Very Definition of Totalitarianism

So apparently, Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) is in the news for a speech he gave to the group Atheists for Human Rights. Others more capable than I have already shredded the unprincipled Congresscritter for a variety of his nutty demagoguery.

I do find interesting, however, over-the-top statements like these:

Vice-President Dick Cheney’s stance of refusing to answer some questions from Congress was “the very definition of totalitarianism, authoritarianism and dictatorship”, [Ellison] added.

When I’m in a particularly sour mood, I sometimes fantasize about these leftwing nutjobs getting what their words actually mean. Sometimes, I wish they would be rounded up in the middle of the night by large men in dark uniforms, blindfolded, taken to some unknown cell, and tortured until they confessed to some crime or another. This happened to friends of my family back in Korea during the 80’s when the Chun Doo-Hwan dictatorship was in power. It’s happening today in places like Russia, Venezuela, and the favorite vacation spot of the Hollywood Left, Cuba. People have disappeared for saying to friends far less than what Ellison got up in front of a crowd to say.

For the likes of Ellison to invoke these powerful words in service to his shallow and ultimately stupid political maneuvering insults all those who have suffered under actual totalitarianism, actual authoritarianism, and actual dictatorship. Words have meaning — and no one should know that better than someone like Keith Ellison who has made a career out of race baiting and complaint-mongering. Every intellectually honest person should look at what Ellison is doing and feel utter revulsion.

This kind of demagoguery based entirely on hyper-emotionalism and total lack of regard for facts or importance of language reminds me of another demagogue:

-TS