Political Crossfire Forums

[Cricket]

That could be very difficult. Mainstream media hides more than it reveals, and lies more than it tells the truth. You could go to that link and look up the purported camps in your state and then go for a ride and check it out yourself. Palast Charged With Journalism In The First Degree might qualify in your opinion. I don't know. Check it out.

Ok, here's one from Indymedia. You will notice that FEMA is to handle dissenters.

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/09/324432.shtml

[the donnybrook]

I did some very shallow research on this issue, the FEMA camps seem to be geared more towards creating work camps for those currently in the federal prison system and those awaiting deportation. The need for these camps would seem plausible if ICE were to begin the kinds of massive detainment and deportation procedures this plan seems to portend. The aspect about political dissidents is more than unnerving, but this appears to be based on conjecture. The mass of executive orders give these concerns credibility, but these orders are usually limited in their scope since, someone correct me if i am wrong, these orders usually only apply to the executive branch as an agency.

As far as FEMA is concerned, congress supposedly has the ability to create administrative agencies under the necessary and proper clause combined with the taxing and spending power. How far this goes, though, is something that hasn't been tested legally. All congress has to do is pass a law stating its intention to provide federal assistance to states after natural disasters, and the necessary and proper clause kicks in to let them regulate how the program is administered. These agencies have become enormous, adding to the bloat of the federal government, something that was probably never contemplated by the drafters. So the constitutionality of the program is presumed for the moment but seems yet untested.

[bigstick61]

But where in the Constitution does COngress get the power to give such aid to the States in the first place? There is no authorization whatsoever; the power simply does not exist. Therefore, since this power does not exist, the others being discussed cannot exist via the necessary and proper clause.

[Cricket]

Thanks, guys. I, personally, don't think it is constitutional---either as an agency of rescue or an agency of imprisonment. But that brings up a really good point. It is billed as a rescue agency, but operates as a prison agency. At least that explains why some of the Katrina victims were treated as detainees, not victims. I doubt anyone finds such deception constitutional.

Furthermore, I have a REALLY big problem with the executive branch making laws. And the judicial branch, as well. It's as if all of our branches have morphed and the law making (legislative) branch does little more than write checks.