The greatest threat to our liberty is not terrorists - but Washington DC! Opinion by Chuck Baldwin.

President Obama Establishes "Council Of Governors"
By Chuck Baldwin
January 19, 2010


This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2010/cbarchive_20100119.html


The White House Office of the Press Secretary released a report on the White
House web site titled "President Obama Signs Executive Order Establishing
Council of Governors." According to the press release, "The President today
[January 11, 2009] signed an Executive Order establishing a Council of
Governors to strengthen further the partnership between the Federal
Government and State Governments to protect our Nation against all types of
hazards. When appointed, the Council will be reviewing such matters as
involving the National Guard of the various States; homeland defense; civil
support; synchronization and integration of State and Federal military
activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest
pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support
activities."

According to the report, the Council will be composed of "ten State
Governors who will be selected by the President to serve two year terms . .
. Once chosen, the Council will have no more than five members from the same
party and represent the Nation as a whole."

The press release also states that "Federal members of the Council include
the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant
to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, the Assistant
to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security
Affairs, the U.S. Northern Command Commander, the Commandant of the Coast
Guard, and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. The Secretary of Defense
will designate an Executive Director for the Council."

As with most Presidential Directives or Executive Orders that have the
potential to swallow our liberties and expand federal--or even
international--police powers, the mainstream media conveniently fails to
inform the American people as to what is happening. Such is the case with
Obama's EO establishing a Council of Governors (COG). Therefore, it is left
to independent writers to issue the alert. Thank God for the Internet!

As with any expansion of the federal government, this new Council of
Governors needs to be monitored very carefully by freedom lovers. One blog
rightly noted that the COG "clearly represents another assault on Posse
Comitatus, the 1878 law that bars the military from exercising domestic
police powers, which was temporarily annulled by the 2006 John Warner
National Defense Authorization Act before parts of it were later repealed."

Another blogger wisely stated, "As with most government powers, there is
always the potential for abuse. In this case, there is cause for serious
concern because every bit of this entails expanding traditional Command in
Chief powers to the DOD [Department of Defense], spreading troops around the
US (potentially not American troops at that . . .) and deciding who has
ultimate tactical command over reserves and Guard in the event of
'emergencies,' terrorist attacks, or natural disasters."

Actually, this EO is simply the latest in a series of events going back to
the Bush and Clinton years, in which the federal government has taken steps
to lay the foundation for extensive military police action within the United
States.

Back in 2008, retired lawman Jim Kouri wrote, "In a political move that
received little if any attention by the American news media, the United
States and Canada entered into a military agreement on February 14, 2008,
allowing the armed forces from one nation to support the armed forces of the
other nation during a domestic civil emergency, even one that does not
involve a cross-border crisis, according to a police commander involved in
homeland security planning and implementation.

"It is an initiative of the Bi-National Planning Group whose final report,
issued in June 2006, called for the creation of a 'Comprehensive Defense and
Security Agreement,' or a 'continental approach' to Canada-US defense and
security.

"The law enforcement executive told Newswithviews.com that the
agreement--defined as a Civil Assistance Plan--was not submitted to Congress
for debate and approval, nor did Congress pass any law or treaty
specifically authorizing this military agreement to combine the operations
of the armed forces of the United States and Canada in the event of domestic
civil disturbances ranging from violent storms, to health epidemics, to
civil riots or terrorists attacks.

"'This is a military plan that's designed to bypass the Posse Comitatus Act
that traditionally prohibited the US military from operating within the
borders of the United States. Not only will American soldiers be deployed at
the discretion of whomever is sitting in the Oval Office, but foreign
soldiers will also be deployed in American cities,' warns Lt. Steven
Rodgers, commander of the Nutley, NJ Police Department's detective bureau."

See Kouri's column at:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8551

Of course, the groundwork for this US-Canadian agreement occurred in 2002
when President G.W. Bush created USNORTHCOM. For the first time in US
history, an entire Army division has been tasked with "homeland defense
efforts and to coordinate defense support of civil authorities." (Source:
USNORTHCOM official web site) Plus, The National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008, which passed with almost unanimous bipartisan support,
and was signed into law in January 2008 by then-President Bush, required the
implementation of the COG.

Then, in June of 2009, USNORTHCOM sent a legislative proposal to Congress
requesting "amending Title 10 of USC, expanding the Secretary of Defense's
powers to mobilization of the Army Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Navy Reserve,
and Marine Corps Reserve to assist civil authorities in disasters and
emergencies . . . 'thus enabling a truly Total Force approach to disaster
response.'"

See the full report at:

http://tinyurl.com/cog-history-connect-the-dots

Matthew Rothschild at The Progressive penned, "The Pentagon has approached
Congress to grant the Secretary of Defense the authority to post almost
400,000 military personnel throughout the United States in times of
emergency or a major disaster."

Concerning this, David Mundy at the Texas National Press commented, "If
granted, the move would further erode the authority of the states and would
minimize the role played by the states' militia . . . in handling domestic
issues.

"More ominously, nothing in the Pentagon's request specifies that the troops
to be posted in U.S. cities would necessarily be Americans."

The report notes that in September of 2009, USNORTHCOM released its 32-page
initial framework for the "Tri Command," referring to NORAD, NORTHCOM, and
Canada COM. It is noted that while NORTHCOM and Canada COM are national
organizations, NORAD is set up as a binational force.

It is largely understood, therefore, that the Council of Governors has been
established for the purpose of getting the governors' blessing on this newly
accumulated power. In other words, the COG is Assistant Secretary of Defense
Paul Stockton's effort to establish a liaison between the governors, DHS,
DOD, and the National Guard.

Of course, as the report suggests, what is not being disclosed is what
powers will be conferred upon the 10 gubernatorial council members and what
authorities they will be required to cede to the federal government.

Anyone who is not concerned about the ever-increasing encroachment of
federal power upon the states and citizenry at large is either not paying
attention, or is already a slave at heart. Instead of worrying about whether
a gubernatorial or State legislative candidate is a conservative or liberal,
Republican or Democrat, we need to be focusing on whether or not our State
governors and legislators have the historical and constitutional acumen and
resolve to resist the current dismantling of State sovereignty and personal
liberty being orchestrated by this federal leviathan that is known as
Washington, D.C.

We can survive hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, looters and thugs,
blackouts, and even Muslim terrorists. What we cannot survive--at least not
without great cost and effort--is tyranny at the hands of our own
government. In this regard, our greatest threat is not foreign terrorists or
natural disasters; our greatest threat is Washington, D.C.

So, while DC has an eye on this new Council of Governors, you'd better keep
an eye on your governor as well; and keep the other eye on what's left of
your liberties, because if those federal foxes come in the middle of the
night and run off with them, it will be your governor that opened the door.

*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these
editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by
credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/donate.php

(c) Chuck Baldwin

19/01/2010

 
 
Insert key words to search our site and archives






















'...let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.' Amos 5:24
Amos 5:24

© Copyright 1995-2024 Designed by www.visual-craft.com
visitors counter
11884788