“This is a giant step, this should be the biggest news going right now, literally legalizing martial law…This is big. This step where they can literally arrest American citizens and put them away without trial….is arrogant and bold and dangerous.”–Ron Paul, U.S. Representative for Texas
On the evening of December 14, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the final version of the controversial National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2012. It passed with 283 representatives voting for, and 136 against. It will cost U.S. taxpayers $662 billion!
Officials claim they changed some provisions regarding the use of the military as police within the United States, and the detention of U.S. citizens, but still included a loophole for the President to do so by using “national security” as an excuse!
President Obama’s advisers say they’re fine with that: “…language does not challenge or constrain the president’s ability to collect intelligence, incapacitate dangerous terrorists, and protect the American people, and the president’s senior advisors will not recommend a veto.”–Jay Carney, White House Press Secretary
The bill also continues huge spending on operations in Iraq, even though the U.S. is officially getting out of Iraq. Many of the U.S. forces leaving Iraq are still being based in the Middle East, like in Kuwait. Also, most military troops in Iraq will be replaced by mercenaries, I mean private security contractors. Did you know the murderous security contractor formerly known as Blackwater, formerly known as Xe Services, and now known as Academi, is about to get a big chunk of that money to continue operations in Iraq?
The spending bill shows that the United States, under Obama, has no intention of reducing military operations that drain precious tax dollars with no return on investment for the average person in the U.S.!
“Those troops stationed overseas aggravate our enemies, motivate our enemies. I think it’s a danger to our national defense, and we could save a lot of money cutting out the military expenditures that contribute nothing to our defense.”-Ron Paul, U.S. Representative for Texas