Okay folks, strap on your tinfoil hat - it's going to be a bumpy ride...

It seems that every day the news is more jaw-dropping than the previous day's... the Administration's gall increases, and our country seems to slip further and further into chaos. With natural disasters of Biblical proportions, a missing nuke, and members of an Administration looking at a cutoff date of 14 months when they have to vacate the Halls Of Power and their crimes may finally be brought to light, one has to wonder what sort of contingency plans are already in the works. It would only require six easy steps to take us from Democracy to Dictatorship, and none of them are far-fetched:

1) Major event ("natural" or terrorist)
2) Bush taken out of office
3) Cheney assumes the Presidency
4) Blackwater brought in surreptitiously
5) Marshall Law enacted, enforced by Blackwater
6) Elections suspended, complete coup d'etat

So let's break this down step-by-step...

1) Major Event: We've already got 1 million evacuees in CA (including from the town of Patrero which has been completely destroyed, where Blackwater wanted to build a base), droughts throughout the southeast (including less than 3 months of water left in Atlanta), NOLA still not recovered... The electrical grid is vulnerable, and oil prices are through the roof. A Blackwater unit here, a Blackwater unit there...

Of course - there's also that missing nuke... You know, that Air Force 4 hr flight that should have taken only 2 hrs and left with 6 nukes but landed with only 5? Where is that going to end up? Iran?... An American city?...

2) Bush taken out of office: Everyone knows that Cheney is the one who's connected to the under-the-radar power in D.C... When they are ready to take over, Bush will have served his purpose and will be in the way. His demise could be blamed on terrorists, or the 20-year curse, but he won't have the stones necessary, and will have to go for their plans to work. I'm going to bet on "terrorist attack"

3) Cheney assumes the Presidency: With Bush gone, Cheney will step up. He will already have someone ready to appoint as vice. It will not be someone picked to make America happy; it will be one of his insiders.

4,5) Blackwater brought in surreptitiously, Marshall Law enacted, enforced by Blackwater: The regular army would probably blanch at the things that Cheney wants to do, so only the lower-ranking regulars - those that take orders - will be utilized, and just for the mundane. Blackwater, on the other hand, will become the "secret police", and will do all the nasty dirty work required to silence opposition.

6) Elections suspended, complete coup d'etat: At some point, the whole facade of "Marshall Law" for the protection of the public will be dropped. Congress and the SCOTUS will be closed. Cheney and his pacemaker will rule for a short period and then be taken out by one of his own that wants to take his place. It will spiral down from there.

Note that 2,3,4 &5 could happen in any order...

The big issue here isn't would they do it, it's that they could do it so easily. Of course - they could keep going the way they have the last 6 years (under the radar), but knowing that a Democrat will win the presidency in 2008, they may be inclined to panic. Let's all hope they don't.

So - it's Friday and the weekend is nigh. Don't forget to take off that foil hat before you head out for the Halloween parties this weekend... unless it's going to be part of your costume.