Thomas Sowell invokes the Nazis and the Soviet Communists and says, "In our times, American democracy is being dismantled, piece by piece, before our very eyes by the current administration in Washington, and few people seem to be concerned about it." He says the $20 billion BP fund is an example of "arbitrary power-- versus the rule of law and the preservation of freedom." It's a good thing Mr. Sowell isn't a Republican congressman or John Boehner would force him to apologize.
Thanks to reader-participant-watchdog-community members E and R for sending this one. For me, it's an open question whether the invocations of the Nazis and the Soviet Communists are helpful in getting people's attention or are hurtful because they cause people to think whoever is invoking them is so crazy that they aren't worth listening to. I actually tend toward the latter view, which is one reason you don't see many posts on this site calling President Obama a Nazi or a Communist. Mr. Sowell doesn't exactly call Mr. Obama a Nazi or a Communist, either, but he sure gets people's attention. And Mr. Sowell is usually lively but not over-the-top, which is one more reason this particular column is a newsworthy one.