This morning, I will leave it to Karen Kwiatkowski, who has said it all. Or at least said most of it all.
Those who love the glory of the state, adore its power and enjoy its parental aura, have built and supported the state we have. Donald Trump is the perfect man to lead it.
I certainly hope that he might also be the perfect president to destroy it.
Either way, I see nothing worth complaining about. Our energies should be spent on living freely, prospering and helping others to do so. We should pay attention to the teeth-gnashing of the ruling, chattering and echo-chamber classes only so far as it informs us on potential vulnerabilities of the state that we may use practically, and as teachable moments.
(H/T P & ML)
Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski, USAF Retired!
I’m waiting and seeing how Trump does. Pass the popcorn, please. 🙂
This is what I’ve been thinking all week. Trump is the culmination of decades of progressives concentrating power into the Federal Government. Now maybe they’ll learn why that was a bad idea.
Even the writers of the James Bond franchise are stumped because of the rise of El Presidente Trump.
“With people like (U.S. President Donald) Trump, the Bond villain has become a reality. So when they do another one, it will be interesting to see how they deal with the fact that the world has become a fantasy.”
http://screenrant.com/james-bond-writers-donald-trump-villain/
Right on!
Progressives have been asking for decades, “Why would anyone ever need to overthrow a U.S. government? Tyranny can’t happen here!”
Hoist on their own petard.
Pardon my naivete and ignorance, but I don’t see where Trump is any more of a tyrant than most of his predecessors. Less than the recent Democrats, for sure.
Destroy the country? By and large, it pretty much looks like we’re already way downhill on that path. Good odds that Yellen and the Fed will do more harm, and sooner.
“Pardon my naivete and ignorance, but I don’t see where Trump is any more of a tyrant than most of his predecessors.”
Two things, I think. One is that we’re talking about the left perceiving Trump as being more dictatorial simply because he’s not their guy. The other is that Trump has come into office slinging executive orders faster than anybody ever has. Like what he’s ordering or dislike it, he’s using a tool that’s been around since the beginning of the country but whose dictatorial misuse was perfected by Clinton and Obama.
Here’s what the 10th Amendment Center says about executive orders of which I happen to agree;
“In Article I Section 1 of the Constitution, it is clear that all legislative powers reside in Congress. The Executive Branch has the responsibility to execute the laws passed by Congress.
An Executive Order is not legislation, it is a order issued by the President to enforce laws passed by the Congress. While Executive Orders are not mentioned in the Constitution, they have been used for a long time.
The President is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Executive Branch of Government and has the authority to implement policies and procedures that are necessary for the administration of the duties and responsibilities that have been assigned to him by the Constitution.
Policies and procedures passed by Congress are called laws and effect all of the people. An Executive Order is a policy or procedure issued by the President that is a regulation that applies only to employees of the Executive Branch of government.
It has been a precedent for a President to issue Executive Orders that he deems to be necessary and proper.
The “Necessary and Proper” clause in the Constitution found in Article I Section 8 was not intended to give Congress (or President for that matter added by Comrade X) the authority to do whatever they felt was a good idea. This clause meant that they had the authority to pass any legislation that was necessary and proper to implement the powers delegated to the United States in Article I Section 8 of the Constitution.
Any Executive Order that has any effect on individuals that are not government employees in a violation of Article I Section 1. Whenever the President issues an Executive Order that extends to all of the people, Congress and the states have a responsibility to the people to reject them.
When a President issues an unconstitutional Executive Order and Congress allows the order to stand they are violating their oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.
http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2011/10/are-executive-orders-constitutional/
Nothing about Trump’s reign so far has bothered me. Maybe I’m like Desertrat, ignorant and naive, but it’s been a hoot so far.
Bob wrote: “Nothing about Trump’s reign so far has bothered me. Maybe I’m like Desertrat, ignorant and naive, but it’s been a hoot so far.”
Trump made Chuckie Schumer cry, so worth it! The lefties are still apoplectic! 🙂
But would it bother you if a left-wing president was flinging executive orders hither and thither? Doesn’t “stroke of the pen, law of the land” bother you on general principles?
