One of the "founding fathers" of the United States, John Adams, is credited with the following statement: "We shall have a government of laws, not of men." This is an affirmation that those who exercise power over us are not free to do entirely as they wish, but are subject to limits set by law. This rule of law is what is meant to differentiate the United States from a dictatorship. It is also on this principle of protection from tyranny that a separation of power was implemented between the executive, the legislative and the judicial branches of government.

There is no doubt that former monarchs, and all the dictators who have exercised their unlimited power throughout history, have felt entirely justified in using coercion to protect not only their government but their nations or kingdoms. They have felt that it was necessary to imprison, torture and kill people whom they decided or discovered were their enemies and the enemies of their nations, whether these people were foreigners or citizens.

The fact that they alone could declare who was an enemy, and that they had free rein to determine the appropriate punishment of individuals perceived to be threats, was, among other things, what defined their governmental systems to be tyrannical, oppressive and bloody. It is as a reaction to these kinds of governments that the United States was formed as a nation, and it is from this type of tyranny many immigrants fled here, at least this is what we are taught.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey asked Congress to issue a new declaration of war. This would make the entire globe, including the United States, a battlefield where the president alone would get to decide who is an enemy combatant, and would have the unilateral power to lock that person up forever. This proposal would redefine the United States as a dictatorship.

You might think, like the serf living under a king in the 12th century, that if you did not break any laws, did not express any controversial opinions, and generally kept your head down and were a "good American," you would be safe, and only the "bad guys," as defined by the president-king, would be apprehended and put away. You might think that tyranny will never happen in America, that American presidents will never cross the line.

But the entire effort of the "founding fathers" was to establish limits on executive and other governmental powers so the people would not have to rely solely on the hope that their next leader would be compassionate and benevolent, and not a psychopathic, paranoid oppressor. This is why they established a government of laws, not of men ... laws were to protect the people from all potential abuses of power.

It is my opinion that Attorney General Mukasey's proposal is nothing less than subversive, subverting fundamental legal protections for the American people and the foundation of the American government. Subversion does not always originate from extreme left wing ideology, it also comes from extreme

ring wing ideology.

I urge all who are concerned by this new attempt at tearing the Constitution by this administration to contact Congress right away to put a stop to this silent and covert fascist revolution.

This is not about Democrats versus Republicans anymore, but about America versus a new kingdom, and I hope all who can see clearly past political differences join in to save what is left of the legal fabric of this nation.

Raphael Montoliu live in Lakeport.

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