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Eliminating the 1st Amendment?


by: Todd Hill

Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 00:55 PM CDT


Yesterday, yet again with no fanfare, President Bush signed an Executive Order entitled “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq.” 

The real eye-catcher is in the first section:

I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, find that, due to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by acts of violence threatening the peace and stability of Iraq and undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq and to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people, it is in the interests of the United States to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303 of May 22, 2003, and expanded in Executive Order 13315 of August 28, 2003, and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13350 of July 29, 2004, and Executive Order 13364 of November 29, 2004. I hereby order:

Section 1. (a) Except to the extent provided in section 203(b)(1), (3), and (4) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(1), (3), and (4)), or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the date of this order, all property and interests in property of the following persons, that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of United States persons, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense,

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So does that mean as activists against the war living in the United States that we as individuals are obstructing “the peace and stability of Iraq and undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq and to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people,” as this Executive Order clearly states?  Because we are against this illegal and unjustified invasion of a foreign country, want our men and women to come home and stop policing a civil war, and redeploy a limited amount of military power to focus solely on combating terrorism, that we are obstructionists? 

If I interpret this correctly, considering it is rather broad (on purpose), the Secretary of Treasury has the authority to seize the assets of any United States citizen that our government feels is interfering with reconstruction and reform of Iraq. Sounds like with this Executive Order the 1st Amendment of the United States is dead. 

Remind me again what country we are living in?



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ATTN: Please Forward to Mr Rick Noriega (1.00 / 1)
Hey Guys,
I have sent this letter to Rick and he has not responded. I know he is a busy man and with this in mind I know you might have a better opportunity to reach him and ascertain an answer. The way it is right now with the unwarranted censorship at DU and the broadcast potential it wields it is irresponsible to censor due to political discourse or conflicting view point. We already can see WATT a little bit of influence and power has done just think if they really did get in a postition of power?

Dear Rick,

On the www.hcdp.org website it defines the Democratic Platform and the basic inalienable rights. Given the internet was inconceivable at that time, but given that we do have it now, the fact that it is a very tangible means of exercising our first amendment liberties and the phasing out of hard copy documents, what is your position on internet censorship in the form of political message boards and blogs?

  We believe every Texan has inalienable rights that even a majority may not take away, including, the right to vote .the right to fair and open participation and representation in the democratic process .the right to privacy.

What kind of legislation and law do you expect to arise in the next 6-10 years?

Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.


This also has to do with the 4th Amendment (5.00 / 1)
the "Search and Seizures" provision. Looks to me like "any person"--ie, ANY PERSON--can get their assets taken away if the Bush administration thinks they should.

France is lookin' really good right about now...


habla espanol? (0.00 / 0)
Cuba's closer and if this persists it'll be six over here, half a dozen over there.

Seems like our founders had some idea about what our right, our duty in a situation of tyranny is.

That's right: revolution.


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