Caveat: It’s 4 a.m. and cold medication have given me a restess night.

But, I need to ask: Is this country sliding toward fascism?

Here we are, in a war begun recklessly at best, and conducted with gross incompetence.

Here we are with roughy 50% of the voting public allowing itself to be lied to about the war in Iraq, about the fiscal management of the nation, about tax policy, about the environment.

Here we are with the vice-president manifestly corrupt(he lies that he has severed connections with Haliburton, but is being paid large sums by Haliburton; Halliburton, under his watch, defied the embargo of Iraq), a defense department run by arrogant fools, the legislative leadership running on politics of distortion and deceit.

Here we are, with a major political party whose current hallmarks are destruction and deceit.

Here we are with an electorate swayed by the politics of fear.

Here we are with a religio-ethnic scapegoat.

Here we are, with government being made subservient to radical ideology and corporatism.

I’m fundamentally an optimist, but things don’t look so good at the moment.

I’m fundamentally a democratic (small D), but the voting public has been irresponsible. I don’t see an alternative mind you, but it is deeply disappointing to watch the voting public swallow lie after lie.

This is serious, folks.