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Rantings of a Sandmonkey

Be forewarned: The writer of this blog is an extremely cynical, snarky, pro-US, secular, libertarian, disgruntled sandmonkey. If this is your cup of tea, please enjoy your stay here. If not, please sod off

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

The Communist States of America?

You know, one of the major reason why I like the USA is that one of its basic principles is property rights: The government is not allowed to seize your property without emminent domain rights. That was the most major difference to me between capitalism and communism: The government can not just take over your assets like they do in communism in the name of public good or welfare. Your property is yours, and even if they take it from you, they have to compensate you for it with its fair price. In essence, they don't rob you. That was the way the US operated before. Now, it seems things are changing: The government apparently have the power now to take over your money or any financial instrument, any goddamn time they please, as long as there was "an Emergency". But gold and silver owners aren't alone in such jeopardy. For the U.S. Government claims the authority in declared emergencies to seize or freeze just about everything else that might be considered a financial instrument. [...] While the Trading With the Enemy Act authorizes the government to interfere with the ownership of gold and silver particularly, it also applies to all forms of currency and all securities. So the Treasury official stressed in his letter to GATA that the act could be applied not just to shares of gold and silver mining companies but to the shares of all companies in which there is a foreign ownership interest. Further, there is no requirement in the law that the targets of the government's interference must have some connection to the declared enemies of the United States, nor even some connection to foreign ownership. Anything that can be construed as a financial instrument, no matter how innocently it has been used, is subject to seizure under the Trading With the Enemy Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Having just gone through a controversy about a Supreme Court decision about government's power of eminent domain, most Americans may be surprised to learn that the Trading With the Enemy Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act could expropriate them instantly and far more broadly without any of the due process extended to parties in eminent domain cases. All that is needed is a presidential proclamation of an emergency of some kind -- and of course Americans lately have been living in a state of perpetual emergency. To my American readers: Did you guys know about this? Cause I sure didn't! I don't know much, but i know this: I would call my congressman if I were you, cause this is some Communist tyrannical bullshit and shouldn't be tolerated!

5 Comments:

At 8/23/2005 09:46:00 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

No, I didn't know about it. Thanks for pointing it out. However, if the U.S. were to abuse that power I think there would be a big "blowback" from disgruntled citizens. Congress would be forced to do something, just as they are now being pressured to do something about the ridiculous eminent domain decision the Supreme Court came down with last month.

Anyway, I am glad our Egyptian compatriots in blogging keep us US guys informed about what is happening in our country.

 
At 8/23/2005 10:38:00 AM, Blogger programmer craig said...

What really surprises me is the source of these movements, SM. Too many people on the far right want the government to have WAY too much power!

 
At 8/23/2005 01:02:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes.

That's why we don't claim safety deposit box expense on our tax returns.
SK

 
At 8/24/2005 03:23:00 AM, Blogger The Sandmonkey said...

Gary, Lol

It is becoming a much smaller world, isn't it?

What can I say, i follow US news very closely.

As for the blowback, in a time of declared emergency, who knows what will the reaction of the people be? So far I expected a much bigger uproar over the emminent domain thing yet there seems to be nothing. No real outrage or anyone championing the cause, u know? I don't know why not, even though this is a no-brainer republican issue and one that is not polarizing at all. Hmm...

Oh well...

 
At 8/24/2005 03:24:00 AM, Blogger The Sandmonkey said...

PC,
I know, it's weird, isn't it?

 

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