Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Preparing for Martial Law, Part 1:

Law for Tyrants

Whelp folks, I hate to be the pallbearer at our country's funeral, but I am here to inform you, in case you missed it on Fox News, that the apparatus for martial law is being quietly, but steadily, implemented. If one has been paying attention to the laws that are getting passed over the last few years we can see the telltale signs that we are getting closer and closer to such a scenario. Not only is this government setting up the legal framework for martial law, but they are also setting up the policing apparatus and infrastructure to carry it out. I will get into the latter two issues in this three part series, but first, let's look at the legal framework for setting up martial law in this country.

Part 1: Law for Tyrants

Even Adolph Hitler needed the imprimatur of law to carry out the Nazi agenda, and the similarities of Hitler's Enabling Act of 1933 to the laws and decrees that are being passed in today's America are almost identical. To see what I mean, let's get a little background on the Nazi's Enabling Act of 1933:

"The Enabling Act (Ermächtigungsgesetz in German) was passed by Germany's parliament (the Reichstag) on March 23, 1933 and signed by President Paul von Hindenburg the same day. It was the second major step after the Reichstag Fire Decree through which the democratically-elected Nazis obtained dictatorial powers using largely legal means. The Act enabled Chancellor Adolf Hitler and his cabinet to enact laws without the participation of the Reichstag...

"Under the existing Weimar constitution, under Article 48, the President could rule by decree in times of emergency. The unprecedented element of the Enabling Act was that the Chancellor Hitler) himself possessed these powers. The Enabling Act was only supposed to be used in times of extreme emergency..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enabling_act_of_1933

Hmmmm, now let's look at what just recently passed here in the USA and compare:

On May 9th of 2007, the Bush administration signed National Security Presidential Directive 51 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20, which gives the White House responsibility for all aspects of coordinating, implementing and exercising contingency plans for a surprise, "decapitating" attack on the federal government.

According to the Washington post:

"As a result of the asymmetric threat environment, adequate warning of potential emergencies that could pose a significant risk to the homeland might not be available, and therefore all continuity planning shall be based on the assumption that no such warning will be received," states the 72-paragraph order...

"The new directive gives the job of coordinating policy to the president's assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism -- Frances Fragos Townsend, who will assume the title of national continuity coordinator -- in consultation with Bush's national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, with the support of the White House's Homeland Security Council staff. Townsend is to produce an implementation plan within 90 days. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will continue to coordinate operations and activities, the directive said."

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/09/AR2007050902719.html

For a listing of the provisions in HOMELAND SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE 51/HSPD-20 go here:

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread283240/pg1

Here we can see obvious similarities as both of these decrees giving unlimited power to the executive branch for the Continuity of Government (CoG) in the event of a national emergency. So, the same administration who brought us 9/11, Katrina, and the disastrous Iraq War is now going to run the country in the case of a nuclear attack or some other emergency? If that doesn't put fear and trepidation in your heart, I don't know what will.

But, there's more. Last year, two other draconian laws got passed that indicate with even more certainty that the legal framework for martial law is being put into place. On October 16, 2006, the Bush administration signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and the John Warner Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 -- laws that strip away many constitutional rights of citizens and non-citizens and bring us much closer to a police state. But, first, let's start with the Military Commissions Act, a law that should make your hair stand on end.

The Military Commissions Act states that the government could now designate anybody an enemy combatant, strip them of their rights to habeas corpus and a fair trial (or any trial for that matter), and ship them off to Guantanamo (or some secret Halliburton prison?) to be tortured if need be. Did MSNBC forgot to inform you about that one? Well, maybe Wikipedia can fill the void in the memory hole.

Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia:
"The Act also contains the suggestion that unlawful enemy combatant refers to any person who, before, on, or after the date of the enactment of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, has been determined to be an unlawful enemy combatant by a Combatant Status Review Tribunal or another competent tribunal established under the authority of the President or the Secretary of Defense."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Commissions_Act_of_2006

With the definition of an Enemy Combatant so broad, what is to keep political dissenters and others deemed a political threat by this administration from being put on this list? Maybe it just has to do with whether of not Bush has taken his meds that day, or perhaps he just doesn't like your t-shirt with his face on it with the words "International Terrorist" emblazoned on it, or maybe you donated money to the Middle East Children's Alliance to help the poor children Bush helped blow up get medical supplies. It's all very random and unconstitutional, but by government fiat, it's all now legal to strip you of your rights and disappear you.

And, now, this brings us to the John Warner Defense Authorization Act, signed on the same day as Military Commissions Act. Remember posse comitatus? You know, that law that forbids the government from sending federal troops for domestic policing? Well, I hope you said a fond goodbye because it's gone to the pasture too. The John Warner Defense Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2007 (H.R. 5122.ENR), due to take effect in October of 2007, contains a provision, (Section 1076) which allows the President to:

“...employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to...

restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the United States..., where the President determines that,...domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order; suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy...”

www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Posse_Comitatus_Act

What, you missed that on CNN? Gee, not surprising since "The Central Intelligence Agency owns everyone of any significance in the major media." ~ William Colby, Former Director, CIA

Collectively, these laws and the Patriot Act, which allows "sneak and peek" searches of your residence (among other unconstitutional outrages), are the backbone of the legal framework for martial law. We can be in denial about it all we want but it doesn't make these laws, or the embattled administration, go away, no matter how many times you click your heels.

Is it possible that this could happen here in the U.S.A.? Are these people insane enough to do the unthinkable? Think 9/11 and the Iraq war for the answer to that question. After years of reading countless books and articles about what happened on 9/11, I am convinced that the official story is a bunch of hooey (go to www.911truth.org for more info). Also, the rational for going into Iraq was all a fabrication created by the Neocons and their ad hoc Office of Special Plans (i.e. fabricated plans). Their 'evidence' was supported by CIA director, Mr. "Slamdunk" Tenet (sorry, Mr. Tenet, but you are not off the hook in my book).

In either case, when acknowledging these horrible crimes as being set ups so that certain powerful interests can get Middle Eastern oil, then one must conclude that they are indeed insane enough to implement martial law.

Look for "Preparing for Martial Law, Part 2: 'Enforcement and Infrastructure'" next week

(additional reading: "Is America Preparing for Martial Law?" www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO504B.html, and "Blueprint for Dictatorship, www.antiwar.com/justin/index.php?articleid=10895)