Executive Order: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq:

On July 17, 2007 elected Federal Bureaucrat George W. Bush issued an executive order declaring that he and other members of the federal government have the right to seize the property of any person who undermines efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq. The vague, far-reaching language in the order does not name any specific groups that the rules apply to. This means that protester can now have their property seized for “undermining” efforts to promote “political reform” in Iraq.

The definition of undermine according to Merriam-Webster:

Main Entry: un·der·mine

1 : to excavate the earth beneath : form a mine under : SAP
2 : to wash away supporting material from under
3 : to subvert or weaken insidiously or secretly
4 : to weaken or ruin by degrees

Definitions three and four seem to be most fitting for the language of the bill — unless we are somehow “excavating earth” beneath ideas. Can protests “subvert or weaken” “economic reconstruction” or “political reform”? What about writing anti-war blogs, articles, or letters? It seems as though the answer is ‘Yes’ which means that this order is a direct violation of the Fifth Amendment:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Not to mention the First Amendment which guarantees the right to free speech. But I guess these amendments only apply when you aren’t talking about Iraq. So much for protecting unpopular speech.

Examining this and the executive order that allows Bush to declare himself dictator of the US if there is a ‘national emergency’ reveals that we are sliding down a slippery slope towards tyranny and it needs to stop. A great step towards achieving this goal would be eliminating Executive Orders all together. They give the president the de-facto authority to pass laws without proper approval from congress which seems to be direct a violation of the constitution in the first place.

Why do we even have the constitution if the bureaucrats do not need to follow it? In recent decades it has been reduced to nothing more than an inked piece of parchment with slight sentimental significance. It seems as though the people are compliant as long as they believe they are protected by the constitution. The fact that it truly means nothing anymore seems to be lost on the masses.

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