And for my next Act, Martial Law and Usury…and you never saw it coming

What the heck is going on, and where is Congress in all of this? Where the hell is the opposition party in all of this? Is there an opposition party?! Seeing this article on how close to Martial Law Bush has gotten us to is enough to scare me pretty good given the insanity that has taken place in this country since his taking office…

In a stealth maneuver, President Bush has signed into law a provision which, according to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), will actually encourage the President to declare federal martial law (1). It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a set of laws that limits the President’s ability to deploy troops within the United States. The Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C.331 -335) has historically, along with the Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C.1385), helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military involvement in domestic law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen, Bush is seeking to undo those prohibitions.

This is scary stuff and leads me to believe that this year’s October (or will it be November) surprise may have something to do with exercising these new found rights he has given himself. There are footnotes with links to sources that substantiate the story here. Is this really happening, are there really only two Senators, Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), willing to bring this to our nation’s attention, albeit using none of the mainstream media? And where is the mainstream press on this, shouldn’t they be uncovering this sort of thing on their own? Is this not sufficiently newsworthy to keep CNN, MSNBC, and FOX reporting on it 24/7?

In case you weren’t watching before, it’s time to wake up and fear our government more than we’ve ever feared it before.

Here’s the White House spin on this one. They’re not worried about posting this piece since most people in our country won’t read it anyway, and if it’s not on YouTube you can forget any one under 20 seeing it.

Oh, but if the story were only to stop here we could just be scared and leave it at that. It appears we also need a dose of disgust to go along with our fear. “What more could there be here?” you ask, well how’s this:

President Signs 2007 Defense Authorization Act; Caps Payday Loan Rates To Military Personnel At 36%

The rate cap was authored by Senators Jim Talent (R-MO) and Bill Nelson (D-FL). In addition to the 36% cap on annual interest rates, the amendment prohibits use of a personal check or other method to access the borrower’s bank account, or the title to their vehicle as collateral for a small loan. Congress approved the Talent Nelson amendment in September (see story).

In preparation for the new law, Advance America, the country’s largest cash advance provider, began denying access to payday loans by military personnel last month (see story).

What’s even more insane is that this article appears on the RTOonline.com (RTO = Rent To Own) which views this as a negative development (note how Advance America is no longer helping to advance military personnel, afterall, isn’t that what America is all about…sheesh ;-). Forget the fact that a 36% loan is nothing short of usury, but the fact that there’s an industry group actually bemoaning this and suggesting that there should be no limits on loan interest and that the Senate is broken because of it, means that our so-called democracy is more broken than any one realizes. Don’t forget, the people being extended these loans are members of our armed forces, those we’re supposed to be supporting. So much for the Christian way I guess.

Martial Law and usury all in one Act, is it me or is this screwing with people in every State in the Union, not just the Blue or the Red States? If a ridiculous Act like this one doesn’t help bring the nation together, then nothing will. Can you imagine Bush being called a nation builder by pissing every one off so much that they line up against him…I can dream can’t I.

Tags: martial law, usury, patrick leahy, advance america