Stifling the media is the first step

More on this later, but just keep in mind that oppressive regimes always attack the press before attacking the people. Keeping a free and open press is an absolute requirement of democracy.

On that theme, three stories:

• The Chicago Tribune's Don Wycliff (reg.req.) says: "If intellectual dishonesty could be said to have a face, I saw it Tuesday evening as I watched Bill O'Reilly's program on Fox News."
• Craig Neumark (of Craigslist) admirably sums up on NPR today why net neutrality is a good thing; contrast with Telecoms shill Scott Cleland yesterday. (I may refute Cleland's lies and distortions later today.)
• Finally, the Kentucky Office of Technology blocked state employees from reading certain left-leaning political blogs yesterday, in some cases within minutes of the blogs' commenting on these actions. Other, more conservative blogs remain available to state employees.

As I describe these things, I can't help but to compare what the Republican officials are doing in this country to what another party's officials have done throughout the last century in places like China and the U.S.S.R. I can't understand why this doesn't bother them more. After all, our party has the reputation for collectivism; they've always argued for "small government." Paraphrasing Ralph Kiner: "If Eisenhower were alive today, he'd be spinning in his grave."