Democracy for Vancouver

Chimpy loves him some national emergencies - he must stay up nights inventing new ones to declare:

…Because the actions and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, the national emergency declared on March 15, 1995, must continue in effect beyond March 15, 2008. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to Iran.

[emphasis added.]

Is it just me, or does Iran not seem like that much of a threat right now? The economy, yes. The lack of universal health care, yes. The unfuckingbelievable mess we’ve got in Iraq, yes.

But Iran?

It seems that “unusual and extraordinary threats” aren’t quite as unusual as that word implies. Here are just a few of the national emergencies Bush has declared since 2001:

• Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Significant Narcotics Traffickers Centered in Colombia

• Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Terrorists Who Threaten to Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process

• Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Sudan

• Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Zimbabwe

• Continuation of the National Emergency Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict In Côte D’Ivoire

• Continuation of Emergency Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction

• Blocking Property of Additional Persons in Connection with the National Emergency with Respect to Syria

• Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Risk of Nuclear Proliferation Created by the Accumulation of Weapons-Usable Fissile Material in the Territory of the Russian Federation

• Continuation of the National Emergency Relating to Cuba

• Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in or in Relation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism

• Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Certain Terrorist Attacks

• Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Former Liberian Regime of Charles Taylor

• Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Western Balkans

• Continuation of the National Emergency Blocking Property of Certain Persons Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Belarus

• Continuation of the National Emergency Protecting the Development Fund for Iraq and Certain Other Property in Which Iraq Has An Interest [This is a U.S. national emergency?]

• Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Burma

• Continuation of the National Emergency Blocking Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting the Export of Certain Goods to Syria

I think this is what they call in the ad business “diluting the brand.”