Episode 1047 · Dec 14, 2003 · 2h 51m
December 14, 2003: Shadow Government - Harry Helms
Key Moments
Open transcriptHow Manzanar Led to a Shadow Government BookHelms explains the origin of his investigation: a visit to Manzanar, the WWII relocation site for Japanese Americans, led him to discover that the legal mechanisms President Roosevelt used to detain U.S. citizens without charge are still in force and have been greatly expanded over the decades.
Defining the Shadow GovernmentHelms gives his working definition: the shadow government is the collection of laws, court decisions, facilities, procedures, and tools by which a president, upon declaring a state of national emergency, can effectively circumvent constitutional government and rule by executive order.
Powers Unlocked by a Declared EmergencyHelms lays out what executive orders signed largely under Nixon and Clinton authorize once a national emergency is declared: indefinite detention without charges, seizure of private property, conscription to specified jobs, seizure of bank accounts, control of all radio and TV stations, and rationing of food and medical supplies.
Mount Weather as Backup GovernmentHelms describes Mount Weather, the FEMA training and underground facility in Virginia, as the place where essential civilian leaders, alongside military support staff, would relocate to run the government in the event of a catastrophic emergency, and confirms it has its own complete radio and TV production facilities.
Executive Order 9066 Twice UpheldHelms notes that Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066, used to intern Japanese Americans, was twice upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, meaning a future president could substitute any group, including Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, or Americans who voted for the other candidate, with the action already pre-approved.
Helms shares specific frequencies where listeners can hear the Cuban transmissions and advocates for low-power broadcasting access for ordinary citizens, comparing the restrictions on airwave use to freedoms enjoyed in print and online publishing.
The conversation shifts to the shadow government, the subject of Helms' latest book. He outlines how presidential executive orders allow sweeping emergency powers, including indefinite detention of citizens, seizure of private property, and control of all broadcast media. Helms traces these authorities from the Japanese American internment camps through the Nixon and Clinton administrations, and proposes a constitutional amendment to establish transparent procedures for handling national emergencies.
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