Reply #15: This insightful comment below Naomi Wolf's blog posting DESERVES EVERYONE'S ATTENTION:

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The President of Pakistan is a dictator, true, but what about the Musharraf at home?

On May 9th 2007 George Bush signed National Security Presidential Directive 51.

The Directive says that if the President labels any event a "catastrophic emergency," he can "coordinate" an "effort among the executive, legislative and judicial branches" to narrow government for the sake of "continuity."

Unopposed, a single person who "coordinates" an entire government is a dictator.

Pervez Musharraf discussed the possibility of, in effect, coordinating all the branches of Pakistan"s government earlier this year after the Chief Justice challenged his authority. But in the words of one journalist, "the fact that the option has been used sooner rather than later caught many an observer unawares."

A few months from now will someone be saying that about Bush"s option to simplify government in America? Last week the White House said that the President is now issuing "administrative orders" to "implement policy" without legislation from Congress. The media reported and moved on. So yes, if in a few months there is a new kind of American government, many an observer and many a citizen will have been caught unawares.

Americans had better put aside ordinarily important matters like expanding health coverage for children. These are not ordinary times. With powers taken since 2001, today the President can, without a court order, read Americans" mail, listen to their phone calls, take their property without explanation and imprison them for years without charge. Bush can torture.

The Bush Presidency is itself a "catastrophic emergency." Every American who can speak should now be talking about the removal of Cheney and Bush.