Pres. Could Seize Radio, Internet, under New Exec. Order
http://www.progressive.org/pres_could_seize_radio_internet_new_exec_order.htmlPresident Obama continues to plan for emergencies in a way that aggrandizes the power of the Executive Branch. Back in March, in a creepy executive order, entitled National Defense Resources Preparedness, Obama authorized the President and cabinet officials to take over crucial aspects of the national economynot only during emergencies but also in peacetime. Then, just 10 days ago, on July 6, Obama issued another executive order, entitled, Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions.
The order says this is pursuant to section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S. C. 6066), which states, in part:
Obamas executive order authorizes the heads of Homeland Security and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to make recommendations to the President on how he might enforce that 1934 law. It also empowers the head of Homeland Security to make sure, in conditions of crisis or emergency, that the executive branch maintains priority communications requirements through the use of commercial, government, and privately owned communications resources.
Does this mean the President can grab hold of the radio dial and the Internet?
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teddy51
(3,491 posts)popularity if tried something like that. US citizens would never sit back and let something like that happen, they would actually leave AI and act, I think.
Chef Eric
(1,024 posts)And what about the "style" of the next President? Or the President after that? Or the President after that? Do you want ANY President to have the power to commandeer the nation's radiowaves?
muriel_volestrangler
(101,361 posts)How do you claim this EO is different from previous EOs that refer to the 1934 act?
Or is it that you've always objected to the 1934 act?
roseBudd
(8,718 posts)That is what the creation of the internet was initially for
ramps down the crazy on this (no direct answer to the complaints in the link)
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/ndrp.asp
muriel_volestrangler
(101,361 posts)The only mention of "priority communications requirements" in the Executive Order is:
(e) satisfy priority communications requirements through the use of commercial, Government, and privately owned communications resources, when appropriate;
It's not associated with "in conditions of crisis or emergency" (though that phrase turns up elsewhere in the EO 4 times). Notice it's not actually about 'grabbing hold' of anything; it's about making sure the government can satisfy its requirements. If you're paranoid, you think this means the evil government is coming to seize your frequencies; if you're normal, it means they'll pay for it, or make sure the Emergency Alert System still works.
If there is something in the EO that is significantly different from the situation before it was issued, then the author ought to do soem damn work and tell us what, rather than picking phrases out at random and claiming this is a power grab.
Here's the 1984 version, for instance:
...
Is capable of satisfying priority telecommunications requirements under all circumstances through use of commercial, government and privately owned telecommunications resources;
http://www.ncs.gov/library/policy_docs/eo_12472.html