The 2000 Presidential election may go down in U.S. history as the point of no return to not only fair elections, but also to a representative form of government. It came down to votes in Florida. The race was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court in favor of Bush even though Gore won the popular vote by over 500,000 votes. Secretary of State Katherine Harris, a Bush supporter, oversaw the certification process. On November 22, the anniversary of JFK's assassination, Republican protestors pounded on the doors and windows of the building where Miami's Dade county officials were counting the ballots.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights investigated allegations of voting fraud in Florida during the 2000 presidential election . The Commission found that approximately 54 percent of the 180,000 "spoiled ballots" in Florida were cast by African-Americans, who make up about 11 percent of Florida voters, and are largely registered as Democrats.
Currently in the U.S., there are many allegations of fraud in the Republican caucuses by Ron Paul supporters .
In distinguishing democratic governments from the commonly known fascist dictatorships in history, the primary difference that comes to mind for many is that in democracies leaders are fairly elected by the people to represent the people. Many former supporters of Al Gore or supporters of Ron Paul may say that is not the case in America.
Because many concepts in social science, including political science, are subjective in nature, it is impossible to say with certainty that the U.S. has crossed the line from freedom to fascism. A close look at the direction America is heading today with the 14 characteristics of fascism in mind, however, should at least raise some alarm bells.
A true democracy requires a rule of law to uphold freedoms, a constitution to protect liberties, honest elections to choose truly representative leaders, and most importantly, a well-informed public constantly on guard against evils. History has shown what can happen when these things break down.
Sources:
Council for Secular Humanism - Free Inquiry magazine
Free Inquiry -- Fascism Anyone?
New York Times-- The Politician and the Absent American Flag Pin
New York Times -- Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration
NDAA of 2012 (S. 1867) -- text (pdf)
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