Since March 9, 1933, the United States has been in a constant state of national emergency.  See Senate Report 93-549 (1973), which states:

"Since March 9, 1933, the United States has been in a state of national emergency.  A majority of the people of the United States have lived their lives under emergency rule.  For 40 years freedoms and government procedure, guaranteed by the constitution have, in varying degrees, been abridged by laws brought forth by states of national emergency..."

"These hundreds of statutes delegate to the President extraordinary powers, ordinarily exercised by Congress, which affect the lives of American Citizens in a host of all-encompassing manners.  This vast range of powers, taken together, confer enough authority to rule this country without reference to normal constitutional procedures."

"Under the powers delegated by these statutes the President may:  Seize property, organize and control the means of production; seize commodities [ie. the People's gold, silver and currency], assign military forces abroad; institute martial law; seize and control all transportation and communication; regulate the operation of private enterprise, restrict travel; and, in a plethora of particular ways, control the lives of all American citizens."

Because we have been in a state of national emergency from before most of you were born, you need to understand how the political and legal system operates under that state of emergency.  This book by William E. Birkhimer, written 1914 provides the most complete coverage we have seen of the workings of civil governments during armed conflicts and when martial law has been imposed to give you a taste of what emergency rule is all about and how to deal with it from a legal perspective.  It provides a lot of authoritative examples and case studies from throughout history to make the treatment very practical.

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