This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
Remember last year's Swine Flu "threat." The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic affecting "as many as two billion people (over) the next two years," calling the virus "unstoppable." It was falsified hype. Yet, on April 26, 2009, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a "Determination that a Public Emergency Exists," and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano "issued a public health emergency declaration" on April 27.
Then on October 24, Obama declared a "National Emergency with Respect to the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic," although none existed. Though none of what was feared happened, it gave Washington, state and local governments unprecedented power to order mass inoculations, those refusing subject quarantines, fines, or imprisonment.
In June 2010, S. 3480: Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act was introduced, referred to committee, approved unanimously, but so far not enacted. Called an Internet Kill Switch bill, it empowers the president (on national security grounds) to shut down the Internet, disconnect its networks, and force web sites, blogs, providers, search engines and software companies to "immediately comply with any (DHS) emergency measure or action," or face fines or closure.
In other words, on the pretext of a national emergency, true or false, the Executive may shut down the media's last free and open space, quashing First Amendment freedoms, Obama in May 2009 saying:
"In this information age, one of your greatest assets - in our case, our ability to communicate to a wide range of supporters through the Internet - could also be one of your greatest vulnerabilities, (adding that) America's economic prosperity....depend(s) on cybersecurity, (at the same time claiming) Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups (might) unleash a cyber attack on our country (by) a few key strokes on a computer - a weapon of mass destruction."
The Kill Switch threat remains, perhaps only after declaring a cyber emergency. Anyone disobeying will be fined or imprisoned, even if no danger exists. It shows presidential excesses greatly imperil our freedoms, a risk always to remember and fear. Here's why.
National Emergency Powers
In August 2007, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) prepared a "National Emergency Powers" report for members of Congress, explaining what can be used in times of "crisis, exigency, or emergency circumstances (other than natural disasters, war, or near-war situations)."
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
2
2
2
