Ok folks, I have read all the pertinent factors on this latest Executive Order and will weigh in below the outlining article with my opinion as to why the administration is taking this approach.  There are multiple “Tin Foily” and knee jerk speculations about this, but I would remind Treepers to always focus on the #1 CURRENT Obama objective.   Re-election.
WASHINGTON – On Friday March 16th, President Obama signed a new Executive Order which expands upon a prior order issued in 1950 for Disaster Preparedness, and gives the office of the President complete control over all the resources in the United States in times of war or emergency.

The National Defense Resources Preparedness order gives the Executive Branch the power to control and allocate energy, production, transportation, food, and even water resources by decree under the auspices of national defense and national security. The order is not limited to wartime implementation, as one of the order’s functions includes the command and control of resources in peacetime determinations.  (read more)
Granted that if any prior administration would have signed such an executive order the entirety of the institutional left would have been demanding explanations, and decrying the XO as massive Executive Branch overreach.  But remember these have been used and extended by multiple administrations in times of crisis.   The question becomes:
How does this administration define crisis?
It doesn’t take a political insider to reconcile the belief system of the current administration in regard to the collective ideology of “societal good”.  Indeed we have drawn multiple examples and framed a considerable narrative of deconstruction that would effectively eliminate any Obama supporter from stating otherwise.   President Obama believes in a Big Governmental controlling ‘share the wealth’ society.
This is not up for debate.   He openly admits it.
Within this ideology all resources are determined to be finite.  Meaning a political and social view that resources are limited, scarce and divisible, therefore they must insure equity in use and distribution.   Again, this is not up to debate.
The question is not “does the gov’t posess this capacity”, it does, the question is “why and when”.   Example:  In time of war historically the steel industry was shifted from cars/trucks into tanks and planes.   The private ownership of the companies within the ‘steel industry’ was forced to comply with a greater need of government.   No-one disputes this.   Again, this is not up to debate.
Lets look at excerpts of the XO as written:  (Emphasis mine, and I’ll italicize my comments accordingly throughout) 
Purpose.  This order delegates authorities and addresses national defense resource policies and programs under the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (the “Act”).
Policy.  The United States must have an industrial and technological base capable of meeting national defense requirements and capable of contributing to the technological superiority of its national defense equipment in peacetime and in times of national emergency.  The domestic industrial and technological base is the foundation for national defense preparedness.  The authorities provided in the Act shall be used to strengthen this base and to ensure it is capable of responding to the national defense needs of the United States.

*The question becomes how, and more importantly “who” determines a national emergency.   While the Executive Branch generally can initially call such distinction, the congress must approve no later than 30 days after declaration….. /SD 

General Functions.  Executive departments and agencies (agencies) responsible for plans and programs relating to national defense (as defined in section 801(j) of this order), or for resources and services needed to support such plans and programs, shall:

(a)  identify requirements for the full spectrum of emergencies, including essential military and civilian demand;

(b)  assess on an ongoing basis the capability of the domestic industrial and technological base to satisfy requirements in peacetime and times of national emergency, specifically evaluating the availability of the most critical resource and production sources, including subcontractors and suppliers, materials, skilled labor, and professional and technical personnel;

(c)  be prepared, in the event of a potential threat to the security of the United States, to take actions necessary to ensure the availability of adequate resources and production capability, including services and critical technology, for national defense requirements;

(d)  improve the efficiency and responsiveness of the domestic industrial base to support national defense requirements; and

(e)  foster cooperation between the defense and commercial sectors for research and development and for acquisition of materials, services, components, and equipment to enhance industrial base efficiency and responsiveness.

Sec. 104Implementation.  (a)  The National Security Council and Homeland Security Council, in conjunction with the National Economic Council, shall serve as the integrated policymaking forum for consideration and formulation of national defense resource preparedness policy and shall make recommendations to the President on the use of authorities under the Act.
[…]
Priorities and Allocations Authorities.  (a)  The authority of the President conferred by section 101 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071, to require acceptance and priority performance of contracts or orders (other than contracts of employment) to promote the national defense over performance of any other contracts or orders, and to allocate materials, services, and facilities as deemed necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense, is delegated to the following agency heads:

(1)  the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to food resources, food resource facilities, livestock resources, veterinary resources, plant health resources, and the domestic distribution of farm equipment and commercial fertilizer;

(2)  the Secretary of Energy with respect to all forms of energy;

(3)  the *Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to health resources;

*This is new /SD

(4)  the Secretary of Transportation with respect to all forms of civil transportation;

(5)  the Secretary of Defense with respect to water resources; and

(6)  the Secretary of Commerce with respect to all other materials, services, and facilities, including construction materials.

What this boils down to is a definition of authority.   While alarming, again it is important to remember it is NOT unprecedented.   Indeed a familiar example for most Treepers might be John F Kennedy implementing such during the Cuban Missile Crisis.   Written, implemented, but eventually not needed nor enforced.
While it would be prudent to have the 4th estate force Team Obama to clarify their intentions, this is not any different than previous XO’s in prior administrations.
Just my .02.  I don’t think there is any need to be worried until the Jackboots show up in the local grocery store rationing bananas. 

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