The necessity of calling him out

It's easy for the liberal establishment to dismiss or ridicule critics of President Obama who characterize his government-expanding, power-grabbing agenda as socialist or totalitarian. The implication behind the tsk-tsking is that it couldn't happen here. Why on earth not? History tells us that it happens all the time.

My son's professor tells his captive audience that we all need to "give Obama a chance." When you see a car speeding toward a cliff, does it make more sense to shout before it goes over the edge, or after?

Rep. Paul Broun has been criticized for these words:

"They're developing a shadow government that (does not) answer to the American people," Broun said.

At a town hall meeting in Clarkesville last month, Broun called Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid a "socialistic elite" and agreed with a constituent who said they might use a flu pandemic to declare martial law.

"They're trying to develop an environment where they can take over," Broun said. "We've seen that historically."

[. . .]

Health care reform also is about Democrats seeking more power, Broun said.

"It gives them more power, more control over your life," he said.

Mary Graber responds to Broun's critics: Is It ‘Conspiratorial’ to Discuss Obama’s Authoritarian Tendencies? A few excerpts:

History will tell if Congressman Broun is right. But history most often tells us what happens when individuals are afraid to take action, when they wait.

Last summer many saw a professor and former Harvard Law Review president and could not think of him as harboring any authoritarian tendencies, even though the evidence was there. Several conservatives supported Obama over McCain. Peggy Noonan was waxing poetical about history.

In the meantime, the common folks “clung” to their religion and guns, and bought even more guns and ammunition. Some of these folks have parents who remember what it was like to live defenseless under a communist regime that controlled the media and everything else. Some, having had to live and work in the real world for generations, have a healthy skepticism of elites.

Well, history tells us that most terroristic socialist regimes were started by disaffected intellectuals, who learned their theories in universities and then imposed them on the “people.”

Read the rest. She's just warming up. Moral: keep calling him out. The massive DC march was an impressive example of that.


Comments welcome.

Most recent posts here.