American Brownshirts

Iraq isn't the only country on the brink of civil war.

Egged on by inflammatory rhetoric about sedition and treason and aiding and abetting the enemy on the part of Republican politicians and the gasbags of wingnut media, the American Legion has declared literal war on everyone who doesn't agree with Bush policies:

The American Legion, which has 2.7 million members, has declared war on antiwar protestors, and the media could be next. Speaking at its national convention in Honolulu, the group's national commander called for an end to all “public protests” and “media events” against the war, even though they are protected by the Bill of Rights.

"The American Legion will stand against anyone and any group that would demoralize our troops, or worse, endanger their lives by encouraging terrorists to continue their cowardly attacks against freedom-loving peoples," Thomas Cadmus, national commander, told delegates at the group's national convention in Honolulu.

The delegates voted to use whatever means necessary to "ensure the united backing of the American people to support our troops and the global war on terrorism."

Last time I looked, this qualified as "making terroristic threats." Of course, we don't live in the America in which we grew up anymore. Now we live in a frightened country in thrall to a dangerous authority figure. We live in a country that resembles Germany in the 1930's more every day.