Bush - Be Afraid

President Bush signed executive orders giving himself authority to impose martial law, suspend habeas corpus and ignore the Posse Comitatus Act which prohibits the use of US troops on America's streets. Essentially, he has grabbed absolute dictatorial power with no checks and balances.

During the 1980's there were national security initiatives, put in place by Ronald Reagan, created by Colonel Oliver North, that gave FEMA the responsibility for carrying out the security initiatives. These initiatives allowed for suspension of the Constitution, the creation of internment camps, the declaring of martial law, and the handing over of government to the President alone.

After 9/11, Georgie considered imposing martial law by activating the initiatives and actually used parts of them to send troops into New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. He also okayed FEMA to hire mercenaries from the firm Blackwater USA to “enforce security.”

Newly formed, the Department of Homeland Security has created a program called the “Northern Command for National Defense,” which would coordinate activities with FEMA, the Pentagon, the FBI and the NSA. Executive orders signed by Bush allow the Northern Command to use troops, take control of commercial radio/television/network broadcasting and impose martial law.

The truly scary part of Chimpie's authority is that HE alone can declare what is or is not a national emergency, he does not have to consult or seek approval from Congress in order to grab absolute control over our government.

Bush has often implied of his need to take total control, consider just these statements from an Oct, 2005 press conference:
“I am concerned about avian flu. I'm concerned about what an avian flu outbreak could mean for the United States and the world....If we had an outbreak somewhere in the United States, do we not then quarantine that part of the country? And how do you, then, enforce a quarantine? And who best to be able to effect a quarantine? One option is the use of a military that's able to plan and move....But Congress needs to take a look at circumstances that may need to vest the capacity of the president to move beyond that debate. And one such catastrophe or one such challenge could be an avian flu outbreak. And we're more than thinking about it, we're trying to put plans in place. And one of the plans -- back to where your original question came -- was, you know, if we need to take some significant action, how best to do so. And I think the president ought to have all options on the table to understand what the consequences are -- all assets on the table, not options -- assets on the table to be able to deal with something this significant.”

Notice, he twice said the President should have all 'the assets' - all the assets means all 'the power.' The horrifying danger is that a stupid man has absolute power - we all should be very afraid.
Posted on The Human Stain