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Martial Law

By Inkling ·
Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse...http://www.downsizedc.org/blog/2007/mar/09/didnt_know_that_was_in_the_bill

Here is an excerpt from the blog:

"However, with the inclusion of a seemingly insignificant rider into the massive defense bill (the martial law section of the 5**-page Defense Appropriations Act takes up just a few paragraphs), the Bush Administration has managed to weaken what the New York Times refers to as 'two obscure but important bulwarks of liberty.' One is posse comitatus. The other is the Insurrection Act of 1807, which limits a president's domestic use of the military to putting down lawlessness, insurrection and rebellion where a state is violating federal law or depriving the people of their constitutional rights. Under these new provisions, the president can now use the military as a domestic police force in response to a natural disaster, disease outbreak, terrorist attack or to any 'other condition.' According to the new law, Bush doesn't even have to notify Congress of his intent to use military force against the American people -- he just has to notify them once he has done so."

Posse Comitatus Act (187 - [Short Version] It generally prohibits Federal military personnel and units of the United States National Guard under Federal authority from acting in a law enforcement capacity within the United States, except where expressly authorized by the Constitution or Congress.

Wow. The President of the United States now has the authority to institute martial law at his sole discretion.

The sad part? I would wager my yearly salary that 95% of Congress didn't even know these riders were present when they passed this bill.

I've said it before, violent revolution is becoming more and more likely as more and more of our personal freedoms and liberties are discarded for "the greater good". I think G.W. and his cronies see the writing on the wall and are simply planning ahead.

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Scary isn't it? :0

by dawgit In reply to Martial Law

You're not supposed to know about that. tsk-tsk to you for reading history and especially the US Constitution. hummmm. That could make you a "Person of Interest" and just might 'suspend' your Constitutional 'rights'. :0
Really scary stuff, if one thinks about it, or even still thinks at all. -d

edited to add link:
http://balkin.blogspot.com/
interesting Blog site on this subject. Just about the whole first page will get get one to thinking. ? and this is not a wild, news hounding, big mouthed, bunch of radicles either. -d

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I would expect it from G.W.

by Inkling In reply to Scary isn't it? :0

but what really bothers me, is that I guarantee the vast majority of Congress didn't even know it was in the bill because they simply can not be bothered to read the bills they pass.

If someone ran a company the way our representatives run our government, they would be out on their ears.

If I submitted a 500-page budget to my CFO, I would be laughed at and then, most likely, fired.

This is the price for super-sizing government.

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or if...

by TonytheTiger In reply to I would expect it from G. ...

If someone ran a company the way our representatives run our government, they would be out on their ears.

... the average voter were as intelligent as the average stockholder ...

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Excellent point.

by Inkling In reply to or if...

This is what keeps me awake at night!

It's not necessarily intelligence though. It's just that the average voter spends more effort voting on their favorite American Idol then their representatives.

It's apathy, not ignorance.

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Here's your kicker

by DanLM In reply to Martial Law

Most of congress bitched and moaned that the president DIDN't utilize the armed services in the case's of natural disasters, border patrol, and other services. Here is another kicker, congress is bitching and moaning because the guardsmen that were fired upon by armed smugglers did not respond in force. What is expected? You have to make a choice. This is in response to your lovely congress wanting it both ways.

Have a complaint, take it up with your whiners in congress that want things both ways.

Dan

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Huh?

by Inkling In reply to Here's your kicker

"Most of congress bitched and moaned that the president DIDN't utilize the armed services in the case's of natural disasters, border patrol, and other services."

When and more importantly who in Congress complained about the President NOT using the federal military for these things? I'm not saying I don't believe you, I'm just not aware of it.

"...congress bitching and moaning because the guardsmen that were fired upon by armed smugglers did not respond in force."

Are you referring to the two border patrol agents that attempted to cover up the fact that they shot a drug smuggler? Don't get me wrong, I think they had every right to shoot the *******. I just think they are stupid for attempting to cover it up after the fact.

"Have a complaint, take it up with your whiners in congress..."

As a matter of fact, I do. I contact my representatives via e-mail, mail and telephone on a regular basis. Do I ever get a meaningful reply from them? Not yet, but that doesn't mean that it's not getting heard.

If Congress wants the President to use the military to respond to a natural disaster (Katrina?), THEY are the ones with the power to make it happen (as long as it is in accordance with the Constitution - well prior to the defense bill being passed that is). If they are bitching that he isn't, they are even more incompetent than I thought...if that's possible.

As I said, the thing that really irks me is that I guarantee that the members of Congress don't even read the bills they pass half the time.

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Ok, fair enough

by DanLM In reply to Huh?

Are you referring to the two border patrol agents that attempted to cover up the fact that they shot a drug smuggler? Don't get me wrong, I think they had every right to shoot the *******. I just think they are stupid for attempting to cover it up after the fact.
No, I was talking about guardsmen that were fired upon that did not fire back. And backed away from the situation. I didn't know about what you are talking about.


As a side note, I belong to something called security news. Its a news letter that is issued by a bunch of scientists that only interest is the release of information to the American public which our government does not feel we should see. Newly released information that use to be secret, various documents that are not classified secret but also not made readily available to the public. Things like this.

One of the things that this newsletter provides is links to research reports that congress requests that are not under any security clearance, but that our members of congress does not feel should be released to the public. deepsand and I were talking about this in another post. These congressional research papers are very in depth and I am under the opinion that they do not see the light of congressional eyes because they are just too lazy to read them. Basically, what you said. They never read them just like half the bills they pass.

Let me know if you want a link to this.

Dan

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Scary...

by TonytheTiger In reply to Ok, fair enough

... but that our members of congress does not feel should be released to the public.

... our government is becoming just like the press (only telling us what they want us to know about).

I wonder. Do they not tell us because it's bad, or do they not (try to) tell us because it will expose their ignorance? (Of course, either is bad...)

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I think its because they just don't read it

by DanLM In reply to Scary...

And are afraid the public will become better informed. Or, the public will find out how little informed our congress representatives really are.

Dan

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I would LOVE a link to that!

by Inkling In reply to Ok, fair enough

Looking forward to it.

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