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Why Ron Paul should be President: Executive Order July 17, 2007

On Tuesday, July 17, 2007, the Executive Branch President signed an executive order that went nearly unannounced in the U.S. media, titled Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq. This order goes against Congress’ power to create new law, and is one example of the signing statements and executive orders that Dr. Ron Paul is vehemently against because it upsets the balance of powers set forth within the Constitution.

The second paragraph begins:

I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, find that, due to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by acts of violence threatening the peace and stability of Iraq and undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq and to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people, it is in the interests of the United States to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303 of May 22, 2003, and expanded in Executive Order 13315 of August 28, 2003, and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13350 of July 29, 2004, and Executive Order 13364 of November 29, 2004.

Note the type that I bold-faced. The first part says “acts of violence threatening the peace and stability of Iraq.” This sounds safe, since we believe these powers would only be used by those who perform acts of violence against the President’s desires in Iraq. But the next part is completely unbelievable: “undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq.” Undermining efforts is a very vague phrase, and one that can target almost any action that a person takes in response to the complete failure that the U.S. has on its hands in Iraq. Even speaking out against the War and the War effort could be construed as an “undermining effort.”

What is the penalty for “undermining efforts” in Iraq? The Executive Order continues:

all property and interests in property of the following persons, that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of United States persons, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense,

Here we see that the Secretary of the Treasury, in (private) consultation with the Secretaries of State and Defense, can block your property and interests in property. This means that everything you own can become State-owned without your knowledge, just for undermining efforts in Iraq. Speak your mind, lose your home, pension, stocks, bank accounts, cars and clothes.

Who is defined as covered by the Executive Order? Read on:

the term “United States person” means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States.

Yes, it means anyone who is here legally or illegally, citizen or not.

If you voted for the current administration, you have a big apology to make. You didn’t think through that violent act of voting for violence, and now you’ve put all of us in great risk. I’ll give you the chance to apologize right here, right now. If you’re going to vote again, can you at least vote for a person who has expressed as much hatred and fear of Executive Orders as I do? That person is Ron Paul. But please vote after you’ve apologized for the terrible mistake you’ve made.