George W. Bush's Bridge to the 19th Century has deposited us in 1881, in the era of the Spoils System.

The spoils system was instituted by Democratic President Andrew Jackson. "To the victor goes the spoils" meant that every government job belonged to the party in power. Postmasters, and port managers (big jobs in those days) were all political hacks.

The movement against the spoils system was led by a Republican named James A. Garfield. He was elected President in 1880 alongside a representative of that system, Chester Alan Arthur, former port commissioner for New York. He wasn't a perfect vessel for reform, but he moved in that direction.

The picture illustrates what happened next. Garfield was shot, killed, by Charles J. Guiteau, a "frustrated office seeker," in other words, a party hack who was upset that Garfield wanted to bring competence to government. (Guiteau, in fact had visions of becoming Ambassador to France.)

The shooting so enraged Americans, even Arthur, that Garfield's dream of a "civil service" was instituted. Arthur, tied to the old system, wasn't even considered for re-election, but New York Governor Grover Cleveland, a Democrat who had not even been in politics when Garfield was shot (he was elected Mayor of Buffalo later in 1881, and Governor a year later) was elected.

Flash forward abour 120 years. There should no longer be any argument that George W. Bush has brought back the spoils system, complete and entire.

FEMA head Michael Brown is a political hack. His only qualification for his job is that he was a friend of a Bush campaign manager. He was actually fired from his job with the Arabian Horse Association! He is the moral equivalent of Guiteau, and his incompetence killed New Orleans, along with thousands of its inhabitants.

The Bush Spoils System extends not only to hiring, but to all decision-making within government, and to those institutions surrounding government, the lobbies, which have been told by Bush appointee Karl Rove not to employ Democrats.

This means that what Republicans want they get, no matter how stupid or asinine, and that intelligent advice is measured solely against political contributions and loyalty. It means Bush cronies get everything, they rule like Lords and Ladies over the rest of us, and you get squat, because you didn't give enough.

• Science is ignored.
• Engineering is ignored.
• Expertise of all kinds is ignored, unless it comes from reliable Republican operatives.

This is the Spoils System extended from management to principle. This crosses the line from corruption to tyranny. This is where we go from American Democracy to Soviet Communism, which unfortunately is what we now have.

When reality is ignored because it might be politically uncomfortable, when all the usual suspects jump in with Talking Points aimed at making the unreal real, no matter how many die in the meantime, it goes beyond anything America has done to itself since the days of Slavery.

Which, coincidentally, is where the Spoils System began.

Now, has your mind been warped by this system? Let's take this simple test:

1. Do you assume I'm an enemy because I wrote this?
2. Do you automatically write-off criticism of the Administration until you hear what the Administration says, then repeat it?
3. Was Gov. Blanco to blame for what happened in New Orleans, for example, despite the clear letter of the law stating this was a federal responsibility.
4. Do you see politics as being entirely a black-white, zero-sum game?

If you answered yes to most of these questions then you're part of the problem. As far as I'm concerned, you're not a patriot. The new Berlin Wall is in your heart. Only you can tear it down.