Hyperbole has its uses. Often points are scored in courtrooms, on televisions, and national debate through the use of hyperbole.
Only by writing, have I fully come to appreciate its usefulness. The effect of such comes not from what is said, but from the thought process that goes through each listeners head as they try to decipher the irrationality of what they have just heard………..Often through that analysis, they make some neural connections that are often quoted as “thinking outside the box…..”
It is unfortunate that in this case, my title is not hyperbole. It is my response to this, which I picked up from a link on Delaware Liberal…..
I have to admit, even though I try to use clean language when I write, when I read this my bowels rolled over and I even said “Oh shit. Here it is.” For amongst ourselves we have been talking about the repeated tendency of our president to laughingly consider himself as a king. And as we did, all of us knew in the back of our minds that the only real rational for such unconstitutional actions was for them to actually think………. that they would someday become one…………
Many of our generation were never schooled in the classics. As one who sprinted through two years of Latin, I would highly recommend that the reading in Julius Caesars’ own words, his argument for the replacement of the Roman democracy with the instillation of himself as its dictator, be required reading for all members of all democracies.
Fortunately today we do not all need to know Latin,…… for the same argument is dramatically portrayed in the last three episodes of the Star Wars Trilogy. The Dark Side is among us……………………………
But this recent executive order scares me…….. for next comes the assassination of our Jedi knights and the heartless slaughter of their future generation……………………….
I am no Jedi knight, but I may have to become one after this..
From the executive order signed days ago……….
I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, find that, due to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,..I hereby order: all property and interests in property of the following persons, that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of United States persons, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:(for) any person..undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people.
If one assumes the language is English and that the words therein have the meanings associated with those defined by dictionaries of the English language, then as someone who is adamantly against the Bush Iraqi Oil Grab, I am one of these, I am included. So are most of you…….
So is Dennis Kucinich, Olympia Snow, Joe Biden, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi…….all of us who protest not the war, but it’s failed policy, are in the same boat, for according to Republican Sen. Bunning of Kentucky, anyone who opposes the war, is in effect giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
Despite the reality that the opposite is true, as Dana was quick to point out here, that it is really the policy of George W Bush that has banded and bonded disparate groups (united by their hatred of both al Qaeda and the US) to “GET US OUT OF IRAQ“, ………. under the language of this order, even poor June and Rebecca Young, who have eloquently spoken against the war, are now like Will Smith and Gene Hackman,……………. enemies of the state.
And should we, as patriots, decide to help our friends and neighbors after their bank accounts have been frozen and assets devoured, we too stand on the wrong side of this capricious Ministry of Magic.
Sec. 4. I hereby determine that the making of donations of the type specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303 and expanded in Executive Order 13315, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 1 of this order.
To our representative E-ZPass Mike Castle, Republican of Delaware: Our sincere thanks for your silence in support of the dissolution of what was once considered the greatest nation to have ever existed on this planet……….May future generations show you mercy and spare you the infamy that has hitherto, been previously reserved for Benedict Arnold, Judas Iscariot and Pontius Pilate……….
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July 20, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Bush is the King. We are now either his loyal subjects or enemies of thr state. « DelawareLiberal.Net
[…] Kavips blogs the most recent Executive Order. […]
July 20, 2007 at 10:22 pm
Tyler Nixon
Bush may well be setting the stage for 7/4/1776 – Round 2. His police-state prefatory executive orders are about as realistic as his view of Iraq and the rest of the planet.
His twisted, fantasy world view of his own power and stature are as distorted as his belief that he can assume more and more illegal power with impunity.
This country is already near a boiling point with that craven no good son-of-a-bitch. If he ever pulled some nutjob martial law deal he would finally face the wrath of the American people that his insular little Cheney-controlled bubble has apparently convinced him he is immune from. He has been spared the justice he truly deserves because most Americans respect our institutions, even when occupied by Satan’s very own agents.
All I can say to this lunatic Bush is : put it on paper all you want, W. Good luck to you if it ever comes down to brass tacks…..if you comprehend my gist. There are many of us out here who know our rights and more importantly that they come from the Maker, not from any document and certainly not by your grace, buddy.
July 21, 2007 at 7:32 am
David Anderson
I read a have the order. Am I missing something or are you paranoid? I vote for paranoid. This is an order to stop people who are funding the terrorist who are blowing up school buses. It has absolutely nothing to do with people who criticize the rebuilding effort.
The reports of my death are greatly exagerated.
I am glad that the left is finally concerned about the war and emergency powers act. An executive order is only binding upon government employees and not criminally. We can not rule by executive decree. It is time we return to a constitutional understanding of executive power. Unfortunately we have been doing this type of imperial decree for 70 years.
