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Unlike any other American President, Barack Obama comes from a profoundly anti-traditional, un-American background. Whatever you may say about John Kerry, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, etc., they are unquestionably American. Obama's father and stepfather were Muslims of black/Arab and Indonesian background, respectively. His mother and grandparents, native born Americans, were atheists/Unitarians and leftists, and on that side he is a third generation "red diaper baby". At most, we have had to deal with "limousine liberal" types like Kerry, Kennedy, and FDR on a national basis.

Obama's election is as profound a sea change in politics as were the elections of 1932 and 1980. With what appears to be at least a 60 vote majority in the House and a 10-12 seat majority in the Senate, the Democrats can pretty well pass what they please. Count on the remaining RINOs like Olympia Snowe and Arlen Spector to oppose any filibuster. Thus, the Democrat establishment will be able to accomplish all its economic and social goals: higher taxes, socialized medicine, restoration of affirmative action, the end of "don't ask, don't tell" in the military, "hate crimes" legislation to repress anti-homosexual sentiments in the media or from the pulpit, restoration of the Fairness Doctrine, national gun registration, etc.

So far, just standard Euro-style social democratic policies that exist in most of the so-called Western democracies. However, Obama sees himself as a "change agent" in the tradition of Saul Alinsky, one of his mentors. His proposal for a civilian defense force as well funded as the military and what appears to be a hidden agenda of universal service are the most telling elements. Most of the military, particularly the combat units, are politically conservative. Many police officers, especially beat cops, are conservative as well. They largely would not do the sort of dirty work that is needed to intimidate dissenters. Also, police forces are largely decentralized, with each department its own little fiefdom. Every would-be dictator sets up his own private army, from Cromwell through Robespierre, Lenin, Mussolini, and Mao to the Iranian mullahs and Chavez. Such a program could be sold to a liberal Congress as a jobs and crime reduction program. Once Obama gets his Red Guard rolling, they could be quickly become a parallel army, in the manner of the SS. They could also serve as a national police force, much as the Gestapo and the NKVD superceded local police agencies.

I fear America is in for a hell of a ride in the near future.