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Emergency Powers Give Barack Obama Authority Over Just About Everything During A Major National Crisis
Submitted by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,
Presidents have always exercised emergency powers, but now thanks to dozens of new laws, regulations, court decisions and executive orders, Barack Obama is the most powerful president in all of U.S. history. Of course the U.S. Constitution does not actually give the president any special powers during a time of national emergency, but over time presidents have decided that they should be able to exercise such powers and the courts have generally agreed with them. During World War II and prior to that, these emergency powers were largely uncodified and were primarily used during times of war. But since World War II things have completely changed, and this has particularly been true since 9/11. Over the past decade or so, a whole host of extraordinary powers have specifically been given to the office of the president, and all that it takes to exercise them is a major “national emergency”. So if we do have a full-blown economic collapse, a historic natural disaster, a significant war or a massive pandemic, Barack Obama could use the emergency powers that he has been given to essentially take authority over everything.
There is not a single document or series of documents that contain all of the emergency powers that Barack Obama could potentially wield during a major national emergency. As I mentioned above, these powers come from literally dozens of laws, regulations, court decisions and executive orders. But in this article I will discuss a few important documents. One of these is a presidential directive that was issued during the second term of George W. Bush. It is entitled NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD – 51/HOMELAND SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/HSPD – 20, and you can take a look at it on the FEMA website right here. This document is primarily concerned with the continuity of our federal government in the event of a catastrophic emergency. So precisely what would constitute a “catastrophic emergency”? The following is how the document defines that term…
“Catastrophic Emergency” means any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions;
That sounds quite broad to me. It could apply to all sorts of scenarios.
If we do have such a “catastrophic emergency”, the president essentially becomes a dictator at that point. The document certainly talks about the need to ensure that “constitutional government” continues, but during the course of the emergency there really is not much of a role for the other two branches of government to play. Instead, the “shadow government” takes over under the overall command of the president. The following is a short excerpt from the document…
The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government. In order to advise and assist the President in that function, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (APHS/CT) is hereby designated as the National Continuity Coordinator. The National Continuity Coordinator, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), without exercising directive authority, shall coordinate the development and implementation of continuity policy for executive departments and agencies. The Continuity Policy Coordination Committee (CPCC), chaired by a Senior Director from the Homeland Security Council staff, designated by the National Continuity Coordinator, shall be the main day-to-day forum for such policy coordination.
Of course the 11 page document that we have on the FEMA website is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to continuity of government planning. Unfortunately, most of the plans are top secret and are not allowed to be seen by the public. Astonishingly, this even applies to members of Congress. The following comes from Wikipedia…
On July 18, 2007, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), a member of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, requested the classified and more detailed version of the government’s continuity of government plan in a letter signed by him and the chairperson of the House Homeland Committee, which is supposed to have access to confidential government information. The president refused to provide the information, to the surprise of the congressional committee.
Another document that raises a lot of red flags is an executive order entitled “National Defense Resources Preparedness” that was issued by Barack Obama on March 16th, 2012. This particular executive order updates previous executive orders, and it gives the president extraordinary authority during a time of national emergency. Below, I have posted most of section 201 of that executive order. As you can see, it potentially gives Barack Obama authority over just about everything during a time of national emergency if he feels it is needed for “national defense”…
Sec. 201. Priorities and Allocations Authorities. (a) The authority of the President conferred by section 101 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071, to require acceptance and priority performance of contracts or orders (other than contracts of employment) to promote the national defense over performance of any other contracts or orders, and to allocate materials, services, and facilities as deemed necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense, is delegated to the following agency heads:
(1) the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to food resources, food resource facilities, livestock resources, veterinary resources, plant health resources, and the domestic distribution of farm equipment and commercial fertilizer;
(2) the Secretary of Energy with respect to all forms of energy;
(3) the Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to health resources;
(4) the Secretary of Transportation with respect to all forms of civil transportation;
(5) the Secretary of Defense with respect to water resources; and
(6) the Secretary of Commerce with respect to all other materials, services, and facilities, including construction materials.
(b) The Secretary of each agency delegated authority under subsection (a) of this section (resource departments) shall plan for and issue regulations to prioritize and allocate resources and establish standards and procedures by which the authority shall be used to promote the national defense, under both emergency and non-emergency conditions. Each Secretary shall authorize the heads of other agencies, as appropriate, to place priority ratings on contracts and orders for materials, services, and facilities needed in support of programs approved under section 202 of this order.
