Trump vs. Rule of Law

[lpetrich]

Welcome to the Fourth Reich: Donald Trump's assault on the rule of law will not end well | Salon.com

... the president and his allies disregard the law whenever it is inconvenient, and enforce it with callous cruelty when it serves their goals.

This strategic arbitrariness weakens and delegitimizes the rule of law until, at some point, it can be totally rejected and dispensed with. The Trump administration's ultimate goal is a "permanent state of exception" in the service of racial authoritarianism.

Like his administration's war on Latin American immigrants and on Muslims other than Saudi royalty.

Last week Trump fired Kirstjen Nielsen from her position as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security because she was not cruel enough to immigrants, refugees and migrants -- apparently breaking up families and putting people in concentration camps was insufficient for Donald Trump and Stephen Miller. Even more troubling, Trump fired Nielsen because she was not willing to violate the law at his command.

Trump also reportedly told Kevin McAleenan, who was then head of the Border Patrol and is now acting DHS secretary, to break the law by denying asylum seekers entry to the United States. It has also been reported that Trump promised McAleenan a pardon if he find himself in legal trouble for following Trump's orders.

Trump also told U.S. soldiers at the Mexican border that they should brutalize immigrants, refugees, and migrants. This too is a violation of civilian law, international law, as well as the U.S. Code of Military Justice.

Donald Trump's handpicked attorney general, William Barr, has decided that refugees can be held in detention indefinitely. This appears to be a violation of federal law and constitutionally protected rights to due process.

Trump has also suggested using human beings as political weapons by transporting migrants, refugees and immigrants from Latin America -- a group of people Trump has slurred as a "race" of rapists and murderers and a human infestation -- to "sanctuary cities" as a way (as he sees it) to punish Democrats.

Also,

Trump's regime has threatened to remove judges who will not follow his orders.

Trump has not appointed permanent replacements for key cabinet positions in order to subvert the congressional approval process. This allows Trump to undermine checks and balances on his power by putting his hand-picked minions in control of federal departments and agencies on a temporary, rotating basis. Trump has also chosen to leave senior positions unstaffed as a way of extending his ability to rule by fiat.

Beto O'Rourke is correct: Trump's immigration rhetoric is straight out of the Third Reich | Salon.com

In their fundraising emails and other materials, Trump describes his supporters as constituting a "movement" that will somehow "restore" and "protect" America against liberals, progressives, Democrats, nonwhite people, and others who are a threat to his American Apartheid "renewal" project. Absolute devotion and loyalty to Donald Trump is required for this plan to be successful.

Echoes of history: Trump's "movement" now has a uniform and membership cards | Salon.com

There has been a documented increase in right-wing political violence--some of it lethal --both during Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and now through to his third year in office.

...
As new public opinion research by PRRI and Pew shows, the American people are extremely divided between those who understand the value of a more cosmopolitan, forward-thinking, "racially" diverse, and inclusive society and those others (mostly white Republicans and other Trump supporters) who want America to be a white conservative Christian country where other people are subordinated to second-class citizenship, and thus considered peripheral to and therefore outside of the national community.

Donald Trump and his allies are warping and breaking the law to advance this grotesque vision of the American democratic project by mining white rage and white backlash identity politics for personal financial and political gain.

 

[lpetrich]

Beto O'Rourke is correct: Trump's immigration rhetoric is straight out of the Third Reich | Salon.com

Well, I compared the rhetoric that the president has employed to rhetoric that you might have heard during the Third Reich. Calling human beings an infestation is something that we might’ve expected to hear in Nazi Germany. Describing immigrants — who have a track record of committing violent crimes at a lower rate than native-born Americans — as rapists and criminals. Seeking to ban all Muslims — all people of one religion — what other country on the face of the planet does that kind of thing? Or in our human history or in the history of the Western world?

Putting kids in cages? Saying that neo-Nazis and Klansmen and white supremacists are very fine people? You draw your own conclusions, but this is not something that I expected to hear a president of the United States of America ever say.

What I find curious is Trump's unwillingness to give such people the Sister Souljah treatment, even though they are very good targets for such treatment.

Donald Trump has repeatedly called Latino immigrants and refugees an "infestation" of "invaders," a race of rapists and criminals who are coming to America to reproduce, and by implication to "replace" white Americans. Trump has said, "These aren't people. These are animals." He was not speaking of migrants in general when he said that, but the rhetorical strategy at work here is to conflate gang members and other criminals with Latinos as a group.

As a standard talking point, Donald Trump and his allies in the Republican Party and right-wing media also describe nonwhite immigrants, refugees, and migrants as being a "burden" to American society, which is inferred to be "white."

Donald Trump has even told Fox News' Sean Hannity that "illegal migrants" at the U.S.-Mexico border could be shot and killed.

