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The Election That Might Not Happen
It's springtime in American politics. It's only early March, but there's a giddy, hopeful feeling to this election season, a sense that new leadership is blossoming. We could have a Democrat in the White House next year. But winter isn't over yet and we need to balance our hope with a little fear. In 2000 Bush and Cheney stole the election in Florida. In 2004 they played dirty tricks in Ohio. In 2008 could they go one step further -- and suspend the election altogether?
The necessary architecture may already be in place. On May 4 last year, the White House issued the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, key parts of which remain classified and hence shrouded from public view. The directive outlines procedures to respond to a "catastrophic emergency," defined broadly as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions." Of course previous administrations also had emergency plans. But the Bush directive transfers power from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the White House, where the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism is assigned the job of "National Continuity Coordinator".
The unclassified part of the directive reveals little about who would have the authority to invoke emergency powers during a catastrophe. Nor does it refer to existing laws, such as the National Emergencies Act, that establish congressional checks on the executive's power to impose martial law or other extraordinary measures. Its wording is ambiguous - the directive shall be implemented "consistent with applicable law," without making clear which laws are "applicable". "The Bush legal team has pushed a controversial theory that the Constitution gives the president an unwritten power to disobey laws at his own discretion to protect national security," writes Charlie Savage in the Boston Globe. He quotes legal specialists who describe the vagueness of the new directive as "troubling".
Also troubling is the Department of Homeland Security's $385 million contract awarded to Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root in January 2006 to build temporary detention facilities. According to a Halliburton press release, the contract provides for augmenting existing immigration detention facilities in the event of "an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs." It also includes the development of a plan "to react to a national emergency, such as a national disaster." Construction would commence only after an "emergency" is declared. While immigrants appear to be the main target, one cannot rule out the possibility that the detention centers could be used as holding pens for dissidents during a proclaimed emergency. Recent crackdowns on illegal immigrants have included military-style night raids on homes and factories. Are we getting softened up for the expansion of police state tactics?
But perhaps the most important card the Bush administration holds in its deck is a stacked conservative majority on the Supreme Court. In 2000 the Court turned a blind eye to the theft of Al Gore's electoral victory in Florida. Should we expect better today? Just last month the Court refused to review the ACLU's legal challenge to the Bush administration's warrantless electronic surveillance program. Can we depend on the Court to challenge emergency rule and a suspension of elections?
Even with this architecture in place, the Bush administration would need a trigger to declare a state of emergency. One can imagine several possible scenarios:
War with Iran - unfortunately, not so far-fetched. The National Intelligence Estimate released in December concluded that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program back in 2003. But when have Bush and Cheney ever based their foreign policy decisions on evidence? Moreover, the most important reason they want to attack Iran is to control the flow of oil through the Persian Gulf, nukes or no nukes.
The assassination of a presidential candidate. Obama evokes memories of JFK and Martin Luther King. The bullet could come from a lone racist, a terrorist, or an agent of a state. The threat is real. The Secret Service knows it and so should we.
A terrorist strike, on the scale of 9/11 or worse. Again, not so far-fetched. Bush and Cheney have been Osama bin Laden's greatest recruiters, making the U.S. appear to be the enemy of millions across the world. Al Qaeda may consider that regime change in the U.S. is not in their interest.
With the right spin, any of these events might be construed as a "catastrophic emergency."
These worst-case scenarios probably will not come to pass. We'll probably all be able to sleep peacefully in our beds in the early hours of November 5, after watching the election results on TV. The value of worst-case scenarios lies not in their accurate prediction of events, but rather in what they tell us about the risks we face. We shouldn't let hope make us naíve. We need to be alert, our vision razor-sharp. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. It could be the price of elections, too. Let's not count our spring flowers before they bloom.
199 Comments so far
Show AllAs we have heard today, someone set off a "toy" bomb in front of a recruitment center in NY, thus ratcheting up the FEAR.
There is a good chance that with some more "terrorist" incidents that the election will be canceled and the shadow government will kick in with Darth Cheney and Shrub heading to bunkers(or warm tropical islands) to run this country into the ground, watch on tv and chuckle. They didn't set up things the wy hey did to sit back and watch Obama or Hillery take over.