July 21, 2007 at 1:18 pm
kavips
I too have read the order. Are you partisan or are you nuts? I vote for partisan.
This order is NOT specifically designed to stop people who fund the terrorist. If it were, it would have been much more specifically written. It intentionally is too open.
The President has access to the best legal advice on the planet. So why then is the language broad and sweeping, if it was not done so intentionally? Under the wording of this law, it can be used against anyone who says the war is a bad idea…………
Surely you Republicans are not plain stupid? Example: Tell me this precise language was not done on purpose?………”to pose a significant risk of committing, an act.. that ha(s) the purpose or effect of:
(A) threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq; or
(B) undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people;
Then, apply this comment from the very person who will make the determination of who or who isn’t a threat, should the Secretary of Defense be unavailable…………….”.Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, reinforces enemy propaganda”
Are we not to assume that “reinforcing enemy propaganda” also threatens the peace or stability of Iraq”? If it does, …….bingo!
As a citizen of the United States of America, it is my concern that perhaps ones partisanship may obscure from them, the reality that their party’s leadership is: nuts….
Smile.
July 22, 2007 at 8:25 am
David Anderson
What a leap in assumptions– Kavips says” Are we not to assume that “reinforcing enemy propaganda” also threatens the peace or stability of Iraq”? If it does, …….bingo”. I guess this is like everyone’s library records being studied by the FBI because of the Patriot Act. A figment of an over active imagination.
You know that no court would interpret an executive order that does not even target protest to do so because it would violate the 1st amendment. An executive order does not even apply against American citizens unless they are government employees.
Yes, I am a partisan and proud to be one. I believe it is a good thing to stand by those who are defending American freedom and prosperity. I will stand on that side everyday of the week.
July 22, 2007 at 2:03 pm
kavips
Welcome back. Upon reading your comment it appears that you missed something major in mine. Perhaps the spacing was confusing. Just in case other readers had the same impression, I must reiterate it once more.
We were talking before about how the executive order applies to me, (and bloggers like me)…………..And we are using the Administration’s circular logic…..not mine……..
The Executive order specifically directs the Secretary of Treasury to freeze all assets of anyone who poses a significant risk of committing an act that has the purpose or effect of threatening the peace or stability of Iraq.
You imply,”That has nothing to do with Americans. Someone is being paranoid”. And I respond with, “Or are they? ……”
For the next in line to the Secretary of Defense says ”.Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, reinforces enemy propaganda.”
You seem to joke that connecting “criticizing the war” and “reinforcing enemy propaganda“, is being paranoid. And I respond not according to the Undersecretary of Defense…….He seems to think that criticizing the war has ‘the effect of threatening the peace and stability of Iraq.”
Therefore, in plain step by step logic, anyone who publicly discusses the withdrawal of troops, can have their assets frozen………..it is there for all to see in the words of our president himself
As for your snark about investigating library records…….surely you jest…..Of course as a strong supporter of this administration, what do they have to fear from you? You defend everything they do. As for me it is different. Sources tell me that my records have been requested by Washington. Were they lying? It was all hush hush so I don’t really know. But I got a heads up and made sure I had some good pro-republican writings on the record as well. When I asked how often such requests were received by one library, I was told about thirty a week. So based on my experience, on this one topic you seem to be misinformed.
Finally, you discuss the “courts, as if with this administration they were relevant. This administration insists that they are above all that, and as Dick Cheney told Harriet Myers, this administration does not have to testify to Congress or anyone, for they have “executive privilege.” Apparently you seem to be under the illusion that such executive orders must pass court muster before they can be effective. They don’t. That is why they are called Executive orders. Congress is the only one authorized to make a law which can then be sent to the courts to be judged as constitutional.
As always I am thankful you are a partisan. For if you truly want to make a difference in defending America’s freedom and prosperity, join us in impeaching this administration, and enable your party to return this nation to where freedom and prosperity reign once again……For if one sincerely decides to invoke the spirit of the founding fathers, and defend America where truly it needs to be defended, right here at home from this administration, then turn around. I am standing right beside you……………………..
July 23, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Anon II
These ‘executive orders’ and other ‘royal decrees’ are the reason I am opposed to so-called ‘gun control.’ The U. S. populace is armed to the teeth and, therefore, Tyler’s reference to 1776 is a viable course. Remember to old saying: ‘If we don’t hang together surely we will be hanged separately.’
July 23, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Anon II
These ‘executive orders’ and other ‘royal decrees’ are the reason I am opposed to so-called ‘gun control.’ The U. S. populace is armed to the teeth and, therefore, Tyler’s reference to 1776 is a viable course. Remember the old saying: ‘If we don’t hang together surely we will be hanged separately.’