Quo Vadis

Mojo is unhappy!

Why, you may ask, is Mojo unhappy?

Mojo is unhappy because he is now learning of Executive Order: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq which expands the President's ability to simply seize property of anyone who publicly disagrees with his Iraq policy.

No, really... it's all right there, go read it. I especially like this part:

"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.

Sec. 5. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that, because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render these measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303 and expanded in Executive Order 13315, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1(a) of this order."

Allow me to translate this for you.

If the President or his flying monkeys decide someone is "interfering" with Iraq policy, by perhaps being too loud publicly, then they can, without prior notice or any due process for the accused, freeze their assets and take their stuff.

And if you are unfortunate enough to have been dealing with that person, or perhaps you just gave money to that person or that person's group, then you are also subject to forfeiture.

As a quick aside, I am also highly displeased that I had to learn about this from some arch-paleo-conservative Reagan-administration aparatchik... why is that?!

This goes straight to the heart of what we've been posting for the last couple of weeks, starting with Hebisner asking if Maximum Leader or Big Time are really planning on leaving in Jan. 2009.

These guys ask essentially the same question, framing it in frighting terms; either they are perfectly content to watch the GOP implode right in front of them for another 40 year run on the back bench, or they have something else in mind.

As we have observed again and again, one simply cannont go wrong taking a long position on the venality, mendacity and utter contempt this administration has for the workings of the Republic.

And these guys should know, they worked for Ronald Reagan... so when they say "something is in the wind," that gets me more than a little curious...

The legislative pieces are in place... even that odious little bit in the 2008 Intelligence Authorization bill granting plenary police powers to the protective services of the CIA and NSA is back again...

So I guess we can only say "Quo Vadis?"

mojo sends