The Path to Tyranny

Member Group : Guest Articles

Call it "fear-mongering", call it "paranoia", call it what you will – but the March 16 Executive Order issued by President Obama, innocuously called National Defense Resources Preparedness, should be understood by every American as the most recent example of Presidential overreach since the inception of the Constitution. And, in light of past power antics by the Obama Administration, it is perhaps the most dangerous step taken by the current administration to move this nation in the direction of dissolution of the union and civil war.

Sound extreme? Perhaps. Yet the realities evident in the Executive Order makes it very clear that Obama is laying the ground work and creating the infrastructure which may lead to the implementation of the consolidation of powers under the Presidency.

Granted, the current Executive Order is arguably a reworking and updating of similar orders dating back to the Eisenhower Administration, and authorized by the Defense Production Act of 1950. Sycophants of the President and political-establishment types will dismiss any angst of the current Order as "extreme" except for one small problem: this Executive Order – just like its predecessors – does not guarantee the rights of the citizens of the United States against abuse of these powers, especially since the Order and the Act authorize implementation during peacetime or war.

For the Constitutionalist and political reformer both the Act and the Order are an inherent threat to American liberty because they delegate powers to a specific individual without regard to the rights of the people or the respective states. Indeed, every aspect of life in the United States – from farming to manufacturing – becomes subject to centralized planning, rather than the American people determining for themselves how they shall succeed and how they shall live.

It is understood that during times of genuine national security – such as experienced during World War II – it may become necessary for the federal government to make excessive demands on the economy to ensure successful resolution of the crisis, but under no circumstance can such demands result in the infringement upon the rights of the people. For the most fundamental principle engraved in the heart of every liberty-loving American is the yearning to live free – without a bureaucrat or central planner dictating how to live their lives.

Yet, while the original Act and subsequent Orders may have been well intentioned, the ugly reality is that neither the Act nor the Order have any authority in the Constitution. For where can it be found that Congress has the power to delegate to the President the authority to manage every aspect of American life, especially in peacetime? Where is it written that the President should wield power far greater than ever allocated to him in the Constitution? Where does the authority exist that permits Congress to cede over to the Executive Branch powers and rights reserved to the people? Where does the President get the power to absorb upon himself the rights of the people?

What makes the current Order so suspect is the fact that President Obama has redefined ‘national defense’ in such broad terms that the President could use any excuse to impose a state of martial law upon the country. Should not every prudent American maintain a healthy distrust of a government in general, and a President in particular, who grasp for themselves so much authority in a nation built upon the concept of individual self-determination?

Further, should President Obama –or any President – declare a national emergency for the entire country in the event of singular event that does not directly impact the entire nation, is it not reasonable to presume that there will be push-back from individual States and regions? Will those States and regions that reject confiscation of resources or equipment become subject to military occupation, or, worse yet, para-military management by the Department of Homeland Security?

Like it or not but President Obama has not created the unifying ‘hope and change’ so heavily promised in 2008. If anything, between the failed $80 billion ‘stimulus package,’ the forced passage of ‘Obamacare,’ the spiraling national debt, and the constant printing of money by the Federal Reserve, Americans have become even more divided in their convictions on the direction of the country. And when a people have become so deeply divided in their convictions, how can anyone expect a declaration of national emergency by a President distrusted by half of the population not to be greeted with suspicion and resistance?

Many years ago, armed representatives of the government arbitrarily gunned down Americans in order to enforce mandates by the Executive, and Americans were justifiably outraged by the incident. It became known in the annals of history as the Boston Massacre, and demonstrated the degree to which the British government was willing to go to enforce their power.

How, then, will this generation respond to the egregious actions authorized by President Obama in preparation for nationalized martial law? Will the American people roll over and permit this President to pave the road for an Executive Officer under the Constitution to mutate into an Imperial Presidency? Are Americans willing to sacrifice their liberties for the convenience of some temporary security?

May God save these United States – Heaven knows we’re going to need the help!

####