It's War. Are We Ready? By Andy and Berit Kjos
"I don,t think the United States understand what it,s in for. This will be a long, perhaps never ending, attritional war. Pandora,s box
has been opened, and it won't be closed again," warned David B. Anderson, an authority on militant Islamic groups. He was quoted
in a New York Times article by Philip She non aptly titled, "America Embarks on Struggle with Domestic Costs" (8-23-98).
Shenon also quoted Madeleine Albright, who said, "It,s like being in a war. I think we are embarked on a venture in which we have to
deal over the long run with what is the very serious threat to our way of life."
Indeed, it is. But is America ready to set aside treasured civil rights in order to fight this "long, perhaps never-ending" war? Are
Christians prepared to follow God no matter what happens? Could this war provide our president with an excuse to implement the
draconian measures outlined in his Executive Orders?
Two months before his missile strikes against terrorist targets on two continents, President Clinton toured China where he praised
his host, President Jiang Zemin, for his "good imagination," "vision," and "extraordinary intellect". "We're trying to build the same
kind of world in the future," he said, "and not a very different kind of world. And I hope we'll get there."
China,s leader, who is rich and capitalistic enough to fit the fascist as well as communist camp, has all kinds of enviable powers to
track dissenters, control political opposition, and subdue legal foes. Clinton doesn,t yet. But with the right kind of crisis such as
Y2K or the rising threat of terrorism could our president declare martial law and assume dictatorial powers?
Hitler did it. As chancellor, he craved total control. His opportune moment came with the burning of the Reichstag, a crisis
apparently instigated by Nazi leaders then blamed on a Communist dissenter.
President Clinton, in his speech explaining the military strikes against targets in Sudan and Afghanistan, called for "strength,
courage, and endurance." Surely the latter will be needed, for spending nearly $80 million to destroy the terrorist targets could prove
tantamount to throwing a rock into a hornet,s nest. After all, Americans provide easy targets compared to the countless, angry,
mobile, and far flung members of Bin Laden,s loose-linked network. And if Bin Laden is killed, "other, more shadowy extremists"
stand ready to take his place. (NYT 8-23-98)
"We will take our revenge against the enemies of Islam, and we will teach the children of America not to tangle with the Muslims,"
said Mohammed Khalid, one of the injured Pakistanis. "This cowardly attack will not go unpunished!" (SF Examiner, 8-23-98)
We have reasons for concern. Not just because of terrorist counter-attacks or political repercussions for what some nations see as
violations of international law and national sovereignty, but because Clinton,s kind of "war on terror" could swiftly erode what is left of
privacy and freedom in this nation. With the "right" spin, the publicity surrounding the attacks adds "the psychological dimension of
power" needed to rally the consent of the masses to unthinkable government "solutions" to the crisis.
Remember the anti-terrorist bill that eventually passed after the Oklahoma bombing? It,s power to track "suspected terrorists" (See
"Me, a Terrorist?" at crossroad.to ) pales when compared to any of the following Executive Orders which were declared
law with no reaction from Congress.
Any major crisis could authorize our president to run our nation virtually unopposed from the White House. For example,
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11051 alone gives authorization to activate all the other Executive Orders in times of increased international
tensions and economic or financial crisis. Ponder the power other EO,s would grant to our President during an ongoing crisis:
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10990 allows the government to take over all modes of transportation and control of highways and seaports.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10995 allows the government to seize and control the communication media.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10997 allows the government to take over all electrical power, gas, petroleum, fuels and minerals.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10998 allows the government to take over all food resources and farms.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11000 allows the government to mobilize civilians into work brigades under government supervision.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11001 allows the government to take over all health, education and welfare functions.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11002 designates the Postmaster General to operate a national registration of all persons.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11003 allows the government to take over all airports and aircraft, including commercial aircraft.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11004 allows the Housing and Finance Authority to relocate communities, build new housing with public
funds, designate areas to be abandoned, and establish new locations for populations.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11005 allows the government to take over railroads, inland waterways and public storage facilities.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11310 grants authority to the Department of Justice to enforce the plans set out in Executive Orders, to
institute industrial support, to establish judicial and legislative liaison, to control all aliens, to operate penal and correctional
institutions, and to advise and assist the President.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11049 assigns emergency preparedness function to federal departments and agencies, consolidating 21
operative Executive Orders issued over a fifteen year period.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11921 allows the Federal Emergency Preparedness Agency to develop plans to establish control over the
mechanisms of production and distribution, of energy sources, wages, salaries, credit and the flow of money in U.S. financial
institution in any undefined national emergency. It also provides that when a state of emergency is declared by the President,
Congress cannot review the action for six months. 1
EXECUTIVE ORDER 13010 grants the government authority to "protect" (resolve physical or cyber threats to) these critical
infrastructures: telecommunications, electrical power systems, gas and oil storage and transportation, banking and finance,
transportation, water supply systems, emergency services (including medical, police, fire, and rescue), and continuity of
government.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 13011 created a massive new bureaucracy linking all U.S. federal departments and agencies with international
and non-governmental organizations, and authorized it to manage "Federal Information Technology." (See our article at: )
Finally, if EXECUTIVE ORDER 13083 is allowed to stand, it would effectively abolish the 10th Amendment and revoke state and
local authority whenever they hinder federal regulatory goals.
