In her book, "The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot" Naomi Wolf outlines ten steps for turning a Democracy into a Dictatorship.
- Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy
- Create a gulag
- Develop a thug caste
- Set up an internal surveillance system
- Harass citizens' groups
- Engage in arbitrary detention and release
- Target key individuals
- Control the press
- Dissent equals treason
- Suspend the rule of law
Or you may want to watch this lecture on the subject. It is about 45 minutes long but well worth the consideration.
Naomi Wolf on the end of America
Regardless of if you think of your self as "conservative", "liberal", "progressive" or some other label, you owe it to yourself to consider this material. The only people who won't find it moving and disturbing are fascists and Right Wing Authoritarians.