Comments on: Dynamics of despotism https://habitablezone.com/2011/10/16/dynamics-of-despotism/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:41:18 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2011/10/16/dynamics-of-despotism/#comment-7472 TB Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:44:18 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=4614#comment-7472 <p>So...</p> <a href="http://www.salon.com/2010/04/01/nsa_4/" rel="nofollow">How's that going lately?</a> The monitoring is, to the best of my knowledge, still going on. It's just not important now because the right emperor is on the throne. So…

How’s that going lately?

The monitoring is, to the best of my knowledge, still going on. It’s just not important now because the right emperor is on the throne.

]]> By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2011/10/16/dynamics-of-despotism/#comment-7464 bowser Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:56:32 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=4614#comment-7464 Funny you should mention this. Here's an example of the GWB White House and a coup de etat. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500864.html More than illegal wiretapping was involved. What the paper said was that the White House was not accountable to either the legislature or the Supreme Court. The immediate issue was illegal wiretapping, the effect was across the board usurpation of any limits to the power to GWB. Only the fact that the top 5 people in the Justice Department refused to sign it prevented a Hitler-style takeover of the US government. Albert Gonzalez did sign it as White House counsel, which didn't carry the weight necessary. Gonzalez did get appointed as AG, though, and was driven out as awareness of his incompetence and bias became more public. It was a near thing for the US, and one which was not publicized nearly enough. Arf Funny you should mention this. Here’s an example of the GWB White House and a coup de etat.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500864.html

More than illegal wiretapping was involved. What the paper said was that the White House was not accountable to either the legislature or the Supreme Court. The immediate issue was illegal wiretapping, the effect was across the board usurpation of any limits to the power to GWB.

Only the fact that the top 5 people in the Justice Department refused to sign it prevented a Hitler-style takeover of the US government. Albert Gonzalez did sign it as White House counsel, which didn’t carry the weight necessary.

Gonzalez did get appointed as AG, though, and was driven out as awareness of his incompetence and bias became more public.

It was a near thing for the US, and one which was not publicized nearly enough.

Arf

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