloquently describes the many storms that have buffeted our imperfect experiment in democracy known as America. How in spite of its imperfections it has been saved again and again by citizens recognizing the need to be right and just. And how threatened that democracy is again today by those who would subvert it for power and money.

So, applying my imagination, I offer a conspiracy theory for the future. After the election the president-elect will die, perhaps by accident but more than likely assassinated. The assassination will be called a "response" to our attack on Iran. Anyone following the "proof" will quickly learn not to travel down that road. Bush will use his new powers granted by the 2007 Defense Authorization Bill to declare a state of emergency. People will understandably be upset and take to the streets and the administration responds by declaring martial law. There aren't enough troops in country so Blackwater mercenaries are used. All hell breaks loose. Pretty crazy, eh? I can't believe how easy it was to come up with that.