Food stocks(grains etc.)which used to be a year or two's worth are said to be only 2 months now. Better stock up and get some ammo while your at it(Dear of course LOL!)
I still think the election would go ahead, terrorism would be used as a threat to lower the already low turnout of the electorate. Which would favour the diebolding of the results and a Mccan torturous presidency.
What we have in America now is leaders that are Benedict Arnolds and guilty of the highest treason to the country we all love, so I agree, we need to be especially vigilant and nothing would surprise me.I look for a false flag terror attack on America, but I sure hope like hell that I am wrong but like Betsy says:" we shouldn't let hope make us naive.
the seeds for this scenario were certainly planted. But I don't think its necessary to acomplish their goals. Since they control the elections and the outcomes why would it be? Everything can go on with normal appearances. Really doesnt matter what body is in the Whitehouse, didnt matter when Ike was in Reagan, or GWB. You really don't think the brain damaged Bush has really performed any form of public service do you? You can't convince me that a man that cannot string enough comprehensive words together in order to communicate a dinner order is actually in charge of anything. Anyway I digress, point being I don't think they meed to suspend the elections.
If the administration cannot produce evidence of a definate terrorist attack in the planning, and there is an attack, it means the various security agencies are asleep or purposely looking the other way.
Everybody needs to read this link. This sounds exactly like today. So guess where we're headed. Coolidge actually placed a lot of this in action. Hoover was blamed for the Great Depression because he was in office even though most of the economic problems was created by Coolidge. It destroyed the Republican party for 20-30 years. The next President will be blamed the next economic crash which will happen during this next term. The American people have short-term memories, so they WILL be blame the next President whoever that may be -- and the party in power will be blamed.
http://www.gusmorino.com/pag3/greatdepression/
Guarded optimism is a good thing. Hope for the best, be prepared for the worst. It's no stretch for me to conceive of an imposition of marshall law precluding an election, but would we, the people, really stand for it? I don't think so, and I also think the neo-cons know this, and so the notion of suspended elections is highly unlikely. At the same time, it would be irresponsible to dismiss it as impossible, and so it does make sense to at least discuss it. Be prepared.
My sentiments almost exactly.
The pool is still open on when Bush will declare martial law under directive #51.
I hate to be alarmist, but the little bomb at the Times Square recruiting center tells me that the stage is being set and I see the possibility of more small scale things like this happening. As far as an assassination goes, why wouldn't they? It's not like it would be beyond their capabilities.
I've considered this scenario a strong possibility for years. Can anyone conceive of Cheney just letting go? Maybe, as the article postulates, McCain is malleable enough for Cheney, and his "election" would be allowed.
One major gripe - the supreme court did not "turn a blind eye" to the theft of the 2000 election. They took their blindfolds off and participated in it. For a body that is stacked with "State's Righters" and virtually never finds in favor of the Federal Gov't vs a State Gov't to overrule Florida's full recount law and then dictate that their tortured ruling was a "one-time-only" deal, NOT to be used for precedents, is beyond suspicious. With Alito and Roberts added to that already criminal gang they are as anti-American a body as the US faces in the world today.
Cheney and his puppet Bush, and Scalia and his puppet Thomas, are the most dangerous people this country has ever faced. They are enemies of the state.
I think the 11 March 2004 Madrid bombing, three days before the Spanish general election, is what we need to be looking at.
Remember: Bush's ally (and business partner/friend to Miami Cuban Right-winger Jorge Mas Santos)Jose Maria Aznar was quick to blame the bombings on the ETA (Basque separatists) before there was any investigation. And the US introduced a resolution condeming the ETA in the UN Security Council immediately thereafter. Anti-ETA sentiment would certainly have swayed the electorate to the right, guaranteeing Aznar another term.
Socialist Zapatero won the election not because the Spanish are so inclined to socialism (the civil war divide still runs deep in that country), but because the electorate was outraged at being lied to once the real perpetrators became known.
We all ought to be rereading Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale ... the set-up to the theocracy was Muslims shooting up congress. "Or at least, we were told they were Muslims ..."
The election will happen. Bushie is tired.
