Fasting, Focus and a Fantasy Scenario

Ovidia--every other Tuesday

It is fasting season in Singapore right now--Ramadan for the Muslims and Lent for the Catholics.
I've been doing my version of fasting too, which is to skip lunch while eating an early breakfast and fasting, except for water, till I 'break' my fast at dinner.

Our breakfast oats--with flaxseed, wheatgerm, chia seeds and frozen fruit. Lovely way to start the day!

And I've been trying to start the day earlier too, at dawn--

I'm neither Muslim nor Catholic so this is not a traditional fast, but something closer to the Biblical fasting in Nineveh after God declared disaster and doom on their city.
The doom and disaster announcement came via Jonah.
What I found very interesting is, after the King and people of Nineveh showed true repentance and God forgave them, Jonah got really mad at God for not delivering the predicted punishment!
So many prophets get frustrated because no one listens to their words. In Jonah's case, he was frustrated because they did listen and repent!

And I've heard good things about fasting, like how it helps focus the attention (I guess because you're trying not to think about food) and improves neuroplasticity.
And fasting (by choice) is a good way of distracting from generalised fear. Because you're disciplining yourself to do something (however small) instead of remain totally useless.

Skipping lunch frees up time and attention too--and I thought I would use this time to write a fantasy scenario, just for fun.

A few days ago, an American Facebook friend told me I should 'let President do his job' because he knows what he's doing (clearing up the mess made by his predecessors) and as a mere writer and creative, I should trust the President and Musk to know what they're doing.

So--as a creative writer, instead of having lunch today, I came up with my fantasy scenario. Because I think the most successful prophets/ seers/ creatives are not the ones who successfully predict outcomes--but those who, like Jonah, evoke future possibilites so effectively that people are stirred to act and avoid the disasters.

So: Fantasy Scenario Premise: The President does know exactly what he's doing
It looks like financial collapse is looming on the horizon?
Well, what if that's exactly what's intended...

Because in such a case, the American President can declare a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act (NEA) of 1976 to avoid financial collapse.

This would give him immediate access to over 130 statutory powers authorized by Congress, including deploying US military domestically to suppress civil disorder without needing a governor’s approval.

Also, he will have use of Armed Forces for law enforcement, bypassing restrictions that prohibit the military from policing civilians.

And it would allow the Federal Government to control National Guard units in a state without that state’s consent.

Don't take my word for it: look up USC (United States Code) 10 U.S.C. §§ 251-255, § 332-333 and (32 U.S.C. § 502(f)) .

Invoking a National Emergency would also grant the President the power to shut down or take control of the media (radio, television, internet) in the name of national security and revoke all broadcast licenses he might deem a threat to national security.

As well as allow the Prsident to freeze assets, block bank accounts and seize the financial resources of political opponents under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Again, don't take my word for it: See (50 U.S.C. § 1702)

But what good would any of this do him in the long term? He couldn't stay in power unless, using the powers granted him by evoking the NEA, he were to:
Invoke military powers to suppress opposition

Use media control laws to limit dissent

Invoke financial seizure laws to weaken opposition funding

Suspend habeas corpus (the right to be brought before a judge/court) and detain political opponents indefinitely under national security justifications

But of course this is just a fantasy scenario and I'm sure no one can imagine anything of this sort happening!