Enabling Act

Oct 27, 2006

Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past;
for human events ever resemble those of preceding times.”

Machiavelli; 1469-1527 Italian Political Philosopher

History is repeating itself right before our eyes. The present administration, either deliberately or by strange coincidence, is following a blueprint conceived by Hitler and the Nazis seventy-five years ago … and it’s working again.

In the 1930s, the Reichstag (German Parliament), met in Berlin to consider passage of an act that would put an end to any semblance of democracy in that country, and establish Adolf Hitler as an absolute dictator. It was given an innocuous title of “Law for Removing the Distress of the People and the Reich”, but became known as the “Enabling Act.” Today, we have a similar law in America known as the “Patriot Act.”

As the above quote states, we can foresee much of the future by learning from past happenings. If we use that historical knowledge, we’ll quickly learn that we must not only be vigilant about our freedoms, but must always be ready to take action to defend them. Is America willing to stand up to the growing tyranny of our own government? So far, no, even Congress has withered under the lies, propaganda, intimidation, and fear of the last few years.

Compare Hitler’s “Enabling Act” and today’s “Patriot Act” and see what similarities exist between the two, then see what lies down the road we are traveling with this law that “protects” our security. In March of 1933 Germany’s Parliament met to consider passage of the harmless sounding Enabling Act. (Governments always seem to give deceiving laws titles that make people think it is in their best interest.) Only five days after 9-11, a draft of the flag-waving bill known as the Patriot Act was rammed through Congress, and passed, in the “best interest” of American citizens.

Nazi storm troopers surrounded the Reichstag building in which the vote was taking place, and were even standing in the aisles staring menacingly at anyone who disagreed with Hitler. Here, Ashcroft told the Senate Judiciary Committee that if they weren’t “with us, you’re against us,” and declared anyone who disputed the bill to be “unpatriotic,” which quickly spooked Congress into passing the ill-named act.

Hitler made a speech before the vote, assuring the Reichstag that he would use “restraint.” History, of course, proves otherwise. President Bush promised America the expanded powers would be used only to fight terrorists and not include innocent citizens. That promise immediately went by the wayside, as the domestic spying case readily demonstrates.

The Nazis created a crisis to make the new law seem necessary in order to restore stability, by burning the Reichstag (the seat of German government) themselves, which caused mass panic. They then blamed the event on a handy Communist and claimed they needed the new law to fight this evil. The events of 9-11 created the crisis needed to pass the freedom eliminating Patriot Act, giving the president and his administration greatly expanded police powers, the “tools” they need to fight terrorism. Some people speculate the bill was already drafted, and 9-11 was a handy excuse to present it to Congress for passage. As we have since seen, the expanded powers have already been abused by our government, circumventing of both the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Both the German Enabling Act and our present Patriot Act quite legally tear down the established democratic process, and pave the way for a takeover of the respective governments. Out of cowardice and fear, the Reichstag became little more than a rubber stamp for Hitler, much as Congress has presently become for the President.

Historically we fought two wars in which our very existence as a nation was seriously in question, those being the Civil War and World War II. In both cases Congress pretty much allowed the President to fight the war as he thought best, but in neither case did Congress give up their authority to oversee the presidents actions. In comparison, today’s Congress appears to be stumbling all over themselves in handing the president total control over the government and our citizens. After crushing Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, then facing down the Soviet Union in the Cold War, I rather doubt a handful of disgruntled terrorists pose that much of a threat to our national existence!

The President has the legal authority, in the event that Congress declares a State of National Emergency exists, to order nationwide Martial Law. Such an order would effectively suspend the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Congress, along with all civil law and government. The only authority would be the armed forces and military law, with the commander in chief, the President, in charge, and answerable to no law or other authority. It hands the president total control of everything and everyone in the nation, to use in any manner he deems necessary, for as long as he feels necessary, ruling by decree under the provisions of laws that allow the issuance of “Executive Orders”. The only way out of that quagmire is if the president, from the goodness of his heart I suppose, declared the emergency over and restores civilian authority.

Can you spell D-i-c-t-a-t-o-r ???