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While you and I were asleep at the wheel, President Barack Obama, who, since becoming president has chosen repeatedly to bypass Congress and govern by executive order, signed another executive order that effectively gives him, or any other president, the authority to seize and control virtually every aspect of existence away from the citizens of the United States.

The National Defense Resources Preparedness order, as some can image, is disguised as an act to enhance this countries capabilities to protect itself through “National Defense”. It is also being shrouded in claims of “emergencies”, when in fact, no “emergency” is actually required for the president to be able to seize control over people and their assets for the purpose of “National Defense”.

Before I get into the more shocking contents of the Executive Order(EO), let me include the definition of “National Defense” as is outlined in this act:

(j) “National defense” means programs for military and energy production or construction, military or critical infrastructure assistance to any foreign nation, homeland security, stockpiling, space, and any directly related activity. Such term includes emergency preparedness activities conducted pursuant to title VI of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5195 et seq., and critical infrastructure protection and restoration.

National Defense, as the president chooses to define it, is very broad, poorly defined; not as most people might consider the classic definition of national defense.

What is it that this EO gives the president power over?

(1) the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to food resources, food resource facilities, livestock resources, veterinary resources, plant health resources, and the domestic distribution of farm equipment and commercial fertilizer;

(2) the Secretary of Energy with respect to all forms of energy;

(3) the Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to health resources;

(4) the Secretary of Transportation with respect to all forms of civil transportation;

(5) the Secretary of Defense with respect to water resources; and

(6) the Secretary of Commerce with respect to all other materials, services, and facilities, including construction materials.

If, while looking through this list, you wonder if it might include some aspect you’re not sure of, trust me it does. I see virtually no stones unturned here. This is a blatant appropriation of the American people and their property.

But let’s not kid ourselves, this power grab includes every imaginable resource available in this country. In addition, this EO grants authority for the confiscation of your property and equipment. If you own a factory, the government has the power to take it over and modify it in any fashion they so chose; all for the purpose of “National Security”. But it doesn’t end there.

Don’t miss the wording of the paragraph that leads into this list of things the government now controls:

(a) The authority of the President conferred by section 101 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071, to require acceptance and priority performance of contracts or orders (other than contracts of employment) to promote the national defense over performance of any other contracts or orders, and to allocate materials, services, and facilities as deemed necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense(emboldening is mine)

Note that this is not about executing national defense or what is necessary in time of war or national emergency. This tells us that the president can do this “to promote national defense”, as he deems appropriate. We find more references contained in this EO that tells us this has nothing to do with emergencies and/or disasters.

(b) The Secretary of each agency delegated authority under subsection (a) of this section (resource departments) shall plan for and issue regulations to prioritize and allocate resources and establish standards and procedures by which the authority shall be used to promote the national defense, under both emergency and non-emergency conditions.(emboldening mine)

All that becomes necessary here is for one or more of the assigned “agencies” to propose a “need” to “promote” national defense and the government can seize assets and equipment and the people to run them.

This EO attempts to hide behind the “National Defense Executive Reserve” as a means of recruiting labor to carry out the mission to “promote National Defense”, in addition to stating each agency has authority to “employ” laborers, it does further go on to state that implementation of the draft or some other form of enslaving labor as deemed needed.

(2) upon request by the Director of Selective Service, and in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, assist the Director of Selective Service in development of policies regulating the induction and deferment of persons for duty in the armed services;(emboldening mine)

This is what most would believe to be implementation of the “draft”. But, is it? The Selective Service and Secretary of Defense will work on “development of policies”; i.e. policies in place are subject to change under this executive order.

The Secretary of Labor, now has authority to “collect and maintain data necessary to make a continuing appraisal of the Nation’s workforce needs for purposes of national defense;” Not that our government isn’t already doing this but with a more powerful reach into our privacy, we should be now looking for more probing and demanding requirements by the government in our workplaces, all to “promote national defense”. Look for this “data” to be personal in nature and nothing to do with “national defense”.

In the past, Americans have debated items like the Patriot Act, citing whether or not it is constitutional to cede our God-given rights under the guise of national security. Of course the Patriot Act was conveniently implemented and subsequently renewed after the events of 9/11. People were led to believe we were in a crisis threat from “terrorists” and such privacy intrusion and destruction of rights were necessary and so we gave those rights away.

This Executive Order goes far, far beyond anything found in the Patriot Act. To bury one’s head in the sand and claim this is all preventive maintenance has no means of sustaining scrutiny. This EO doesn’t even leave open debate as to whether any or all of it is necessary for the protection of this country. While it mentions emergencies, it just as casually connects all actions in this order in the context of non emergencies. All that is necessary is for the president to declare an undefined, unspecified need.

But let’s not omit one extremely important aspect of the entire thing. I suppose some would find reason to argue whether or not my interpretation of the EO applies only to emergencies rather than non emergencies but what is not specifically defined in this order is what must be in place in order to implement this National Defense Resources Preparedness. Each department or agencies named by the president has the authority to declare a need. This declaration is supposed to work its way through channels ultimately to the president’s desk.

Again, we can argue as to whether or not any administration should have carte blanche authority to implement such an order but shouldn’t implementation require a certain set criteria that first must be met? Better yet, how can America even have in existence such an order that ultimately destroys what is left of the Constitution?

This Executive Order declares war upon the citizens of the United States and enacts slavery. There is something seriously wrong with the presidential privilege of executive order drafting, when something of this magnitude is foisted onto a sleeping citizenry.

And what kind of human being would sign it? Surely not an American.

*Update* March 19, 2012, 12:10 p.m.

As you will find if you take the time to look around at other news articles and blogs across the Internet, you’ll find the real problem as to why America finds itself in a situation in which with little abuse and misguided agendas, such executive orders can be implemented.

I turn to an article in the World Net Daily, in which it states:

As it turns out, Obama’s executive order is nearly identical to EO 12919, issued by President Clinton on June 7, 1994, which itself was an amendment to EO 10789, issued in 1958 by President Eisenhower, and which in fact, was later amended by EO 13286, issued in 2003 by George W. Bush.

In our own ignorance, much due to the brainwashing of our nation, we have been led like sheep to believe that many wrongs make a right. This is why we no longer abide by the Constitution. Because a bill enacted in 1950 and subsequent executive orders by Presidents Eisenhower, Clinton and Bush, were enacted and signed, is not a case to support that any of the acts were constitutional.

The WND article claims that there is no difference in the content of Obama’s executive order compared to Clinton’s and that it is only to bring it up to date with governmental organization. Both of these claims fly in the face of honesty; one that there should never have been any ruling in this nation that gives power to the president to become a tyrant dictator while enslaving the people, and second, that the only changes in the order were “boilerplate” housekeeping.

Tom Remington