The Bush Junta has quietly "tooled up" to utilize the U.S. military in engaging American dissidents after the next big crisis, with a frightening and overlooked piece of legislation that was passed alongside the Military Commissions Act, which greases the skids for armed confrontation and abolishes posse comitatus.
Frank Morales' recent article, Bush Moves Toward Martial Law, succinctly outlines the nuances of what the bill authorizes and why it is potentially more dangerous to freedom in America than even the Military Commissions Act.
"Public Law 109-364, or the "John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007" (H.R.5122) (2), which was signed by the commander in chief on October 17th, 2006, in a private Oval Office ceremony, allows the President to declare a "public emergency" and station troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder."
"Section 1076 of the massive Authorization Act, which grants the Pentagon another $500-plus-billion for its ill-advised adventures, is entitled, "Use of the Armed Forces in Major Public Emergencies." Section 333, "Major public emergencies; interference with State and Federal law" states that "the President may 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, the President determines that domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of ("refuse" or "fail" in) maintaining public order, "in order to suppress, in any State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy."
I believe part of this is designed to prevent any type of rioting/looting incident like most people witnessed on television after so many destitute people were stuck and starving in the flooded streets of New Orleans. The other thing is what type of authority does a governor have regardless of whether he or she is a democrat or republican. That could involve possibly sealing off the state line if that were necessary. Another thing is if there needed to be rolling blackouts like we did when Gray Davis held office after Pete Wilson left. I would assume that republican and democrat governors still can exercise their own authority to protect their individual states if they had to do so temporarily. I'm not sure what FEMA has to do with any of that since FEMA is a federal thing that is for if there ever was a federal emergency rather than a state, county, or municipality alert.
