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Star Wars Politics - Lessons Learned File

HungryJoeHungryJoe
edited May 2007 in Politics
This is not a crazy conspiracy theory. This has happened. On May 9, GWB released the National Presidential Security Directive and the Homeland Security Directive, giving him the powers of a Dictator/Emperor in the event of a "catastrphic emergency", meaning

*snip*

. . . “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 function.”

This could mean another 9/11, or another Katrina, or a major earthquake in California, I imagine, since it says it would include “localized acts of nature, accidents, and technological or attack-related emergencies.”

*snip*

Who gets to decide whether an event or condition meets the definition? GWB, of course. Does this sound like a good idea to anyone? Does it sound familiar? Remember Attack of the Clones? Bad movie, simplistic plot, but good message - you shouldn't trust a megalomaniac with expansive emergency powers.

Read this article as well and then tell me why I shouldn't be worried.
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Comments

  • AndrewAndrew
    We aren't building some sort of clone army in Antarctica, are we?
  • HungryJoeHungryJoe
    edited May 2007
    God, I hope not. But with GWB, you never know. It might be an army of his human/animal hybrids.
    Post edited by HungryJoe on
  • AprecheApreche
    There is only one reason you should not be worried. That reason is that worrying isn't going to help the situation. The only effect worrying can have is to make things worse.
  • ChurbaChurba
    edited May 2007
    We aren't building some sort of clone army in Antarctica, are we?
    Well, America isn't......*Checks up on National claims to Antarctica*

    Edit - From BoingBoing
    One thing I never understood about the AT-ATs: if they've got AT-ATs, why do they need the Death Star? After all, the AT-ATs make it clear that when the Empire finds the Rebels, they can handily kick their asses. A Death Star is like a giant, inaccurate, indiscriminate AT-AT. The Empire doesn't have a firepower problem: the Empire has an intelligence problem. It can't locate the Rebels. The Death Star won't improve their intelligence-gathering. Using the Death Star to kill Rebels is like nuking Iraq
    Post edited by Churba on
  • JasonJason
    edited May 2007
    Death Star = No problems with insurgency (at least in theory, excepting only a small one-man fighter craft and Bothan spies).
    Post edited by Jason on
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    Such things have become a necessary evil. Under our current system the loss of Congress would result in a paralyzing of our government.
  • HungryJoeHungryJoe
    Such things have become a necessary evil. Under our current system the loss of Congress would result in a paralyzing of our government.
    So we should have a king instead?
  • JasonJason
    This is a very difficult one. Certainly, there exists the possibility of grand-scale disasters wherein we can't afford to wait for the legislative process. The trouble is drawing the line between necessary and unnecessary emergency expansion powers, and how to limit their duration/use.

    Another perspective: If you look at many of the Congressional records from during World War II, it became clear the FDR was using Congress as a bunch of rubber-stampers, and that in many cases they looked the other way when FDR wanted to carry out some action outside of his presidential authority.
  • HungryJoeHungryJoe
    Another perspective: If you look at many of the Congressional records from during World War II, it became clear the FDR was using Congress as a bunch of rubber-stampers, and that in many cases they looked the other way when FDR wanted to carry out some action outside of his presidential authority.
    Pretty extraordinary claim . . .
  • ErwinErwin
    Wow, I thought Bush was more like Jar Jar Binks, after all the Emperor did decieve him in order to obtain ultimate power. Even though Ja Jar is smarter than Bush :P
  • AlexAlex
    Such things have become a necessary evil. Under our current system the loss of Congress would result in a paralyzing of our government.
    A event that kills five hundred people is considerably less likely than one that kills only one. A distributed system of government is far more fault-tolerant than a single ruler with expansive powers, not less so.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    A event that kills five hundred people is considerably less likely than one that kills only one. A distributed system of government is far more fault-tolerant than a single ruler with expansive powers, not less so.
    This is true, but what do you do if it happens?
  • AtheriShadowAtheriShadow
    How many conspiracy nuts creamed their pants over this, I wonder?

    Although, every news story like this does seem to push them back over the line from "crazy" to "reaching quite a bit". Next they'll be bumped down to "just exaggerating". What then, Internet? What then?
  • RoosterRooster
    Uh oh. This means that if anything big happens, and I mean REALLY big, it's going to effectively be Katrina all over again, but on a national scale. The government wasn't designed to be able to handle this sort of thing. I'm not sure if this falls under the "Implied Powers" clause. Again, all I can say, is uh oh.
  • JasonJason
    Ironically, the federal government was formed to ONLY handle these types of things. A liberal use of the ever-famous Elastic Clause has allowed it to do everything else.

    I hope this sentence makes sense. I've been drinking. Oh lawd.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    By "Elastic Clause" I take it you mean the "Commerce Clause"?

    Not that would be a great Thursday show!
  • AndrewAndrew
    By "Elastic Clause" I take it you mean the "Commerce Clause"?

    Not that would be a great Thursday show!
    No, actually he means the Necessary and Proper Clause.
  • rhinocerorhinocero
    In the enumerated "Powers of Congress" (article I, Section 8) the eighteenth clause says "to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper" for performing the duties of congress.  Since pretty much the beginning of the country under the constitution this clause has been used to justify many, many things which otherwise would not be considered federal jurisdiction - for example, Alexander Hamilton's creation of a national bank.
  • Hitman HartHitman Hart
    Congress has also found much use for its power over interstate commerce
  • Void DragonVoid Dragon
    I had a very nice rant here on the succession order, but the website dumped it twice, and I refuse to retype it a third time!!!

    GO TO CBS AND HELP SAVE JERICHO
  • tuttle88tuttle88
    Your missing the main lesson learned from Star Wars. its ok to make out with your sister as long as you don't know she's your sister.
  • JasonJason
    Here is an interesting look at political structures in the Star Wars universe. The author has some apt comparisons between the Empire and Rome.
  • AndrewAndrew
    I had a very nice rant here on the succession order, but the website dumped it twice, and I refuse to retype it a third time!!!
    Thats happened to me quite recently as well...
  • tuttle88tuttle88
    I had a very nice rant here on the succession order, but the website dumped it twice, and I refuse to retype it a third time!!!
    Thats happened to me quite recently as well...
    CENSORSHIP! OMG!
  • AndrewAndrew
    CENSORSHIP! OMG!
    Oh fuck, it's the Illuminati.
  • tuttle88tuttle88
    CENSORSHIP! OMG!
    Oh fuck, it's the Illuminati.
    Or the Freemasons, or the Jews. Or the Illuminati Freemason Jewish Communists!
  • StarfoxStarfox
    This reminded me of an epic post.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    I always wondered about those freaky couples where the guy dressed up as Luke and the girl as Leia...
  • HungryJoeHungryJoe
    By "Elastic Clause" I take it you mean the "Commerce Clause"?

    Not that would be a great Thursday show!
    No, actually he means the Necessary and Proper Clause.
    I SAID that in the Thursday Show Ideas thread. You guys don't read anything I say. :(

    Actually both of those clauses were used to justify most if not all of the new deal structure Jason seems to find objectionable. The spice must flow. . .
  • SymmetrySymmetry
    I'm pretty sure people were complaining about Clinton doing the same thing wth FEMA. Nothing new under the sun.
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