George W. Bush used his failure before 9/11/2001 to seize power with the Patriot Act. Similarly, he is using his failure in responding to Hurricane Katrina to try to seize more power.
Bush wants the power to order the military to arrest people in the US. Currently, the military is barred by the Posse Comitatus Act from arresting people in the US. Changing this would negatively affect the nature of our society and the right to protest.
President Bush on Monday…raised the possibility that lawmakers might expand presidential authority to:
…Grant wider leeway for active-duty U.S. military personnel to carry out law enforcement operations.
Once the military starts arresting people in the US, it won’t be limited to natural disasters.
Protests can be declared “emergencies” for soldiers to arrest protestors if Congress changes the law about the role of the military.
What looks to me like a protest, may look like a riot to a government official.
Nor were arrests by the military needed in New Orleans. There were police in New Orleans. What was needed from the military was more food and water than they supplied.
Protests can be declared “emergencies” for soldiers to arrest protestors.
