Martial law is not as simple or as straightforward as it is often portrayed. Its extent and severity with respect to the suspension of constitutional rights and civil liberties can vary widely. It is important to understand that not every emergency declaration or disaster will lead to the end of our freedoms as we know them. However, it is equally important to know that the government really does have the ability to make us all subjects of the state with the swipe of the pen. At the end of the day, we are at the mercy of our governors, the Congress as well as our President, and all it takes is an excuse to alter the course of our lives.
Military Control
There has never been a time when the US Military has taken total control of the country. However, during the Civil War, national martial law was declared, and the military was given extreme powers in terms of law enforcement. However, habeas corpus and most constitutional liberties were exempted from that declaration, which meant that basic freedoms were preserved. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, martial law was also authorized at the federal level. The government in Honolulu was taken over by military leaders who exercised a broad range of violations of basic civil liberties including the seizure of property and detention of civilians. The well-known Japanese internment camps on the US mainland is another example of the broad authority that the government has over the American people.
There are plans in place as well as training courses that military officers attend in order to prepare for the eventuality of military rule in the United States. Topics include the policing of streets, establishment of checkpoints, searches and seizures of property as well as the detention of civilians without due process. Much of this authority stems from the Patriot Act, but this has been part and parcel of governmental planning since the Cold War era.
State Governments
We hear about governors declaring states of emergencies all of the time, calling in the national guard and imposing curfews in crisis hot-spots. Most of these happen following major disasters or episodes of civil unrest, and most powers that have been given to control citizens have been used with great restraint. However, there were times during the civil rights movement and Vietnam War protests where governors actually replaced entire elected governments with appointees. This also recently happened in Michigan when the governor took over towns that were facing financial insolvency during the economic crisis.
Setting Precedents
All of these events have established precedents and tested legal boundaries that impact us all. Most of these major moves by the government to usurp our constitutional rights have been successful, even if the consequences were minimal and have been all but forgotten over the course of time. However, in an age where NSA spying and the suspension of habeas corpus through the Patriot Act due to the ambiguous and vague threat of terrorism have taken center stage, our future as free citizens is unclear.
Imagine how life would dramatically change following another incident that the government could use to expand its powers and control over the general population. Religious beliefs and political opposition could be suppressed. Our freedom of movement could be eliminated, and forced relocation as well as “re-education” could become part of the fabric of our daily lives. All of this has already been authorized by constitutional law and through the issuance of executive orders from the current as well as dozens of previous presidential administrations.
This isn’t stuff made up by conspiracy theorists either, this is the reality that we live in today. The well-known powers that FEMA can assume after a disaster are just one small part of a broad range of authority that our government has at their disposal. Plans exist where cabinet offices at the federal level can assume control over everything from food distribution to transportation and the regulation of communications.
The reality is that we are quickly heading down a slippery slope that is leading us all to a very scary place in our history. The question is when we will really start to feel the effects of direct and oppressive governmental control over our lives. The other question is how to prepare to remain as free and independent as possible. Unfortunately there are no clear answers.
Being prepared to survive during and after a natural, biological or financial catastrophe is one thing. Preparing to lose our property, weapons, money, resources and freedoms is a completely different matter entirely. Take time to think about how you will be able to live under the radar and avoid being forced to abide by governmental and military rule. It is easy to avoid localized hot-spots such as natural disasters or civil unrest, but what will you do when something occurs that impacts the entire country?
