Fascism?

Fascism.

This word bothers me for many reasons. The chief reason for this is that it’s the first word thrown out in political debates when one wishes to denigrate his or her opponent.

The word “fascism,” much like the words “Nazi” and “racist,” has had its true meaning watered down by overuse. Since the word is bandied about so freely during increasingly heated political discourse, no one understands its implications anymore.

It is for the reasons listed above that I despise using the word “fascist” to describe anything, yet I can think of no other word that truly identifies the full scope of the travesty of justice known as Kelo v. New London.

With one stroke of its pen, the United States Supreme Court has completely invalidated Clause 5 of the Fifth Amendment. In accordance with Kelo, local governments can seize private property for any reason whatsoever – with "just compensation" - and give it to someone else. And, who exactly defines "just compensation?" That’s right. Some faceless bureaucrat who works for the same government entity that has seen fit to seize private property in the first place.

Isn’t that just peachy?

I’ve always wanted to work my tail off to scratch together enough money to buy myself a nice comfortable piece of the American Dream just so some nitwit on City Council can steal it from me for pennies on the dollar and give it to some other nitwit who wants to build a bowling alley on my land.

Many of you reading this are thinking “That can’t possibly happen in America!” I hate to be the bearer of Bad News. The citizens on New London, Connecticut didn’t think that, either. Neither did the citizens of Freeport, Texas, for that matter.

There are three basic rights granted to all citizens of the United States. They are Life, Liberty, and Property, as enumerated in the U.S. Constitution. In fact, these three rights provide the very foundation of all laws in the U.S. Against the Constitution that they have sworn to uphold and defend, the majority of Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court have embraced fascism with a decision to strip American citizens of one of their three most basic rights: the right of Property.

Now that I ponder it, there is one other word that encompasses the act of betrayal committed by Supreme Court this week. It is a word I hate to use even more than “fascism.”

Communism.

Welcome to the United Socialist States of America, brought to you by the U.S. Supreme Court.