A similar executive order regarding national communications was issued on July 6th, 2012.
But the powers that Barack Obama could potentially wield during a time of national emergency are not just limited to what is written down. This may shock many Americans, but it is true. In the past, presidents have used their “emergency powers” to suspend habeas corpus, to place American citizens in internment camps and to seize private property. The following comes from Wikipedia…
A claim of emergency powers was at the center of President Abraham Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus without Congressional approval in 1861. Lincoln claimed that the rebellion created an emergency that permitted him the extraordinary power of unilaterally suspending the writ. With Chief Justice Roger Taney sitting as judge, the Federal District Court of Maryland struck down the suspension in Ex Parte Merryman, although Lincoln ignored the order. 17 F. Cas. 144 (1861).
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt similarly invoked emergency powers when he issued an order directing that all Japanese Americans residing on the West Coast be placed into internment camps during World War II. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld this order in Korematsu v. United States. 323 U.S. 214 (1944).
Harry Truman declared the use of emergency powers when he seized private steel mills that failed to produce steel because of a labor strike in 1952. With the Korean War ongoing, Truman asserted that he could not wage war successfully if the economy failed to provide him with the material resources necessary to keep the troops well-equipped. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, refused to accept that argument in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, voting 6-3 that neither Commander in Chief powers nor any claimed emergency powers gave the President the authority to unilaterally seize private property without Congressional legislation. 343 U.S. 579.
And it is important to keep in mind that Barack Obama now possesses far more power than any of those presidents ever did. All it is going to take for him to exercise those powers is a major national emergency. This is something that Jim Powell discussed in an article for Forbes…
Not long after that, we found ourselves in an open-ended national emergency declared on September 14, 2001 and extended since by both George W. Bush and Barack Obama. This means the president has standby powers from hundreds of statutes that would enable him to re-introduce military conscription, seize private property and in myriad ways establish a government-run economy.
Thankfully, things are still somewhat stable for the moment so Obama does not have a reasonable excuse to use all of the powers that he has been given. But that could change at any time. If we do see a “catastrophic emergency” in the next year or so, there are very few limits on what Barack Obama would be able to do. That includes potentially postponing or suspending the 2016 election so that he can remain in office throughout the course of the national emergency.
We have never seen such a thing happen before, and hopefully we never will. And of course it isn’t just Barack Obama that we need to be concerned about. A future leader of this nation could potentially be even worse than him. It has been exceedingly foolish for us to give a single person so much power in the event of a “catastrophic emergency”, and in the end we may regret this bitterly.
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I'd feel safer with a real monkey...
Ask yourself why would The Ballerina step down from a high level position in FEDGOV to become Mayor of Chicago? Maybe to cover for Silverstien pulling it AGAIN.
LGBTs Unite! Sieg Heil, Hitler 2.0, Fuhrer Obama,
Yep, as soon as he declares martial law...
It's El Presidente for Life!
So I suppose the 50 cows, 70 sheep, & 30 goats offer is gonna get whacked by inflation.
Hey Barry, what's it like suckin on the Wookie-cock?
Wanna make 100X your money in the next 60 days? Buy FAZ. My research indicates that the CIA / NWO groupies are about to detonate a dirty nuke inside Chicago, blaim ISIS but turn around and nuke Iran, bring in Martial Law, and gun confiscation, and possibly the annexation of Canada. Get ready it will be the beginning of WWIII
Even if it were true, who gives a fuck about money when ww3 happens?
Barack Obama IS A Major National Crisis.Conspiracy theorists of the world, believers in the hidden hands of the Rothschilds and the Masons and the Illuminati, we skeptics owe you an apology. You were right. The players may be a little different, but your basic premise is correct: The world is a rigged game.
Matt Taibbi
The first president who steps over his term limit had damn well better have the military behind him. I don't think Obozo qualifies.
Uh, I think you need to take another look at all the spineless "Yes-Men" Obozo has promoted into the highest levels of the military leadership. They'll do whatever he tells them to - they all kiss his ass!
I decided to transpose your acronym into GBLT, or Gay BLT.