Let me repeat, all our president needs is the right crisis at the right time. He may have found it in an ongoing "war on terror". If so, it
could end our freedom. As Clinton said on March 22, 1994, "And so a lot of people say there's too much personal freedom. When
personal freedom's being abused, you have to move to limit it."
The specific crisis is less important than readiness to use it for despotic purposes. In his article titled "Fascism marches again?"
James Davidson, principal of Strategic Advisors Overseas Ltd. asked, "Would Clinton declare martial law over Y2K disruptions?
Perhaps. Perhaps not. I hope we never find out. But when arbitrary power is within reach of a sociopath, anything can happen."
(Strategic Investment, 7-22-98)
Is our president a sociopath? Perhaps his use of FBI,s secret files to blackmail to intimidate critics and silence his opposition could
weigh more heavily against him than his lies and sex habits.
In an interesting dialogue reported by Mr. Davidson, former White House Press Secretary Stephanopoulos suggested that the
president would use blackmail to hinder investigations into his activities. "Are you suggesting that what they are beginning to say is
that: 'If you investigate this too much, we will put all your dirty linen right on the table?'" asked reporter Sam Donaldson. "Every
member of the Senate? Every member of the press corps?"
"Absolutely," answered Mr. Stephanopoulos. "The President said he would never resign and I think some around him are willing to
take everybody down with him." Former Clinton strategist, Dick Morris, seems to agree. According to Davidson, he claims "the
secret police" were used to dig up "embarrassing information to intimidate those witnesses into silence or to discredit them if they
went public."
Davidson ends his report with the alarming conclusion that with all the strings already in his hands, President Clinton himself may
be bound by even tighter constraints:
"Remember that Russia, like China has an effective intelligence effort directed at the United States. The successors to the KGB no
doubt have been far more effective than Ken Starr in compiling evidence of Clinton's crimes. That being likely, you can expect
Clinton to be almost as fawning over Yeltsin as he was over Jiang Zemin. I can hear him now, Russia has the right leadership at the
right time., Yeltsin has a good imagination ... vision ... extraordinary intellect.'"
Yeltsin may fade away, and Russia sink back into chaos and tyranny, but the capability of totalitarian nations like Russia and China
to pull American strings would only grow more threatening.
Long ago, the Old Testament warned us it could happen. If God,s people would obey His voice and follow His ways, He promised to
bless the people, water their fields, and make their nation the leader and lender among the nations: "And the LORD will make you
the head and not the tail."
But if they refused to listen, Israel would face drought, disease and oppression. Their beloved land would become the least among
nations a mere tail wagged by stronger tyrants: "He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you
shall be the tail." (Deuteronomy 28:13, 44)
Considering the warning in 1 Corinthians 10:11, we may be traveling the same downhill path. But God promises to guide, guard, and
strengthen those who turn to Him. It won,t be an easy path. We will need to pray that He train us in true endurance a readiness to
stand firm and full of hope in the truths of our King until His return, no matter what happens. Don,t forget, after telling His friends
about the hard times ahead, Jesus promised:
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I
have overcome the world." (in John 16:33)
<><
Andy and Berit Kjos
|
