John Dean: Bush Could Be The End Of American Democracy

[Syrinx]

That's essentially what he said on the Keith Olberman program tonight. Did you all see it? I was looking for a transcript on msnbc.com, but the most recent ones they have listed are from April 2. Come on, this is a former Nixon aide saying this. I can't wait to read his book "Worse Than Watergate."

(BTW, http://www.msnbc.com has to be the slowest-loading website in the world, that isn't particularly graphics-heavy.)

[virgdem]

1. I'm reading the book now - a fascinating read and well worth the wait.

If anyone knows whereof he speaks, it is Dean. He does warn that if Bush and his minions are not expelled from the White House, we very well may not last as a Democracy. Very chilling.

[drfemoe]

3. what alternative

does he think will replace Democracy? Not a peaceful dictatorship. Maybe a collapse of civilization?

[Guaranteed]

5. Corporate fascism.

We're practically already there.

[aquart]

7. You really should look up some American history.

Say, 1873-77.

[Art_from_Ark]

10. Why stop at those years?

Heck, 1865 was a very bad year, as the Radical Republicans succeeded in getting Lincoln out of office. The year saw cover-ups, mass arrests of "conspirators", a kangaroo court, and swift hangings of people whose only crime may have been that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Meanwhile, Edwin Stanton, the de facto leader of the Radical Republicans, was strengthening his grip over the government, which was nominally headed by Andrew Johnson, a former Democrat, and Southern Democrat at that. Johnson wanted to get rid of Stanton so he could get on with the business of running the government, but Stanton's boys passed the Tenure Act (later declared unconstitutional), which prohibited Johnson from firing cabinet members he had inherited from Lincoln. Johnson defied the act, and was vilified and impeached for his efforts.

In 1869, Johnson was replaced with Grant's sorry-ass administration, known for little besides its scandals and firing up of the Indian Wars.

Then in 1876, Samuel Tilden won the presidential election, but was forced to concede to the Radical Republican candidate Rutherford Hayes, who was later mocked by the Washington Post as "His Fraudelency". When Hayes turned out to be less radical than his billing, he was replaced with James Garfield, who also did not live up to his radical billing, and received a bullet for his efforts. He was replaced by his Vice President, Chester Arthur, a customs agent who was considered to be highly manipulable. But Arthur showed that he had some brains, and was dumped in 1884 as a result.

Meanwhile, the robber barons were growing rich at the public trough, while workers suffered. Out West, the last of the free Indians were being rounded up or slaughtered, while in the South, the Klan was stepping up its anti-minority activities.

[burrowowl]

2. Actually

American Democracy may have ended under Ray-gun.

[Rocinante]

4. I caught the end of the interview

Olberman said something to the effect that he'd dog eared several pages and underlined a lot of things and he wasn't done yet. He seemed very interested in Dean's book. I look forward to reading it also.

[Syrinx]

8. Yeah, I remember that

I wish the library would get more copies of books like these. You can never find them.

(slow response == my internet went out for a few minutes.)

[tom_paine]

6. John Dean is correct. It's quite obvious.

[Syrinx]

9. Oh, I'm there!

Since late 2001, early 2002. And really since '99.