Call it "Artistic License", to make it more... memorable. ;-)
All Hail Caesar! Demican/Republicrat, it doesn't matter!
Call out the Praetorian Guard! More Bread and Circuses!
The monkey comes preassembled with strings attached.
the media slaves, who were essential to our new tyranny, will NOT get a heads up when the depopulation death methods get employed. Serve all you want as a media slave, your reward is only this weeks paycheck, you and your family are in the line of fire just like those you have betrayed by being a media slave.
You've got a real monkey
Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen. Some decorum, if you must.
-Representative Preston Brooks before trying to kill Senator Charles Sumner on the Senate floor
How long has it been since caning a senator on the senate floor was a possiblity? Otherwise know as the good ole days.
Bring back the canes!
Exactly, fuck Borat Obama.
He'll get it too...because Americans are
A) stupid
B) lazy
C) distracted...
D) All of the above
Naw, George Bush Jr passed them all under the patriot act (1 and 2). Everyone at the time seemed more than happy to give him unilateral hegimonic control, Obama inherited Bush's legacy and presidental super powers legislation.
You've not discovered what law really is?
Law is just a pretext, of power & authority, an assumption that everyone will abide by it, nothing more, nothing less. Laws mean absolutely nothing without force and intimidation.
Fortunately by the Law of Nature there is no government monopoly on force & intimidation. We are all born with it, as is the right of all humans.
Its really a wonderful thing when you look at the ying and the yang of it ;-)
thank you, no one wants to mention that. his partner in crime dick cheney, gave the vice presidency astonishing new powers as well.
Jesus whatever you do don't give it Merlot and Xanax.
Might rip yer face off!
Some folks just have no fucking clue.
I spit all over, btw
i got a case of cheap booze that bastard ain't gettin' his grimy mitts on when tshtf that's for sure
I got 2 wrong # today. I never get those because the age of it.. I look them up 1 from Utah the other from nc. I never Gona get that stash of burbon for shtf at this rate.
:owebomba thugs knock on door:
Me: just a minute!
:glug glug glug glug:
:buuuurrrppp!:
...better stock up on burrito coverings, too...
All of the pieces are now in place. Now all that is needed is the vaguely defined "catastrophic emergency".
If you find yourself in the midst of any kind of inter-agency training exercise - get pictures/video then get the hell away from there.
No worries, 'catastrophic emergencies' only happen when .gov is running big drills.
Oh, wait, Jade Helm . . . Shit!
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHETHER LIVE AMMO IS PERMISSIONED FOR JADE HELM PARTICIPANTS???
There was a report that some helos are running hot . No way to confirm on my end. But I can tell you nothing is flying in central ky. Which is very odd. They normally are everywhere here training. They are some where else
problem w/snyder and other such guys (and, frankly, many ZHers) is they just can't "pull the trigger", and we're all doomed unless that happens.
give me liberty or give me death.
its that or ' give me librium or give me meth.'
DO NOT QUESTION DEAR LEADERS AUTHORITAH !
So which amendment to the constitution gives the president the right to be a dictator?
Which amendment to the constitution gives the congress critters the authority to pass and enforce unconstitutional laws?
Which amendment to the constitution gives the justice department the authority to interpret constitutional law?
Which amendment to the constitution gives the United Nations power over the United States government and its people.
Answer: NONE. No such amendments exist.
UNLESS THERE IS A LEGALLY PASSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION, any laws and executive actions signed by Obozo are not enforceable by the government of the United States, but are being enforced by an illegal action contrary to the Constitution FOR the United States.
If you motherfuckers think that the UN, TPP and other globalist initiatives are so good for the US, people and the world in general, then start the amendment process and make your case to the people. Secrets just don't cut it.
There has been more than a hundred year long history of the US courts allowing unconstitutional legislation to be upheld. The central core of that was when the public "money" supply was privatized. Another enormous step was when corporations became legal persons with perhaps even greater rights and freedoms than flesh and blood people, since corporations do not necessarily have to die, because corporations are more like demigods than mortals.
The basic trajectory that has resulted in a President that can become a total dictator by declaring there is an emergency has been that the government of the people, by the people, for the people has gradually transformed into government by the money, for the money, by the money.
