Curious how a dictatorship can be established in a democracy? Look no further than Arizona.

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Friday April 24, 2015 · 1:21 AM PDT

2015/04/24 · 01:21

I wondered how America's toughest sheriff, our very own tin god Joe Arpaio was going to react when he was confronted with charges of contempt of an order of a federal judge.

Joe Arpaio, Version 1.0.

Recall this lawman previously has brought charges against judges, county commissioners, and newspaper reporters (to name a few) whenever they challenged or questioned his policies. This of course is not to mention the numerous abuses, including deaths, perpetrated by his staff, upon powerless ordinary people, all at his direction.

Well, check this out, from Huffpo (4/23/15):

Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio dropped a bombshell in court Thursday when he said his former lawyer had hired a private investigator to look into the wife of the federal judge presiding over a contempt of court case against the sheriff.
The hearing took the strange turn after Arpaio had finished his testimony and Judge Murray Snow began asking him questions, including whether the sheriff was investigating his family.

See below Sguiggle of Socialism for more of Teh Crazy.

There's more here:

Snow [the judge] asked Arpaio directly, “Are you aware that I have ever been investigated?”
At first Arpaio was vague in his responses.

After a few more probing questions, Arpaio said his lawyers had hired a private investigator.

“We weren’t investigating you,” Arpaio told Snow. “We were investigating some comments that came to our attention.”

And check out this testimony:

""Results confirmed that your wife was in that restaurant," Arpaio told Snow. "I guess (the investigator) talked to the witness, confirmed that that remark was made."
Snow additionally questioned Arpaio about a second investigation also related to Snow. Arpaio acknowledged that some time in 2013, county funds were used to conduct investigations into the Department of Justice, which is leading an ongoing racial-profiling lawsuit against the Sheriff's Office.

What, exactly, was Arpaio trying to do? Threaten a federal judge by "investigating" his family? In Arpaio's world, an "investigation" of a public official is often the predecessor to a baseless arrest.

People thing the constitution protects their rights. It doesn't. It's just a piece of paper. Or parchment, or whatever.

There's been plenty of fine constitutions that did nothing to stop dictatorships, and our own dear Arpaio, much like Huey Long, is a dictator.

What protects your rights is constitutionalism, that is, respect for law and the rights of others. Recall what Benjamin Franklin said about what kind of government we had:

A republic, if you can keep it.

Arpaio must be stripped of power. If he is not, his kind will multiply, and they will not be so maladroit as him. Indeed, a republic, if we can keep it.

Poll
462 votes Show Results
Is "dictator" a good description of America's Toughest Sheriff?

Yes, and may our own tin Bonaparte get his own personal St. Helena.

No, I think Grima Wormtongue would be a better fit.

I don't care what you call him, as long as "unemployed" is somewhere in the title.

Greetings from The Humungus! The Lord Humungus! The Warrior of the Wasteland! The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla!

462 votes Vote Now!
Is "dictator" a good description of America's Toughest Sheriff?

Yes, and may our own tin Bonaparte get his own personal St. Helena.

110 votes

No, I think Grima Wormtongue would be a better fit.

4%

20 votes

I don't care what you call him, as long as "unemployed" is somewhere in the title.

316 votes

Greetings from The Humungus! The Lord Humungus! The Warrior of the Wasteland! The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla!

3%

15 votes

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