Republicans impose "financial martial law"

Over the last couple of years, I've been paying attention to how often our political discourse is mired in what Sigmund Freud called projection.

...a psychological defense mechanism where a person unconsciously denies his or her own attributes, thoughts, and emotions, which are then ascribed to the outside world, such as to other people. Thus, projection involves imagining or projecting the belief that others have those feelings.

In the last couple of weeks, we've seen a classic example of it from the Republicans that is so blatant, it literally screams out for recognition.

By now we've all heard both Tea Party members and elected Republicans go on and on about how President Obama and the Democrats threaten our freedoms with their "big government" schemes. This is usually accompanied by references to our founding, the Constitution, and lots of flag-waving (including the ever-present "Don't Tread On Me").

What's fascinating is that, once Republicans get elected, they go about creating big government schemes that take away our freedom. Nowhere is this more blatant than what is going on in Michigan with their newly elected Republican Governor Rick Snyder. Rachel Maddow laid it all out. Please take a few minutes to watch this powerful piece.

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Here's how she ended the segment:

What is new here is that this state has decided that local elections, locally elected officials are a problem that has to be done away with, that democracy is in the way of fixing problems in the United States now, of making things more efficient, particularly in poor places. Not that democracy is the way we fix problems but that democracy is the problem and it therefore needs to be sidestepped for efficiency sake, for our own good. Governor knows best.

The point here, what makes Benton Harbor a national story and Katherine Ferguson Academy a national story is that the whole idea of choice for them anymore is purely hypothetical. The state has chosen for them. And what they've got is, frankly, that aforementioned dictator. Their hope -- their one hope -- is the dictator is benevolent.

Is that how we think problems should get solved in America now?

Some are casting this as an assault on collective bargaining. But its much worse than that. A Republican supporter of these measures called them financial martial law. Its a clear demonstration that a party whose foundational roots are grounded in authoritarianism is incompatible with democracy...its the classic struggle between power over vs power with.

Bob Cesca says "We have to help Rachel make this a major national story. People have to know." And Steve Benen agrees.

So the next time you hear from a Republican about the dangers of big government and our loss of freedoms, ask them what they think about Benton Harbor, MI and Governor Rick Snyder. In other words, its time to pop their projection bubble.