Seriously, what does "be prepared" mean in this case?
The only thing I can think of is to publicize the details of the danger of a fake crisis and martial law so people will not be so easily stampeded. Then population may be activated to pressure the few remaining vertebrate politicians, boycott goods, stop paying rent, taxes, cable and phone bills en masse, call general strikes and do other things that will cut into the corporate profits and isolate the fascists from the ordinary exploiters.
More people than ever are paying attention to this election. We have to talk with those new voters about the danger of elections being called off. Also, get them to replace some of the octagenarians who currently inspect polls to cut down on fraud.
Good article on the Great Depression atruepatriot - thanks for the link. So many parallels to today.
I did not know the supreme court of 1923 ruled a minimum wage unconstitutional; it was not until 1938 and Roosevelt's 2nd term that we got a MW - 25 cents an hour for those worker who qualified.
I hate to say it, but I've been saying this for months in these posts. And now that McCain has reached the finish line and isn't waiting to choose his VP because "we have a big fight ahead of us and we'll need all the help we can get" (or similar words), so the scene will be set for the two to be crowned. I've also been saying that the puppet doesn't want to stay - he'd rather be cutting brush and chuggin.' So he'll just appoint them, as is his imperial right. Who's going to stop any of it?
As an observer of the present administration (as all of the rest of you are) I've been warning friends and family about this possibilty for a long time. One point to ponder regarding the implementation of martial law and the supreme court; Even if the Supreme Court back handed the administration with a judgement of unconsitutional it would not make any difference. This Mafiosi cabal has disregarded any law and does whatever it wants to. And; it also has a huge private army (Blackwater et al) to back them up.
Golddogs is right. Stock up now. Oh by the way, ammo costs are on the rise.
Congress can stop the evil-doers in their tracks by upholding the United States Constitution and taking immediate steps to impeach those in power who have committed crimes against American citizens, and humanity in general. It is the only way to begin to restore order, real security, and confidence of citizens and those around the world.
Fear is the mind killer. Plant your garden, store your food, have the extra. But don't let stuff like this eat away at you. People have been talking about this and bombing Iran for 3+ years. It does get people foaming at the mouth! FEAR is the MIND KILLER!
I have heard this scenario before. It would be one sure way to ignite a revolution from the right and left. The Republican party would be finished forever. If this lunatic is this far gone, it will just be another nail in his coffin and completely destroy his political party once and for all.
The idea came to me a few weeks ago that McCain might "decide" to keep Cheney on as his VP. I posted this idea somewhere, asking if the VP is limited to terms as the president is, but then so what if he is. In the context of what we've seen for seven years, that little matter can be stomped on too.
We mustn't forget those Blackwater mercenaries who aren't answerable to anyone as well. They'll for sure be called in to "keep order" when the time comes.
I DO HAVE HOPE! If I didn't have that to keep me reminding myself that I'm probably just "catastrophizing," as my daughter used to call my wild imagining, again, I'd probably take a flying leap off a cliff somewhere.
"Food stocks(grains etc.)which used to be a year or two's worth are said to be only 2 months now. "
Is this really true?
I'll be impressed with these election predictions when someone backs it up with a substantial sum.
"President" McKeating will be installed on schedule.
And he'll be a place-holder, just like the current guy.
Suspension of elections is a little drastic ... the sheep might notice.
None of what's happened happened without the dems consent, including the election in 2000.
Its clearly the repubs job to whip this nation into a pitiful mass of helpless citizens while they all rip the entire nation off.
An election doesn't matter anyway. Its all about the money and power.
The Democrats are complicit in the appointments of Roberts and Alito. They pretended to believe the lies of the candidates that they were moderate. Nothing in their histories would indicate that. They could have stopped those appointments, and I can't figure out why they chose not to, unless, as some have suggested, that Bush has been spying on Congress from the beginning and had enough dirt on them to keep them in line. In which case we have a dictatorship with only one branch of government. The unitary executive.
I have reflected on the behavior of Pelosi and Reid, and it seems to me that when nothing makes any sense until you consider blackmail and then everything falls into place, we need to take a hard look at that. I considered them to being beholden to corporate interests, but their collapse at Bush's feet is far too extensive to be covered by that.
