Martial Law in the USA

Since 9/11, and seemingly without the notice of most Americans, the federal government has assumed the authority to institute martial law, arrest a wide swath of dissidents (citizen and noncitizen alike), and detain people without legal or constitutional recourse in the event of “an emergency influx of immigrants in the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs.”

So begins a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle, which covers some of the uglier reasons why these programs exist. Most Americans don’t want to know this information, but I’d suggest you read the article anyway.

Such are the dreams of tyrants.

As the authors so rightly state, the amount of information, well in the public eye, seems to escape most. Of all the individuals out there, radio personality Alex Jones seems to have his finger on the pulse of the information better than anyone else. His website, PrisonPlanet.com contains a vast archive of documented material that is frankly quite scary to peruse. Though some might discount his personal opinions and rants as “conspiracy theories”, it is hard to dismiss the reams of information he and his team have compiled, with links to sources far and wide. Reputable sources, I might add. If you want a good feeling of uneasiness, head on over and read for a while.

Hurricane Katrina should have taught anyone looking at the government’s response to the disaster, as being the blueprint for action if we are attacked again. From confiscating firearms (they’ll get mine barrel first) to forced evacuations, it is clear that Article 1, Section 9 of the US Constitution is interpreted broadly. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 has repealed the protection of the suspension of habeas corpus from the Posse Comitatus Act, the military can now be used for imprisoning US civilians without caring about such pesky things as civil rights. The Bill of Rights is officially null and void to the view of the military when dealing with civilians. This isn’t a conspiracy theory. It’s the law. Look it up.

Naturally, such power is useless unless you can station troops within our borders for law enforcement, which the John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007 specifically does. It allows the President to declare a “public emergency” for any reason he sees fit and station troops anywhere in the US, without the consent of any local authority. It also allows the complete control of any local National Guard units. Again, no conspiracy here. It’s the law.

Everything has been put in place, one piece at a time since 9-11, to create a condition where complete military control of the nation can be had by the President. This allows the Executive branch of the government dictatorial power at whim. And America, for the most part, is oblivious.

If history has taught us any lesson, it is that power taken by government is always used. It’s just a matter of time.