From The New American:
| Wyoming Advances "Doomsday" Bill for Potential U.S. Collapse | | Print | |
| WRITTEN BY ALEX NEWMAN |
| TUESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2012 09:45 |
 Lawmakers in the Wyoming House of Representatives approved a bill on Monday for thesecond time to explore how the state might respond to a possible “doomsday” scenario such as the economic or political collapse of America. Some of the potential responses to be considered include the issuance of an alternative currency in the event of a dollar meltdown or how the state might deal with a “constitutional crisis.”If the legislation becomes law, a special task force would be formed consisting of state Representatives, state Senators, and several key members of the executive branch, including the Wyoming National Guard. The commission would be charged with considering various scenarios and preparing a report on its findings and recommendations by December of this year. Among the hypothetical developments cited in the legislation to be considered by the panel are the potential effects of "the rapid decline of the United States dollar and the ability to quickly provide an alternative currency." A situation in which the federal government crumbles would also be examined. Other scenarios to be considered include a potential “constitutional crisis” and disruptions in food or energy distribution. An amendment to the bill that was later removed even called for the task force to examine “conditions under which the state of Wyoming should implement a draft, raise a standing army, marine corps, navy and air force and acquire strike aircraft and an aircraft carrier.” The original sponsor of the bill, Republican State Rep. David Miller, told the Casper Star-Tribune that such catastrophic scenarios are unlikely to strike America anytime soon. But with Washington D.C.’s out-of-control budget deficits and a national debt that is now officially larger than the nation’s GDP and growing — not to mention the unfunded liabilities estimated in the hundreds of trillions — the situation could turn ugly very rapidly. “Things happen quickly sometimes — look at Libya, look at Egypt, look at those situations,” Rep. Miller told the newspaper. “We wouldn’t have time to meet as a legislature or even in special session to do anything to respond.” As protests continue to grow across America and wealthy individuals flee the nation in increasing numbers, the trend is ominous, Miller explained. Meanwhile, economic and social problems could keep growing to the point where they spiral out of control. And Wyoming needs to be ready just in case, he said. Then there is the monetary system. In recent years, the Federal Reserve System has accelerated its creation of vast sums of new debt-based money. Literally trillions of dollars has been used — without so much as congressional approval — to bail out big banks, foreign central banks, and financial institutions, and even mega-corporations outside the banking system. The U.S. dollar, which today functions as the world reserve currency, has been steadily losing value over the years — well over 90 percent of its purchasing power evaporated since the central banking cartel seized power in 1913. And confidence in Federal Reserve Notes and the institution that issues them has plunged around the globe in recent years. “If we continue down this course, this is the way any society ends up — with a valueless currency,” Miller told the Star-Tribune. So the state government needs to at least consider the prospect. Citizens and taxpayers deserve nothing less. More than a few other state governments have already started to examine the monetary issue. Last year, Utah even passed a ground-breaking law making gold and silver legal tender within the state as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. And other state governments are expected to follow suit in the months and years to come as the dollar and the economy become increasingly unstable. Wyoming, of course, is in far better financial shape than most states — especially when compared to California, Illinois, and other jurisdictions teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. A recent surveyconcluded that Wyoming was actually the best-run state in America. Still, the state has a tiny population and — like all states — is heavily influenced by what happens in the rest of the nation and around the world. And so, according to news reports, several lawmakers in Wyoming spoke in favor of the bill on the House floor, touting it as a precautionary measure. “I don’t think there’s anyone in this room today [who] would come up here and say that this country is in good shape, that the world is stable and in good shape — because that is clearly not the case,” Republican State Rep. Lorraine Quarberg was quoted as saying. “To put your head in the sand and think that nothing bad is going to happen, and that we have no obligation to the citizens of the state of Wyoming to at least have the discussion, is not healthy.” House Bill 85 (HB 85) would appropriate about $15,000 to pay for the state committee’s expenses, down from around twice that in the original legislation. The state Department of Homeland Security already has plans in place for a statewide crisis, so the new commission would focus on dealing with controlling the effects of national disasters on Wyoming. Experts and lawmakers quoted in news reports about the bill suggested the possibility of severe chaos striking the United States in the near future was low. Some left-leaning media pundits even mocked the idea of preparing for disasters. But many respected analysts and economists on all sides of the political spectrum have been sounding alarm bells for years. The federal government, of course, already has its own “continuity of government” plans — and has formany years. Although those schemes are so secretive that even senior members of Congress are not generally permitted to review them, it is well known that U.S. authorities have developed them. In fact, former U.S. Sen. Al Simpson (R-Wy.) was the co-chair of the “Continuity of Government Commission” in 2002. The Wyoming preparation bill, which has attracted headlines around the world, passed on first reading Friday by a voice vote in the House. It was approved on second reading on Monday. The final vote in the lower chamber, if successful, would send it to the Senate. And if approved by state Senators, the legislation will go to the Governor’s desk for his signature before becoming law. Related articles: Trackback(0) |
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