A QUESTION TO PROVOKE YOUR THOUGHTS - HAS THE USA EVER HAD A DICTATOR?

 Has America ever had a dictator?  I may not be the best to answer this question, so think about it yourself for a few moments before going on.  I would say, to some extent yes, America has had at least one dictator.  Remember Abraham Lincoln was elected with less than 40% of the popular vote.  A nice majority in the Electoral College, but over 60% of the voters went against Lincoln in 1860.  Suddenly a large portion of the nation seceded, forming a 2nd nation, and one with which the USA  was soon at war.  Lincoln, a minority President, suddenly had the majority of the Congress with him, as many left to join the CSA against the USA.  Lincoln's Adm. confiscated newspapers, deported some opponents to Canada, curtailed free speech, etc.  It was a time of war, and many assumed Lincoln would be defeated in 1864 and a Democrat elected would make a peace-treaty with the new neighboring nation to the south, the CSA.  But the war in 1864 began to change, as Vicksburg fell and opened the entire Miss. River to the Yanks, and Yankee armies marched into the Carolinas and took Atlanta, slicing the CSA into smaller pieces.  Lincoln won the 1864 election, but elation was short-lived as Lincoln was assassinated, and a large plot to kill many American leaders was discovered.  Perhaps Lincoln had allowed too many freedoms to continue so a major conspiracy could succeed in part.

     Woodrow Wilson, the first Southerner elected Pres. after the Civil War was a staunch segregationist.  An academic, for a time Chancellor of Princeton u., he prided himself that during his tenure there, not one black was admitted to the prestigious university.  Elected Pres. in 1912, he quickly moved to segregate the American armed services, and the national civil service.  Really, he hoped to prevent any blacks from entering the civil service, and a new requirement of a photograph was to accompany all applications.  The photos would prevent hiring of the blacks.  Those already hired, were segregated.  WWI had broken out in 1914, and continued.  Wilson sought to join in and make the world safe for democracy.  Once in, Wilson did everything to prevent free speech opposition to the war, refusing to allow Socialist newspapers in the US Mail (the SP opposed the war), arresting Eugene Debs, leader of the SP, which had received 6% of the national vote in 2012.  Germans were forced to learn English.  I suspect i of alcohol was a byproduct of the war-inspired hatred.  Blatz, Schlitz, Budweiser, and other German names associated with beer, ang Irish names with pubs and bars.  The Easter Rebellion in Ireland showed many were leaning toward the Germans.  Prohibition will punish Germans and Irish in America.  Results of the war for democracy were the Communist revoluton in Russia, Bela Kun's short lived Comm. govt. in Hungary, a Soviet govt. in Bavaria, a lttle later, Fascism in Italy, and after that Hitler in Germany.  Wilson had pushed hard for a League of Nations, but was horrified when the Japs proposed a resolution declaring equality of the races.  Wilson was horrified at such insanity.  

     The Great War ended with a victory for the British, French, American coalition.  A flu hit America after the war, but America was tired of Wilson and the Dems. and voted for a return to Normalcy with Republican Harding in 1920.  The nation was flourishing, and with new inventions, people were buying automobiles, there were folks doing acrobatics on aeroplanes in the sky, you could listen to a concert on the radio, play a record of a pop jazz singer, and see Wings, All Quiet on the Western Front at the flickkers.  In America, the age of dictators was over.  FDR was popular enough that he did not have to be a dictator.   During WWII, there were rations on gas, sugar, eggs, etc., but nothing intolerable.  After the war, there were restrictions on communists and left-wingers.  Yet the govt. did not really go after some of the spies who helped Stalin develop his A bomb.  There were restrictions in free speech, and some like Paul Robeson paid a price in popularity.

     The next possible dictator I would say was Dr. Fauci.  I do not begrudge his frolicking in the spotlight of popularity.  A small guy whom no one noticed through much of his life, now receives phone calls from Julia Roberts and other Hollywood stars.  Ok, Fauci became a "celebrity."  Nothing wrong with that.  And he would make surpirisn amounts of $$$, not too different from prominent politicians.  Perhaps we are simply jealous of  him on these grounds.

     I assume all major nations engage in biological warfare research, and try to keep quiet about it.  Lie about it.  In Wuhan, they were to make a bird virus? more deadly and more contagious to humans.  THEY SUCCEEDED.  But either by accident, or on purpose, it got out of the lab.  Amis or Chinese responsible?  Or both?  Or an accident?  Once out, I think China cancelled all flights from Wuhan to Brijing, the city with the major leaders of that nation.  However, China allowed flights to Italy. and where else, where the people on board might spread the new virus. 

     My real problem with Fauci was his determination to prevent old malaria meds, that seemed to work effectively against the new virus, from being used.  The old meds were cheap, and for some (perhaps most) a possible cure.  But if Fauci could promote a vax, with the big pharma companies, they all could make big money.  So the elderly who were among the first infected, were told to do nothing , wait, wait for the wonder vax, wait, do nothing now, and die.  And they did die.  Denied access to the cheap old meds, that worked, they waited but the miracle vax was not ready, so they died.  Worse, Fauci's stay 6 feet apart, masks, etc., meant in reality, the old died alone.  I would argue, unnecessary deaths.  When the vax came, we were all to take it, even tho many did not want to.  Some lost jobs, discharged from Army, etc. because they did not want a generally untested vax in their veins.  To get on a plane, I had to get a vax.  For some young men there were already some results showing up unwanted side effects, even affecting the hearts of young males.  No excuse, hold out your arm!.  Not a question of what you want, this is a necessary vax.   Leading scientists assert this.  Fauci made certain that the public did  not hear the views of the scientists who questioned use of the new vax.  If big pharma is going to do a big jon with this vax, they will have to make money.  And Dr. Fauci will have to get some of it too.  NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VACCINE.  It works is all the people have to hear.

     Then add the unnecessary lock downs of schools, down towns (still many office building have not recovered, nor have down towns).  At the time, I said Fauci was Trump's greatest mistake.  In effect, Fauci became America's dictator, with more power than the elected President.  I doubt if any American ever had as much power as Fauci had then.  Should they attend church?  A confessional?  Receive communion?

    Oh, stay 6 feet away from others, unless you are going to a George Floyd rally.  Such a healthy gathering like that might not require a mask.  However, make sure you wear your mask to the looting that might follow.  The hypocrisy of Fauci and the Dems. and they got away with it.  Sad, 

       Dr, Fauci received his pardon in the last days of the Biden Administration.  He decline to answer many times to question by a Congressional committee.  The man who closed schools, kept folks 6 feet apart, turned down town into a ghost town, prevented use of old, cheap med that might have saved many many lives.  Lied about the origins of the virus.  I would say, Fauci was not the only dictator, but the worst dictator in American history.    I nominated him for the Josef Mengele Humanitarian Award.  Hope America has no more dictators.     HUGH MURRAY