The Pres’s authority in this instance has a lot to do with the Emergencies he has declared. He made a big deal about all 50 states and territories were under an Emergency declaration. He put it on, he’s the only one who can take it off.
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Maybe you are right, Blu, and he was just talking about the national emergency ... but I see everything through the lens of a long term, rapidly escalating and mortal struggle with China.
Call it a "Conflict" if that makes you more comfortable, but this is just beginning; and it has all the attributes of an asymmetric war involving many domains of conflict. China has an obvious advantage in being able to launch biological attacks and then deny it. BUT NEXT TIME WE WILL BE READY. They may have a temporary edge in manufacturing and heavy industry. We have most of the economic and geopolitical advantages. Western nations (of which America is now the leader) are very resourceful, not to mention bad-ass. And we have our Churchill.
I watched very carefully when the President started talking about having "Absolute power." I thought he was saying it with a purpose--definitely NOT just talking about the next few weeks.
Agree with that point.
Now, what happens if he removes the emergency declaration for all states and territories, but some states decide to stay in "isolation" (fascism) mode? He should have recourse at that point, I would hope.
Alternately, what if he releases some states but retains an emergency declaration state in others, due to actual local conditions? Would they be able to defy the federal recommendations even if they were still under the emergency declaration?
All this speculation might be more theatre than reality, since he is talking with all of the governors (and presumably the leaders of the territories also) and working out some guidelines and plans as we speak. Perhaps this will all go more smoothly, at lest in the vast majority of states, than people think.