"Obama gives himself Control over All Communications..."

[FirstLight]

This article is circulating on Facebook today, to many gasps and rending of clothes...

http://rt.com/usa/obama-president-order-communications-770/

In order to allow the White House to reach anyone within the US, the president has put forth a plan to establish a high-level committee calling from agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Pentagon, Federal Communications Commission and other government divisions to ensure that his new executive order can be implemented.

In explaining the order, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) writes that the president has authorized the DHS "the authority to seize private facilities when necessary, effectively shutting down or limiting civilian communications."

However, upon further investigation, THIS Executive Order was actually signed into Law LAST YEAR under the radar
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/06/executive-order-assignment-national-security-and-emergency-preparedness-


...so how did we collectively miss this move? Do you think it is ironic that something this earthshaking would go for a year unreported? Are these Authoritarian moves JUST coming to light now that we have ourselves really paying attention as to what the NSA and other agencies are up to?

I just wonder...how many MORE of these types of incremental "laws" have been put into place without us even seeing the blip on our collective radar...
either way, it still pisses me off, gonna have to go take a valium or something...

[WovenGems]

1. Question

If a nuclear attack was at hand and a public service message was needed then a single source to alert all is faster than dissemination to state then local stations.

[longship]

9. Just tune to CONELRAD, 640 or 1240 on the radio dial.

Back in the 50's every radio had the little Civil Defense symbols at those frequencies on the dial. A triangle within a circle.

CONELRAD

[HubertHeaver]

21. The follow-up message:

Pull down your pants. Bend over. Kiss your good American ass goodbye.

[tularetom]

2. It was the middle of a presidential election campaign

and that was the only thing our liberal media was paying any attention to.

I do think it's telling that none of the "mainstream" non tea party republicans seem to be very pissed off about all the snooping and invasion of privacy attributed to the Obama administration. Maybe that's because he's doing exactly what they would do if one of theirs was in the oval office.

[pscot]

18. They've been so eager to gin up scandals

It's surprising they haven't seized on the Snowden debacle. OTH if your enemy is busily sawing his own leg off, why interfere.

[tularetom]

20. They don't know whether to shit or go blind over Snowden

On the one hand they'd probably like to hang him for treason. That's usually their first impulse in cases like this. But they're sort of over a barrel since Obama has more or less co opted their position by taking a strong stance against Snowden's activities.

However, if they come out and criticize the actions of the administration they are more or less implying agreement with what Snowden did. And that is directly at odds with their authoritarian world view.

BTW, this only applies to mainstream "centrist" republicans, those way out on the libertarian lunatic fringe are totally OK with what Snowden did.

[fredamae]

3. It was on the radar

but it was not on MSM--that's how it "slipped by", imo.
I knew of it--and many others were aware of it also--but there were others who saw this information as Obama Bashing--and discussion was scarce.
When does the Truth become bashing someone's character?
I'm never sure of the "rules" addressing & sharing information VS BS...Not that it's easy to tell the difference these days.
Just because some don't Like "whatever it" is--does Not negate the facts around it.

[JaneyVee]

4. Now we're mad at emergency preparedness?

[FirstLight]

5. regardless of who is in office...

it's not good. ...Don't think for one minute it has to do with Emergency Broadcasts

[ProSense]

6. Here:

"regardless of who is in office... it's not good. ...Don't think for one minute it has to do with Emergency Broadcasts"

...Welcome to Obama's Amerika
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023191175

[FirstLight]

10. ...

and boy, did you get nothing but flack and mockery for bringing it up!

I guess I should just shut up and go along with it like a good Prole

[geek tragedy]

14. No, you should stop spreading Infowars/Prison Planet style paranoid bullshit.

At the very least, expect your well-earned mockery for this kind of insane crap.

[geek tragedy]

16. "don't think for one minute it has to do with Emergency Broadcasts"

Why should we believe your wild, uninformed speculation as opposed to the actual language of the EO?

[bunnies]

7. This EO is re: the emergency alert system.

Seriously.

[Scurrilous]

8. Can internment camps be far behind???

[Rex]

15. Yes, very very far behind.

We are not even close to that kinda scenario yet.

[frazzled]

11. Debunked many times here in the past days

This is standard-issue Emergency Preparedness communication stuff, which has been signed by Executive Order by many presidents for many decades, updated each time because, you know, means of communication change all the time.

Kids, don't try to read government documents by yourself, at home. You can burn your fingers.

[struggle4progress]

12. Russia Today! It's everybody's go-to source on the state of Constitutional law and US democracy!

[geek tragedy]

13. This concerns the Emergency Broadcast System. It's Paulbots and conspiracy whackos pimping

this crap.

Predictably, the "Obama is Satan" caucus here at DU is all over it like flies on shit.

[JoePhilly]

17. Good, have him call my wife and let her know I'll be late for dinner.

[FSogol]

19. Fuck Rand Paul