Directive 51

[Mammon]

I watched this video and despite Tin Foil Hatness and the lovely little Soviet-leitmotif "Fight the NWO at the end" it does raise an interesing question about this Directive 51.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directive_51

It's a real Directive and it makes you wonder if it's going to be abused or not.

[gags]

I couldn't watch the video. What is the interesting question that they ask?

[K-Mac]

It's a real Directive and it makes you wonder if it's going to be abused or not.

While I agree this Directive leaves the door wide open for horrible abuse, I sincerely do not think Bush is going to try to make a power grab and become a dictator prior to his leaving office. What frightens me more is that the Clinton machine may have access to it.

[Mammon]

I couldn't watch the video. What is the interesting question that they ask?

If it has the potential to be abused and if Bush knows something big is about to happen.

While I agree this Directive leaves the door wide open for horrible abuse, I sincerely do not think Bush is going to try to make a power grab and become a dictator prior to his leaving office. What frightens me more is that the Clinton machine may have access to it.

Truthfully, I don't even think Clinton would have the balls, (literally) to do that. I fear more from a Republican power grab then a Democrat one. Actually, look at the three guys who are opposing this, all three are Democrats. I don't see any Republicans worried about this in the least.

I'm not going to go as far as to say that this is part of a grand scheme to take over the country or something, but as a citizen and a voter this concerns me and I wonder why it went by unnoticed by the Media and the Republicans.

[JMeganSnow]

I want to know what law gives the president authority to create these directives in the first place. Isn't just randomly assigning yourself powers unconstitutional?

[K-Mac]

I want to know what law gives the president authority to create these directives in the first place. Isn't just randomly assigning yourself powers unconstitutional?

Seems like it to me.

[Mammon]

I think the power stems from the executive orders. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_ord...nited_States%29

It looks like it's just another step in the direction of executive orders, although according to Wikipedia, it has some basis in the Constitution.

"US Presidents have issued executive orders since 1789. There is no Constitutional provision or statute that explicitly permits this, aside from the vague grant of 'executive power' given in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution and the statement 'take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed' in Article II, Section 3."

[DavidOdden]

I want to know what law gives the president authority to create these directives in the first place. Isn't just randomly assigning yourself powers unconstitutional?

The theory is that the President has the power to state more clearly what a law means or to say how a law would be implemented. Truman got in trouble for actually trying to make law. It's similar to a federal regulation: Congress passes a law creating an agency to do X, and the agency gets to write regulations that are as good as laws, withing the limits specified by the law passed by Congress. But a lot of executive orders are dubious, such as the steel-nationalization order and the Japanese-imprisonment order.

[intellectualammo]

Instead of youtubes and wiki:

HERE is the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive the White House had released to the public on May 9 2007.

Interesting, from the wiki:

"The signing of this Directive was generally not covered by the mainstream U.S. media or discussed by the U.S. Congress. While similar executive security directives have been issued by previous presidents, their texts have been kept secret; this is the first to be made public in part. It is unclear how the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive will reconcile with the National Emergencies Act, a U.S. federal law passed in 1976, which gives Congress oversight over presidential emergency powers during such emergencies. The National Emergencies Act is not mentioned in the text of the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive." (bold mine)

Edited October 2, 2007 by intellectualammo

[intellectualammo]

I want to know what law gives the president authority to create these directives in the first place. Isn't just randomly assigning yourself powers unconstitutional?

Well...read this from the Wiki, apparently:

"Presidential directives are a form of executive order issued by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the National Security Council. Because of the nature of presidential directives as pertaining to the national security of the United States, many presidential directives are promulgated as classified." (italicized mine)

Edited October 2, 2007 by intellectualammo

[Shinokamen]

Except for the fact that I had to wait 2 minutes for any real information, and all of the Illuminati stuff at the end, it does seem to be in violation of the Constitution.

I see this as a stupid attempt on Bush's part to try to reassure people that he has control. Some people would rather live in controlled safety than be free.