"I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind...But it wasn't because I didn't know enough. I just knew too much."
- "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley
We've recently blogged about Bush signing a bill that shreds the Geneva Conventions, pisses on the Bill of Rights, and terminates the 800 year-old right of habeas corpus, and now I've read a post by Major Danby at Daily Kos that Bush has gutted Posse Comitatus and grabbed the National Guard.
This was done three weeks ago when 'The Department of Defense Appropriation Act 2007' was passed by the U.S. Congress and then was signed into law by Bush on September 29, 2006.
As noted at Kos, this bill:
". . . gives the President -- this President -- the power, in the event of any "disaster, accident, or catastrophe" that he deems to require it, to:Remember when Bush and Gov. Blanco had their little "spat" about who was in control during the response to Katrina? That was no little "spat," that was Bush's first attempt to grab this power -- the power to have the entire military - National Guard, Army, Navy, etc. -- act as a civilian police force under federal command.- involuntarily take National Guard troops from State A and
- require them to work in State B for up to a year,
- in law enforcement rather than just traditional areas like disaster relief,
- over the objection of both state's governors"
Further down the thread in the comments section of his post Major Danby reminds us why it's significant to be able to bring in National Guard members from other states to act as a police force:
In Tienanmen Square the Communist Party brought in troops from the provinces who were unaware of what the argument was about in Beijing to shoot down the rioters. They knew that people would be more willing to shoot at those unlike them. The insight that this ploy is possible is part of what led the Founding Fathers to avoid a national police force. Can we trust a President who already acts like he aspires to be a member of the Chinese Community Party, who puts power above all else, with such power? Can we wait to find out? This is a story that should spread through the middle of the country to every shore. The states still mean something. Except, perhaps, to the likes of George W. Bush. The phrase you're grasping for is "martial law." It just got easier to impose.But the most chilling and accurate summation of all we've given up is provided by BriVT:
My apologies to students who took my U.S. Government class in the 90s: evidently the Constitution doesn't limit Presidential power after all. Who knew?
Just to be clear
The President can now, in perfect legality, grab a state's National Guard, send it to another state to round up any group he declares "enemy combatants" under the broad powers given him, have that entire group taken by that army unit to a military camp, held indefinitely without access to lawyers, subjected to torture and then tried and convicted on the evidence gleaned from that torture. At no point can any outside group or entity challenge the designation of "enemy combatant," nor can they petition for a release under habeas corpus.
There is truly nothing illegal about any part of that scenario. ALL OF IT IS PERFECTLY LEGAL UNDER THE LAWS PASSED BY CONGRESS.
Where is the daylight between that and a true authoritarian government?
When are we going to stand up say that we refuse to give the President -- any President -- the powers of an emperor?
We are letting our republic end without a bang...without even a whimper.
How is it possible that we have succumbed to this madness?
How can we call ourselves Americans?
"My heroes had the heart to live their lives out on a limb. And all I remember is thinkin' I wanna be like them."
- "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley
I'll agree, you've definitely lost your mind....especially given the body of this post.
ReplyDeleteAgain, and again, you demonstrate your incessant aberration when it comes to you defending members of your political party who continue to undermine the President and the war on terror.
If it were up to you, the recent threat of jetliners being hijacked over the Atlantic would of become a reality because you and members of your political party think that the very program which stopped breaks the law.
Now, you wish to give aid and comfort to the terrorists by demonstrating your objections to the recent bill Bush signed into law.
Think about this for a moment:
Do you think that the enemy is listening and watching as to what is going on when it comes to you and the members of your political party constantly undermining the President's efforts to stop the very people who wish to kill us?
Do you not understand that these people want to kill us, and that includes you? Democrat, Republican, it doesn't matter. You will convert to Islam, or they will kill you. It's that simple. What part of that do you not understand? You either convert, or you die. You just don't get it. This is not a game. It's not a stunt. Your rights are not being taken away here. Bush is simply trying to keep you and the rest of the American people safe. Funny, this country has not been hit by another terrorist attack since 9/11, but the members of your political party are making it increasingly difficult for our President to protect you, not to mention, protect your rights to speak out against him as you always do.
Perhaps Bush should just forget it, drop the ball, pull out of Iraq and show the terrorists that we're nothing but a bunch of "cut and run" cowards. The heck with the NSA wire taps, too, after all, they're illegal, right?
Bush is damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't. Why? You're sour over his "stealing" the 2000 election, and you'll stop at nothing to undermine his efforts every single step of the way.