mr hornberger makes the case in this essay that the empire is already a military dictatorship though it retains the outward trappings of 'democracy' which it really has never been;

While the U.S. mainstream press comes down hard on the military crackdown in Myanmar, unfortunately, but predictably, they fail to see any parallel with our situation here in the United States.

Myanmar, like the United States, is a national-security state. For some years, the national-security establishment in Myanmar has permitted the other branches of government to maintain the facade of being in charge of the government and the country. But civilian, democratic rule was always by permission. The reality was that the national-security establishment was always in charge and could, as a practical matter, resume its total control over the government and the nation any time it wanted, which is what it recently did. Since then, the military and intelligence forces have imposed a severe crackdown against people who are protesting the military’s direct resumption of power.........read more......