Since people's lives depended so much upon money, it was possible to bribe and or intimidate enough to subvert the democratic republic's rule of law, while the back-up system to that was assassinate those who were no amendable to being bribed or intimidated. The President is now a puppet of the money system, who commands the murder system to back that money system up. The courts have practically become rubber stamps to O.K. unconstitutional laws.
In my view, anyone who looks at the overall situation concludes that pretty well the entire government of the USA is now guilty of outrageous treason, including the egregious courts. There is almost nothing left by a core of organized crime, surrounded by controlled opposition. There are no practical ways to prevent that from automatically becoming worse, faster, while there are no good reasons to doubt that any attempts to enforce martial law will finally fail, because no matter how much lies are backed by violence, those are still lies.
It sure as shit will be an emergency right after I've blown a mag right into the 4 poor .gov bastards who thought stealing my shit was just another day at the office. You hear that NSA? You better bring a platoon with an armored detachment.
And 2 other points about the US justice system. If you're arguing in a courtroom, you dont want it bad enough. Two, want justice? Buy a gun. Only go to a courtroom if you enjoy theater.
The recent Cases of Boumediene v. Bush (2008) and ACLU v Clapper (2015) among others, BELIE most of what you said, as well as the Article itself.
As for The Corporation, it is NOT meant to DIE, and Never Was.
Contrary to Everything you Say, the fact is that "The Corporation" as it exists in America gives EVERY INDIVIDUAL the Ability to formulate a Lawful Enterprise, yet enjoy ALL the LEGAL PROTECTIONS afforded the very Most Powerful Players.
Anything APPLE can do as a Corporation, I Can Do - and I Have Done with The Corporation.
Furthermore and Critically Important, "The Corporation" in America exists UNDER STATE, NOT FEDERAL LAW.
Thus the very Heart of Business in the United States is based entirely on the RIGHTS OF STATES and INDIVIDUALS, Not the Federal Government or any perceived "Evil Money Masters", et al., ad infinitum.
The Most Important Thing a Man Can Know is What He Doesn't Know.
These facts Demonstrate the Wisdom of those Words.
I have found that "cracking the legal code" in the fashion you described to be pretty well useless. In my view, the ONLY connection between human laws and natural laws is ability to back up lies with violence. I have found that the established systems deliberately ignore rational evidence and logical arguments that they do not like. The existing systems collapse back to force, when push comes to shove through short-circuiting "legal arguments."
That is especially the case regarding the FUNDING OF POLITICS, which is the issue that I have most worked upon, and still am working upon, in the Canadian context, using the political contribution tax credit, through Electoral District Associations ... Basically, governments can usually back up lies with violence, and effectively get away with doing that, while they can also change the laws to legalize their lies, and legalized the violence that they then use to continue to back up their lies.
For a few decades, I have been engaged in various political experiments to exercise ways that "EVERY INDIVIDUAL the Ability to formulate a Lawful Enterprise, yet enjoy ALL the LEGAL PROTECTIONS afforded the very Most Powerful Players."
I am somewhat familiar with the arguments that you have made, Livermore Legend, and I often tend to agree with the legal theories and research that is behind those views. While I theoretically agree with you, in practice I have found that it does not really work all that well. It does work for some people, some of the time, in some circumstances, but only to that degree ... My bottom line continues to be that there are really nothing but systems of lies backed by violence. After that succeeded in taking almost complete control over the public "money" supply, everything else automatically followed to become crazier and more corrupt, with no end in sight to how bad that is going to get ... including criminally insane martial law being the final phases of the decline and fall of such an empire.
A record of my thoughts collected upon those kinds of topics, in the Canadian context, has been collected in this thread: The Myth of Canada
One particularly murderous dictator stated that power comes out of the barrel of a gun. The bottom line is this: might makes right.
The descent of America from relative freedom to relative serfdom in just my lifetime is sickening. For decades friends have thought me a bit strange for being concerned about .gov. Being able to say "see, I told you so" will offer no comfort whatsoever.
Corporations die all the time, unless they are proped up and bailed out by crony fascists Democrats. If GM had been left to fail, we wouldn't have the massive recalls that we see now, nor the death-trap "American" cars that plague our roads.
