Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Constitutional Government in Emergency

* Progressive:
"Bush Anoints Himself as the Insurer of Constitutional Government in Emergency

With scarcely a mention in the mainstream media, President Bush has ordered up a plan for responding to a catastrophic attack.

In a new National Security Presidential Directive, Bush lays out his plans for dealing with a "catastrophic emergency."

Under that plan, he entrusts himself with leading the entire federal government, not just the Executive Branch. And he gives himself the responsibility "for ensuring constitutional government." He laid this all out in a document entitled "National Security Presidential Directive/NSPD 51" and "Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-20.""

3 comments:

profmarcus said...

add this to section 1076 of last year's john warner defense authorization act permitting the prez to declare martial law even in the event of a national emergency and to use national guard troops from one state in another overriding state governors and the legislation recently proposed by the doj, the intellectual property protection act of 2007, which would make the use of pirated software a crime calling for life imprisonment, allow for the outright confiscation of computers used for illegal downloads, and expand the use of domestic wiretapping, and the stage seems to be nicely set for a descent into the next level of fascism...

Anonymous said...

The friends who thought my move to canada was a bit radical , arent saying that now !

«—U®Anu§—» said...

If you read the comments under that post, you see a troubling indifference on the part of right-leaning writers. However, with yesterday's announcement of doubling the troops in Iraq by year's end, it could be a so-what thing after all: I don't think local communities would go along with a declaration of martial law, and I don't think the fed will have enough men at hand to force it.

The document waves at the need to work closely with the other two branches, saying there will be "a cooperative effort among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government." But this effort will be "coordinated by the President, as a matter of comity with respect to the legislative and judicial branches and with proper respect for the constitutional separation of powers."

Among the efforts coordinated by the President would ensuring the capability of the three branches of government to "provide for orderly succession" and "appropriate transition of leadership."

All that sure sounds like it has double meaning. Actually, a president had these abilities, but it is troubling to see the unitary executive assert itself amid suggestions and rumors a new false flag "terrorist attack" is being designed before the end of Bush's term to promote right extremism and war.