Is this it?

Are we finally to the tipping point where America finally lurches over the line to straight-up totalitarianism?

Is that an over-emotional, knee-jerk question?

I don't think it is. You're starting to see some opinions in the mass media that would have been squelched a few years ago even, some really hideous ideas that are slithering their way into the mass consciousness. Here are a few examples:

Human skin tag Bo Dietl calls Islam a 'johnny-come-lately religion', made up of people 'who pray to a guy who wants to kill you. ' No one him calls him an out-and-out racist on this nationally syndicated program. His comments go unchecked.

A CNN news anchor blithely quips that 'some people' refer to primary winner Ned Lamont as the Al-Qaeda candidate. He retains his job for uknown reasons. After all, it's not like he called the President a nazi or anything. Oh no, that'd be beyond the pale.

An incumbent candidate for Senate refers to his opponents volunteer as 'macaca', which is a racial slur for someone of north african descent. He later apologizes, saying the word sounded to him like 'mohawk.' The intended victim of the slur says he doesn't wear a mohawk, but a mullet. The candidate for Senate, being from Virginia should be hogtied and rubbed in mayo for not knowing the difference between a mohawk and a mullet. He remains a tool, regardless.

Prominent 'conservative thinkers' let us know how they really feel about democracy, vis a vis Joementum's staggering defeat last week:

“Polarized primary voters shouldn’t be allowed to define the choices in American politics.”

Yeah, you really hate to see voters turning out an incumbent that no longer shares their views. That's a bit much to ask for. And the question is not explicitly, but who exactly should be allowed to define the choices in American politics, if not the voters? Now that's an interesting question.

The prominent conservative think rag puts a blatantly racist cartoon on its cover, lamenting the loss of Joe's (apparently) hereditary seat in the Senate.

And there are plenty of other signs that not only are things not going well, but that one of the parties really is moving toward fascism. Openly. Honestly.

Which means, I'm not a Democrat after all (whew!). I'm just anti-fascist. But frankly, while I think the blogsophere is good for some things (like fact checking and electioneering), I don't think it can resist what is becoming a clearly defined threat to democracy itself. It is fine and well to sit on the intertubes and pick apart conservative talking points for being obviously fake and flawed, but standing up to real authoritarianism? I don't think so. And depending on either the media or the Democrats to do something about it?

I'll wait while you clean your spilled coffee off the desk.

So, I don't really know what to do at this point. I'm open to suggestions, though.