The Last Christmas?

Blacky brought us each a single malt scotch. Bernie’s was decorated for Christmas; nothing lavish, just a great Christmas tree, some wreaths, a nice painting of nineteenth century merry gentlemen enjoying the season. Nothing religious, a bar is not the place for that. But it was nice.
"Enjoy it while you can, Art. This could well be the last year when our world will be holding together so that we can have a Merry Christmas," Max Angst said to me.
"C’mon Max; things aren’t that bad," I responded.
"I hope your right, Art, but there are things on the horizon that worry me."
"Fill me in."
"Just before the current Congress closed for elections they passed the Military Commissions Act and Bush signed it. That allows the imprisonment of anyone that the President declares to be an enemy alien combatant ; there is no Habeas Corpus right for such people and military commissions using courts martial proceedings will try them."
"So we have an effective method for dealing with foreign terrorists. How is that going to upset next year’s Christmas?" I asked.
"Lately, I have heard a number of senior military officers saying the reason that things are not going well in Iraq is that the American Public is not supporting the military effort there. And that is right. Polls are showing better than sixty percent of the American public wants the military to pull out of Iraq."
"I still don’t see how this will effect the American citizen."
"Try this, Art. The Bush administration is the Military Industrial Oligarchy in control of our country. The 2006 election seems to say the average American wants that to change. Suppose the oligarchy pulls off some stunt that seems to say our country is in terrible danger. From terrorists perhaps. They then declare anyone who calls for reduced military activity-- withdrawal from Iraq, a reduced military budget—is in effect and enemy alien combatant. The leaders of the peace movement could be arrested en masse. The country could be put under military control."
"That’s pretty far fetched, Max."
"So was the invasion of Iraq. No body saw it coming. And I’m convinced it is nothing more than the oligarchy trying to make money. If these guys see their game being squelched and the possibility of the next government taking action against them arises, they’re the kind of people who will do anything to retain power and protect themselves."
"What can we do, Max?"
"Start talking this possibility up. Organize to protect each other if these kind of threats appear likely."
"I’ll write a letter to the editor."
"Good, that’s a start."