Also, whether you agree or disagree with the ban on people from seven Muslim countries entering the U.S., it was handled so badly that long-time U.S. residents, green-card holders, and productive (tax-paying) employees of U.S. companies are being shut out. There are even reports that some of these people being “detained” in U.S. airports are being moved to camps.
If this can be done to these legal U.S. residents, it can be done to anyone. Doesn’t this bother you in principle, even if you believe that immigration has gotten out of control?
I have both the same concerns about the near omnipotence of executive orders and the same view that otherwise the overall actions Trump is taking are the right ones. An interesting interview with The Donald from 25 years ago; his opinions (at least the ones he talked about) haven’t changed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEPs17_AkTI
“But would it bother you if a left-wing president was flinging executive orders hither and thither?”
Executive orders are used by the pres to run the government. I don’t see Trump making laws here. He’s fully within his authority to do as he has done. As I said, maybe I’m ignorant, but so far this just seems to be a lot of hysteria by the liberals over not much.
“Also, whether you agree or disagree with the ban on people from seven Muslim countries entering the U.S.,….”
Hold the phone. The seven countries are Muslim only by coincidence. They just happen to be the source of most of the people who are coming to this country to kill us. There are another 40 or 50 majority Muslim countries in the world which are not affected by the order. Would not Trump have included those if his object was to ban Muslims?
“…. it was handled so badly that long-time U.S. residents, green-card holders, and productive (tax-paying) employees of U.S. companies are being shut out. There are even reports that some of these people being “detained” in U.S. airports are being moved to camps.”
I agree it was handled badly. Like any job, there a learning curve. Maybe if he were allowed to be fully staffed,…… I dunno.
If there is prolonged detainment of these up-standing people, yeah, that’s bad, but it’s also bad when someone who is a long time resident of the US, a tax-paying employee of a US company, grabs their AR, yells “Aloha Snackbar,” and shoots a bunch of US citizens. That’s bad, too. And before I reported that these people were being “moved to camps” I think I would wait a while and verify it.
Couple of points, Bob.
Executive orders are to help the president run the executive branch. That does not include telling the executive branch to do illegal things.
And he’s not within his power. He’s using power Congress delegated to the president in 1952. But here’s the catch: the Constitution gives the power over immigration and naturalization to Congress — and nowhere does it say Congress can give its powers to the president.
And if any of the legal U.S. residents that were “detained” by presidential order have ever threatened to shoot a bunch of U.S. citizens, then by all means, arrest them under the plentiful and relevant laws. But unless there is reason to suspect them, then they deserve to live as unmolested as you and I. (And it seems Trump has now agreed to let them continue their travels.)
I think some restrictions on immigration are a good idea, given the dangerous political realities. I think immigration has been mishandled for a generation or more, and reached its worst point under Obama. I also agree that Trump’s ban has been blown way out of proportion by a lot of people.
I agree the report that people have been moved to camps is so far unverified and may not have been accurate.
But it is not legitimate to use executive orders this way. It has the “color of legitimacy,” but we should be just as wary of unconstitutional, dictatorial powers in the hands of presidents we like as we are of those same powers in the hands of presidents we dislike and distrust. That kind of power is unAmerican and unlawful in the deepest sens.
David Post at the Volokh Conspiracy blog:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/01/30/was-trumps-executive-order-an-impeachable-offense/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/oscar-asghar-farhadi-academy-awards-trump-immigration-ban/
Oscar-nominated film director won’t be allowed into the U.S. for the awards ceremony.
You might shrug, “Well, it’s just one guy.” But it’s one — that is one more talented and productive individual who never threatened any harm to any of us, who did nothing to deserve this ban.
And that’s without noting the 187 Google employees affected. And so on.
When I think of executive orders it reminds me of this;
A very wise commentator wrote something awhile ago like: America is at that awkward stage where it is too late to change the direction by the vote, and too early to start hanging the bastards.
Trump makes me optimistic that that observation might have been premature.
Jeff