I would say our country is in serious danger from within and it starts at the top. This theft was planned from the beginning and there was no way to stop it. Nader made no difference in 2000, and even if he had gotten twice the vote he did, it would have made no difference. I knew it was over when I saw the returns calling it for Gore, and the camera showed the Bush family sitting together with smug smiles on their faces, totally unperturbed. I knew they had something up their sleeve, but at that time, I didn't know what. "What" turned out to be Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris who were not going to let Gore win Florida under any circumstances. Anyone remember James Baker and the Republican congressional staffer "goons" flying to Florida and rampaging the Florida elections offices, stopping the recount? And where were the police, who are supposed to restore order? Not there. The whole country just sat and watched like nothing out of the ordinary was happening. What if it had been a bunch of "hippies"? The country would have been screaming its head off demanding action.
kathyodat
wilmoor, McCain can't afford to have Cheney as veep. Two old goats about to croak?
kathyodat
Betsy, a very fine and long-overdue-on-commondreams article. Thank you for putting it together and spelling out the real reality behind the make-believe democracy that accomplishes the Insiders agenda at the Outsiders expense.
I only have one objection. When you talk about Bin Laden and Al Qaeda you sound like you actually believe that myth too. Oh, please. The same people who stole the White House twice also told us within three hours of 9/11 and with no forensic evidence at all -- not even an investigation -- that they knew exactly who did it, why they did it, and what was to be done about it: an endless "war on terror."
Let's get it straight. We are living in The MATRIX and we need to break out. Go to www.sillyConValley.net to find out how Her Highness Technology has placed us all in Her sights.
There are any number of issues that could be made to flare up as an "October surprise." I don't suppose the anti-war movement is making any contingency plans for this?
This article is paranoid humbug. The coupe has already happened. It took thirty years, and was started by Reagan. Bush finished it in 2000 with the help of the US Supreme Court.
Ironically, the only group I know who has successfully stood up for "rights" is the NRA (National Rifle Association).
You may argue about the "rights" they have stood up for, but their methods have proved to be very effective. To bad that the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) has not employed the same effective tactics to preserve our other rights.
There is an important distinction between stealing an election (or two) or staging a domestic false flag terror operation to galvanize public opinion on one hand, and cancelling an election on the other. Elections (or the appearance of free elections) confer legitimacy on our "democratically-elected" leaders and the political class generally. Cancelling an election (as opposed to postponing on pretext of an emergency) would undermine the leaders' own standing and power. Power is what they're after. They are just going to hold their nose and back McKeating.
RichM: Excellent post. I agree that since both parties are bought and paid for, the whole election process is a fascade to keep the masses dumbed down. The analogy I would use, is a horse race where all the horses are owned by the corporatocracy. Unless the corporatocracy is threatened they do not need a false flag, which even though it is an oxymoron, is good news.
I keep hearing this and I keep thinking its total bull.
The people who really run this country could care less whether its a George Bush puppet or a Hillary puppet or an Obama puppet in the White House. All are their willing servants, none of these are any threat to the existing power structures.
Now, if were talking a Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich campaign for President that was threatening to win. Or if something like a Cynthia McKinney Green Party campaign was threatening to win, then you might see this.
And remember, canceling the election runs the real risk of waking up the American sheeple to the fact that they don't live in a free democracy any more.
So, this election is well under control for the power that be. They are very, very happy. Look at the Wall St money and other big corporate money that's flowing into the Obama campaign. They are all happy campers right now. So there's not a chance that they'll risk waking up a sleeping American citizenry just to keep a cowboy puppet in the White House.
Besides, just look at Bush. His face just screams that he's tired of this job. He's about the last person that would want this to continue past Jan 20. He's never had a job in his life that's made him work, so he just wants to quit and go home.
some time this month the new york subway system is going to start having daily "antiterror" patrols- heavily armed special police with bomb sniffing dogs patroling the subways. and "heavily armed" means submachine guns. they will travel in units of six,(or more if you count the dogs) one dog handler, one sergeant and four special unit police officers in kevlar helmets, heavy bullet proof vests, and carrying the submachine guns... combine this with the "violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism prevention act" and everything that everyone else is writing here - it doesnt look good.
