On May 4, 2007, President George W. Bush signed an executive order that could ensure that he won't have to relinquish office in 2009. Or he could just deliver a dictatorship into the hands of a future chief executive.
The official name of this charming order is the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive(specifically, NSPD-51/HSPD-20). NSPD-51 didn't receive any coverage in the mainstream media-in fact, it was only discovered when the unclassified portion was posted on the White House website on May 9, with no further announcement or press briefing.
According to NSPD-51, in the event of a (loosely defined)"catastrophic emergency," the president can literally take over all government functions and direct all private-sector activities to ensure that the US emerges with an "enduring constitutional government." How the government is supposed to remain constitutional in the face of the de facto dictatorship and abridgment of the separation of powers that NSPD-51 would deliver isn't addressed in the language of the directive.
"Catastrophic Emergency" is defined as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the US population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions."
Even more frightening, there is no requirement that the president submit to Congress a declaration that such a state of catastrophic emergency even exists: NSPD-51 can be implemented without Congressional approval. Of course, since Congress would also be directed by the president, why should they be bothered to approve his right to rule?
NSPD-51 apparently supersedes the National Emergencies Act, a US federal law passed in 1976, which actually charges Congress with oversight of presidential emergency powers.
Conspiracy theorists who have speculated that the Bush administration won't be giving up the reins of power so easily come Jan, 20, 2009, argue that NSPD-51 could set the stage for the cancellation of the '08 presidential election, or serve to justify a suspension of the transfer of office from Bush to the new president-elect.
For all those people counting down the days and hours to Bush's exit, that would be a major disappointment, to say the least. Until then, we'll all just have to hold our collective breath in the hope that no such "catastrophic emergency" comes to pass.
Mark Miller~High Times~October '07