Are "schools" people? Are "charities" people? Of course they are. Corporations are made up OF people and thus have a voice in the political process. This demonization of the "EEEeeeevil corporation" is the primary reason the system of corporate welfare has remained in place: so long as your hate is focused on MacDo and WaMu, you won't notice your friendly Democrat Fascist robbing your savings account.
Obama is trying to one up Poroshenko.
No, Putin. Porky has no power or choices.
I'm getting older, who isn't? Freedom does seem to be taken away year after year. I try to travel as much as I can. Always nice to be away from work. Everything seems better not at work. Keeping the dream alive gets harder every year. Getting harder every year to stay out of debt, out of jail, out of getting ripped off by Uncle Sam. Yeah, I'm getting tired of complaining. World is going faster than I can keep up not that I want too.
Going to make a will so the government doesn't get all my savings. Not much else I can do. I don't have the answers that zerohedge is looking for or me for that matter. Guess I'll have another beer.
Right there with ya amigo. Except I'm not relying on a will to leave my kin anything. Giving it to them while I'm still above ground and telling them to manage wisely. WIlls involve lawyers and lawyers = snakes. I hate any snake who's last name is not Pliskin.
Older warriors can be the best killers. They have lived, and know what is worth killing for, and that life isnt for ever.
+1,000,000
Truth right there...
with ya bro.
Mikey forgot the IEEPA -- The International Economic Emergency Powers Act. Scary bit of fascism.
http://definitions.uslegal.com/i/international-emergency-economic-powers...
What a can of worms that is.
BushCo had them first and every President from now on will have them. Thank you, chickenshit Congress.
Hail Caesar!
Hail Satan!
I can name four things that he, or his dictatorial successor, won't have control over:
1) Me
2) My gold and silver
3) My arsenal
4) My guillotine
Liberty is a demand. Tyranny is submission..
I'm starting to believe you really have a guillotine.
If so, I truly hope you get the chance to use it one day. Will you be taking requests?
Problem is: I don't really care what you think. George Pataki is running or president.
We finally have a true messiah.
The words were ok.
Didn't look polished enough on camera though.
I endorse Hillary for POTUS 2016.
Anyone coming for my ag equipment, livestock, or crops better have made their final plans. I'll happily put them down for the dirt nap.
Whites in America, as a group, are pathetic. A so called 1st world nation with a Negro president - and those obnoxious Whites that adopt pickaninneys rather than have their own White children. Where do these creeps come from ? Obongo will be enshried with his historic mentor, Abe Lincoln, I'm sure. The wrong people have a time machine.
These clowns are going to piss away what little perception of alleged legitimate authority "Just Us" has left.
So is he In Charge of wiping my ass during a catastrophic emergency? Because Wings and Mexican food.
It's good to be king.
Obama will end up in impeachment proceedings. Don't get caught up on fearmongering stories. He will lose powers, not gain.
They cant take anything from you that you decide they aren't going to get. A piece of paper is only a piece of paper. If you decide to use lethal force in opposition of tyranny, take the initiative, gain the element of surprise, and finish the job. A motivated resistance ALWAYS wins a protracted conflict versus a 'superior' conventional military force.
"The president refused to provide the information, to the surprise of the congressional committee."
Dictators don't need a congress, so why were they surprised?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXWTdTnhebs
emergency powers cannot stand the light
of day over time. that is the impetus
and demand of(concerning) the tpp, etc. trade agreements.
to justify powers, irrational, illegal, immoral,
unconstitutional, and ultimately legally genocidal.
.
who would have thought that the mentality of genocide
and satanic inhumanity could be encoded in/as law?
or god given law, or man conceived law?
it is all the same denial of truth as
even a child knows.
anyway ....
Hey Vote democrat, they're for the little people... orrrrrr ummmm vote Republican, they're for less government....hahahahaha
For fucks sake just keep voting, and make sure you keep paying the slave tax too.
HHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Assholes.
He will be President for life.
no law, edict, decree, force, torture or anything in or of this earth will ever put obama over me in any way. bring it
Do we still have a 10th ammendment?
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Tenth+Amendment
Global Warming is a MAJOR national crisis. There you go President Obama! Declare martial law. Send out the troops to control the nation. Hell, I've lived under martial law - it's no big deal working around you idiots. Life will go on.
What difference does it make. Dude can't even keep naked men with knifes from running through his house.