It might be paranoid...but if the false-flag suitcase nuke gets detonated between now and the election, and Directive #51 declares Cheney dictator for eternity, don't say nobody warned you.
MisoPretty: ""As far as an assassination goes, why wouldn't they? It's not like it would be beyond their capabilities."
Let's not forget Paul Wellstone.
Don't fall into the "framing" of fear. Everytime the Republicans try to scare the wallets out of us, just acknowledge their fears, put them in perspective, then talk about a peaceful strategy for victory.
You people don't get it...they want the mass of people on this planet DEAD.
No more competition for the putting greens, tee times, Big Game fishing spots, roadways, gas, oil, Beluga Caviar, etc.
They want you DEAD.
I have long been anxious about the detainment centers. I called Senator Susan Collins two years ago(R-Maine)office and asked about them. Some twentysomething told me it was all about immigration, but not really real, or something like that. I do believe the elites want the Big Show, Kabuki Theatre to go on. I got pulled in with Obama, the longing for change after seven horrible years. What concerns me the most is the bone-chilling spectacle on 60 Minutes last sunday. It was an Infomercial for the "Ray Gun". It frightened the shit out of me! It's capable of cooking people from the inside out with a microwave friggin machine and it can be a mile away to do it. They say there is no permanet damage, just a lot of pain which causes people to flee. People can be herded like cattle. Uh....so there goes peaceful dissent, folks. Are they planning on rolling it out during the conventions for a test run, get it ready for martial law? I also, though, agree with turnoffthetv that I need to do just that because it really does ratchet me up. More than anything I want to take my young adult daughter out of the country in late August, get my financials accessible out of America (like the rich folk do - I live on $14,000 a year)and be away from what I fear coming. But, also, I believe the words written by another poster above that the elite will manage this all without martial law, just to keep the country's serfs calm. And that's much worse. Bye Bye American Freedom, it was good to know ya. We haven't been free for many years, and that's such a shock when that realization sinks in. It's very hard to be young right now, I think.
"While immigrants appear to be the main target, one cannot rule out the possibility that the detention centers could be used as holding pens for dissidents during a proclaimed emergency. Recent crackdowns on illegal immigrants have included military-style night raids on homes and factories. Are we getting softened up for the expansion of police state tactics?"
Yes
Hmm, let's see...
Stole three elections, deliberately ignored scores of pre-911 warnings and intel in hopes of ushering in the arrival of the publicly wished-for "new Pearl Harbor," lied to New Yorkers about health hazards, illegally invaded two countries killing and maiming and poisoning millions, outted a CIA NOC agent destroying 20 years worth of anti-nuke proliferation work, renditions, torture, stole trillions worth of present and future US wealth, illegally rigged the Justice Department against all who aren't "with them," abandoned New Orleans, put hundreds of thousands of private soldiers on the Fed payroll, and have declared themselves immune from all known laws in the universe.
Anyone who thinks that something as easy as blowin' a few things up here and there in order to create a "state of emergency" would be a stretch for this ruthless gang doesn't remember White House staffers starting a Cipro regime before the still-on-the-loose "Anthrax Killer" just happened to score a few wins at such a coincidental moment in history.
Like the Loonitary Decider said this week re: his illegal occupation of the Oval Office:
"It's been a fantastic time."
Maybe The Bush Empire has something up their sleeve who knows. All I know is if the country finally stops the fear mongering and steps up to the plate and votes Democratic we will have our country back. There is a significant difference and a lot at stake. If the entire nation votes Democratic the Republicans can't swing the election, even Karl Rove knows this.
magikpowerwoman: "It's very hard to be young right now, I think."
I think you're making a big assumption about the young in this country. You're assuming that the young know and care about the things you know and care about.
The elite have been slowly taking control of the education system in this country, much like they've taken control of everything else - politics, media, religion, agriculture, the military ... you name it.
Thanks to these elites, the young are blissfully ignorant and happy to be controlled. Being controlled is only hard when you don't want it.
Sadly, too few of the young want to take control of their own lives. Most of them have bought into the subliminal message, "Resistance is futile."
