Scary! - Did anyone else know about this?

[springhill]

This was posted in the editorial section, but I thought it would get more readers in general discussion. Does it even matter if Alito is on the Supreme Court now? Has Bush got all the powers he needs?

Global Eye

Fever Dream

By Chris Floyd
Published: January 27, 2006

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2006 -- Heralding a "bold new era of unity and reform" in Washington, President George W. Bush quelled a series of controversies over the limits of executive power today by signing a sweeping new measure, the Extending the Boundaries of Legality Act (EBOLA), in a gala ceremony at the White House.

The measure, passed overwhelmingly by Congress last week, acknowledges "the inherent authority of the commander in chief to take all necessary measures to preserve the security of the United States without fear of penalty or undue constraint by existing statutes, judicial rulings, foreign jurisdictions or international treaties." This immunized authority is to be exercised "at the discretion of the president" and can be "devolved upon any and all designated agents, public and private, of the executive." The act also relieves the president of the "onerous and inefficient bureaucratic requirement" of informing Congress of his actions.

P.S. Oops, guess I should have looked a little closer. Obviously, there was a reason it was called "Fever Dream". Didn't see the April 2006 date. Still, very good article.


http://context.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2006/01/27/120.html


EBOLA puts an end to a number of debates, investigations and court cases concerning such issues as warrantless wiretapping, domestic surveillance by the Pentagon, aggressive interrogation techniques, indefinite detention, "ghost prisoners," covert abduction, rendition of suspects to torture-practicing states, extrajudicial termination of "enemy combatants," no-bid contracts to politically connected firms, unmasking covert agents for partisan purposes and waging unprovoked war on the basis of manipulated and manufactured intelligence.

All of these matters have now been rendered moot by EBOLA, which formally extends "the sanctity of law to all actions, past, present and future, ordered by the president in the exercise of his full plenary powers."

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Look at the acronym for the bill

this is satire. If this bill was for real, DU would have been discussing it.

[springhill]

7. That's what I thought when I read it......

Wow, this is really big. I reacted to the contents before I even realized that this was really Bush's "WET DREAM". Sorry to have misled.

[EFerrari]

2. Also look at the date.

:hi:

[stopbush]

3. Must be a spoof. EBOLA? C'mon!

[Orangepeel]

4. it is scary when satire seems so close to real life (n/t)

[TheDebbieDee]

5. The article is dated April 17, 2006............

I didn't read all of it but maybe the whole thing is satire?

[EFerrari]

8. Or, prophecy.

:(

[buff2]

6. Dated "April 17th".....

Satire

[Greyhawk]

9. Dangerous powers in the hands of an executive

Giving the POTUS power to decide that something is "in the nation's best interest" is the most dangerous kind of power possible. Allowing him to assert that he has it is even more dangerous.

Hiding behind "I'd rather be secure... only the guilty should worry" is the exact kind of fascist argument made in Germany in 1937.