,,,
It is the stated policy of Donald Trump as outlined by Stephen Miller -- a person can reasonably be described as a white supremacist -- to inflict as much cruelty and harm on the families of Latino immigrants and refugees as is "legally" possible in order to deter them from coming to America. This has included putting babies and children in concentration camps.

,,,
Counties which hosted Trump rallies in 2016 subsequently experienced a 200 percent increase in hate crimes. Trump-inspired political violence includes such horrific incidents as the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, the New Zealand mosque attacks and the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida. A Trump admirer threatened to kill prominent Democrats and members of the news media with mail bombs. A 55-year-old New York man was recently arrested for planning to assassinate Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., because he "hates radical Muslims in our government". A Coast Guard officer was arrested with a huge cache of weapons. His apparent goal was to wage a "race war" and kill journalists and Democrats in order to protect Trump from impeachment.

Then Genocide Watch's 8 Stages of Genocide:

1. Classification
2. Symbolization
3. Dehumanization
4. Organization
5. Polarization
6. Preparation
7. Extermination
8. Denial

 

[lpetrich]

Echoes of history: Trump's "movement" now has a uniform and membership cards | Salon.com

Donald Trump is not the president of all Americans. He only cares about himself, his voters and other sycophants. Public service is anathema to him. Patriotism is inconceivable to him as well. Democracy and the common good are antithetical to his personal values, morals and beliefs. In total, Donald Trump believes he is above the rule of law and, like a king or queen, is the literal embodiment of the state.

Donald Trump does not represent a political party so much as a social and cultural movement which seeks to destroy America's multiracial democracy and fully reinstate American apartheid.

...
Like other right-wing populist movements Trumpism has a uniform and a slogan. This is the red and white MAGA hat, the tan khaki pants worn by the white supremacist hooligans in Charlottesville and elsewhere, and the words "Make America Great Again." Trump's movement also has membership cards, which function both as a loyalty oath and marker of belonging.

All they need is a shirt color.  Blackshirts lists shirt colors of similar early-20th-century movements:

Silver, Gray, Black, Red, Brown, Gold, Green, Blue

The "Make America Great Again Committee" recently issued a fundraising e-mail that stated

Friend,

Let me be clear. Since the day I took my famous escalator ride in 2015 to announce my presidential campaign, the Democrat harassment, fake news attacks, and blatant lies have never been about me...

Their target has always been you.

The liberal swamp hates the idea of people like YOU being in charge of America, and there is no line they won’t cross to prevent that from happening. Just look at the Phony Witch Hunt -- NO COLLUSION.

In 2016, I was simply your voice, but YOU were the one that took our country back and made the liberal swamp and political insiders FURIOUS.

Now headed into 2020, we have to remind them that this is your country, not theirs.

Since you’ve been such an important part of our movement, I wanted to give you this exclusive opportunity to become an Official 2019 Trump Executive Member and receive your PERSONALIZED membership card. Please contribute to activate your Official 2019 Trump Executive Membership by 11:59 PM TONIGHT and we’ll send you this beautiful PERSONALIZED card.

The one thing that keeps our movement alive is our members. I need you on my side to fight back against the lies and attacks

Evidently in Donald Trump's name, whether or not he himself wrote it.

The article continues:

When viewed in isolation Trump's messaging is dangerous enough: these are clear threats to America's democratic norms, an encouragement to political violence against liberals, nonwhites, LGBT people and other "enemies," and reinforcing a cult of personality led by a man who has contempt for American democracy and the Constitution, is clearly a pathological liar and is likely a malignant narcissist who is unmoored from reality.

When viewed in total, however, this fundraising email is something far worse. Trump is promising an authoritarian "national renewal" to his white supporters through a fake populism that nurtures feelings of grievance and victimhood -- feelings that can only be remedied through loyalty to the Great Leader and Dear Father. Political violence will be necessary -- and is already taking place across the country -- because TrumpWorld and its members believe that they are in an existential battle for survival.

Much like the Fascist movements of the early 20th cy., with their cults of The Leader.

 

[Rhea]

I see this and yes it is incredible how these people will follow this lawless despot. I have neighbors (most of them) who display the pugnacious “I’m the true American and these others should be harmed and dehumanized.” Still doing all I can to keep them from enacting their pogroms. It’s terrible.

 

[steve_bank]

Trump tried to circumvent the investigation, no doubt. I also doubt past administrations maintained a barrier between POTUS and the justice department. Obama and his AG.

Obama got away with some questionable things with executive order. He famously said to the effect my pen is ready if you need something give me a call.

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump tried to circumvent the investigation, no doubt. I also doubt past administrations maintained a barrier between POTUS and the justice department. Obama and his AG.