COMarc March 6th, 2008 1:52 pm
"Besides, just look at Bush. His face just screams that he's tired of this job. He's about the last person that would want this to continue past Jan 20. He's never had a job in his life that's made him work, so he just wants to quit and go home."
I don't think Bush is tired of the job. I think he's scared. He knows he is responsible for yet another failure in a long list of failures and wants out of town before the sh#t hits the fan.
Lobo Gris
Thanks "iowairish" for remembering Paul Wellstone, whose strange death in an extremely unlikely airplane crash has never been properly investigated.
The mainstream media have made "conspiracy theory" into a kind of swear word. "Put on your tin foil hats and investigate whatever." So let's just assume that Bush/Cheney wouldn't conspire about anything.
There's a good discussion of Wellstone's plane and pilots, and the weather at the time of the crash here.
At the time of the crash, Wellstone had just pulled ahead of Coleman in the polls, and IMHO he would have filibustered every attack on the Constitution that the ass-hole Republicans tried to carry out during the next six years, if he had lived.
Why would our petro/military industrial masters bother to formally declare a coup d'etat? They already have dictatorial executive power (habeus corpus and posse comitatus have been trashed and universal eavesdropping is assumed), a rubber-stamp laegislature that would be the envy of any other fascist regime, a totally submissive and self-censoring press and an essentially hypnotized (lumpen?) proletariat. Why would they need to prick that bubble of fantasy, our national consensus that we are the most perfect embodiment of democracy in the world? What is the need to underline what already exists?
Personally, I think that those who call the shots are pretty hot for the election. If they can only maintain the illusion that the economy is just in a bit of a rough patch for another year or so...
I saw this quote on the DailyReckoning today, and would like to drop it in as an illustration..
"The credit collapse recession is grabbing all the headlines now, but in six years, when Barack Obama appears on TV wearing a sweater, with a new batch of government solutions to the $600/barrel oil price, will we even care?"
I do believe that those who call the shots would like to see Bush swagger into the sunset before they pull back the curtain to reveal the smouldering crater that is the current economic mess. Certainly, they'd like to blame the very messy bits on the Democrats. And lookee lookee, what have we here, it was a female or a coloured man that caused all that suffering.
Support Ron Paul so that people will have a chance to see some candid photos of that smouldering crater before it can be blamed on someone else.
I sure hope we don't have "Failure-To-Connect-The-Dots II."
The Adams White House was burned down by the British. Did we suspend elections then?
Golddogs is right. They either want to milk us or slaughter us. Take a hard look at the Bilderberg group. Chaney wants to establish not just the present corporate fascist state--that's just a means to an end. They want a politocracy. Like a dictatorship, but more savvy, sinister, and subtle.
heres another Wellstone crash discussion.
http://www.apk2000.dk/netavisen/artikler/global_debat/2002-na1103-ftw_wellstone_crash_eng.htm
interestingly it also mentions:
"From a historical standpoint Democrats are twice as likely to die in air crashes as Republicans. Frequently, those who have died were known to have been either involved in the investigation of covert operations or to have taken highly controversial positions in opposition to vested government interests." [references given]
THANK YOU, Betsy Hartmann for a great piece addressing what I've been too afraid to say out loud!
From Golddogs "They didn't set up things the wy hey did to sit back and watch Obama or Hillery take over."
EXACTLY.
And they didn't build all those detention centers and pass those hideous directives in the middle of the night for nothing. We are dealing with a violent and criminal and SICK mentality. These people are in 'lust' with violence and destruction. Yes, I believe they do want to severely decrease the population to realize their 'dream' (nightmare for everyone else).
I can't help it. With every month that goes by, I feel we are getting closer and closer to their sick 'surpise'.
They killed 3,000 of their own citizens on 9/11 just for all this. They don't blink at other people's deaths. They aren't going to walk away and go anywhere until they FINISH.
I have to believe, though, in the force of Good. And I believe it to be more powerful than the force of evil. Whatever happens, I plan on resisting with peaceful non-cooperation. You can't think about what will happen to you, you just have to do it.
As Gandhi said, "Non-cooperation is an attempt to awaken the masses to a sense of dignity and power..."