Obama got away with some questionable things with executive order. He famously said to the effect my pen is ready if you need something give me a call.

Yeah, sure. Everybody does it.

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump tried to circumvent the investigation, no doubt. I also doubt past administrations maintained a barrier between POTUS and the justice department. Obama and his AG.

Obama got away with some questionable things with executive order. He famously said to the effect my pen is ready if you need something give me a call.

 

[steve_bank]

Trump tried to circumvent the investigation, no doubt. I also doubt past administrations maintained a barrier between POTUS and the justice department. Obama and his AG.

Obama got away with some questionable things with executive order. He famously said to the effect my pen is ready if you need something give me a call.

View attachment 21101

The AG acted as his agent. The indolence of the AG in any admin is questionable. The justice dept went on a witch hunt to find leakers, this included wiretapping reporters.

Certainly Obama is nothing like Trump, but he was certainly looking to enact his vion of America any way he could.

He once said congress is in the way what he wanted to do.

The difference between Trump and say Obama is Obama hid ambition. As do mot presidents.

The difference between presidents on being corrupted by power is a matter of degree and overtness. There were reports of Obama lashing out behind the scenes.

And do not forget Obama tried to ban FOX from the WH until the media rallied behind FOX's 1 st Amendment rights.

 

[steve_bank]

Trump tried to circumvent the investigation, no doubt. I also doubt past administrations maintained a barrier between POTUS and the justice department. Obama and his AG.

Obama got away with some questionable things with executive order. He famously said to the effect my pen is ready if you need something give me a call.

Yeah, sure. Everybody does it.

They all push executive power. There has been a steady trend of congress relinquishing its constitutional power to POTUS leading to the situation today. Congress is unable to exert itself over POTUS.

 

[bilby]

...

All they need is a shirt color.  Blackshirts lists shirt colors of similar early-20th-century movements:

Silver, Gray, Black, Red, Brown, Gold, Green, Blue

...

They don't need a shirt colour; They already have red hats.

 

[Elixir]

The difference between Trump and say Obama is Obama hid ambition.

That is the shallowest bit of obfuscation I've seen here yet.
The difference between Trump and every other president this country has ever seen, is that Trump is a narcissistic sociopath who couldn't care less about America and serves only his own financial interest. He is also the stupidest president ever to hold the office, and the only one ever to be installed by virtue of a foreign adversary's support.

 

[Worldtraveller]

The difference between Trump and say Obama is Obama hid ambition.

That is the shallowest bit of obfuscation I've seen here yet.

The days still young, he's got time....

The difference between Trump and every other president this country has ever seen, is that Trump is a narcissistic sociopath who couldn't care less about America and serves only his own financial interest. He is also the stupidest president ever to hold the office, and the only one ever to be installed by virtue of a foreign adversary's support.

That we know of. But yes, your point stands.

 

[Sarpedon]

Do I need to get rid of my khaki pants? Dang, I have like, four of them.

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump tried to circumvent the investigation, no doubt. I also doubt past administrations maintained a barrier between POTUS and the justice department. Obama and his AG.

Obama got away with some questionable things with executive order. He famously said to the effect my pen is ready if you need something give me a call.

View attachment 21101

The AG acted as his agent. The indolence of the AG in any admin is questionable. The justice dept went on a witch hunt to find leakers, this included wiretapping reporters.

You sound like you get your sound bites from Fox News.

21 reporters had their phone records subpoenaed, not wire-tapped. One of those reporters was suspected of coordination with a suspect who eventually pleaded guilty to espionage. The other twenty reporters may have had information that eventually thwarted a Yemeni terrorist's plans to bomb a commercial flight.

Certainly Obama is nothing like Trump, but he was certainly looking to enact his vion of America any way he could.

Any way he could? Hyperbole much?

Not to mention the fact that the people elected Obama because they like the vision he laid out for the US.

He once said congress is in the way what he wanted to do.

Do you doubt congress was in the way? The Republican congress was even against their own positions if Obama agreed with them.

The difference between Trump and say Obama is Obama hid ambition. As do mot presidents.

The difference between presidents on being corrupted by power is a matter of degree and overtness. There were reports of Obama lashing out behind the scenes.

Ooh, lashing out. How terrible.

And again you are forgetting that the US people voted for Obama because they too wanted his ambition to be enacted.

Trump's ambition is only for himself.

And do not forget Obama tried to ban FOX from the WH until the media rallied behind FOX's 1 st Amendment rights.

I wouldn't be too hip on letting people into my party if they are going to lie about me after they leave. How about you?

You keep saying there is no comparison between Trump and Obama yet you constantly do just that. Why is that?

 

[Elixir]

You keep saying there is no comparison between Trump and Obama yet you constantly do just that. Why is that?

You already answered that question.