Update
from the Heartland
No.789
23.1.17 – 29.1.17
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
To all,
The follow-up news items:
-- The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom issued its ruling
regarding the Brexit process [758],
decreeing that the prime minister did not have unilateral authority to execute
the dissolution of the United Kingdom’s membership in the European Economic
Community (EEC) and European Union (EU).
An act of Parliament was necessary to enact those treaties, and an act
of Parliament is required to dissolve the same treaties. The justices provided an expansive
treatise on the legal basis for the UK’s membership in the EU, which by itself
was an interesting historical read.
It is my understanding that Parliament is moving swiftly to comply with
the Court’s order.
Just
an unsubstantiated observation . . . liberals protest, conservatives vote, so
the anecdotal evidence suggests.
I’m just saying’.
How
on God’s little green earth does anyone have “alternative facts”?
Would anyone with the proper decoder ring please explain this new
reality to me (us): what are “alternative facts” and how do they work? This is not a rhetorical question. Thank you in advance for your patience
and indulgence.
An
isolationist, nationalistic, United States is NOT and will NEVER be a safer,
more prosperous America. By
withdrawing from global trade, including labor, we are abdicating our influence
in the international arena. This
Grand Republic has been based upon commerce and international trade from its
very inception . . . actually, since well before the Founding. I will argue that reality is the
wellspring source of our strength.
Forcing jobs to remain in this country is no different from price controls,
rationing, minimum wage laws, and such; they are attempts to manipulate the
marketplace and are destined to failure, as they will ultimately hurt We, the
People. A few buggy-whip makers
may benefit, but ALL of us will pay the price for our abdication and
withdrawal.
In
the midst of the continuing debacle of President Trump’s persistent claims of
widespread voter fraud . . . according to the omniscient one, something like
3-5 million votes cast illegally, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
publicly stated and I reprint in full:
“I wasn't there, but if the President of the United
States is claiming that 3.5 million people voted illegally, that shakes
confidence in our democracy — he needs to disclose why he believes that. I don’t believe that. It is the most inappropriate thing for
the President to say without proof.
Al Gore walked away based on 5 or 600 votes. Richard Nixon lost a very close election. We are talking about a man who won the
election and he seems to be obsessed with the idea that he could not have
possibly lost the popular vote without cheating and fraud.
“So, I would urge the President to knock this off;
this is the greatest democracy on Earth, we're the leader of the free world,
and people are going to start doubting you as a person if you keep making
accusations against our electoral system without justification. This is going to erode his ability to
govern this country if he does not stop it.
“I would suggest the White House look in their
windshield and not the rearview mirror. They did something that nobody thought
they could do. They should be proud (of) that and not let this be a distraction.”
If
President Trump really feels that strongly, regardless of whether it is just
his monumental ego that is offended by the reality that he lost the popular
vote by a substantial margin and won the election in accordance with the
process defined in the Constitution since 1787, then propose a bill for
Congress to pass and allocate the hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to
conduct a detailed, thorough, vote-record by vote-record recount in every state
and territory to establish the real facts – not some damnable “alternative
facts.”
Further,
I am truly sick and tired of this incessant Republican mantra that our
elections are fraudulent. I think
Senator Graham is spot on the money.
In fact, Graham’s admonition may be too late, Trump’s incessant whining
about the irrelevant popular vote may have already done irreparable damage to
this Grand Republic . . . AND may be actualizing Putin’s implied objective of
undermining the legitimacy of the United States of America.
To
President Trump: you won fair and square in accordance with the Constitution! You are undermining this Grand Republic
just to assuage your unbounded and unbridled ego. STOP IT, IMMEDIATELY!
I implore you; have you no sense of dignity, man! Get on with the business at hand!
After
writing the above segment, President Trump tweeted out that not only were there
three to five million illegal votes in the last election, every single one of
those ‘illegal’ votes were against him and “not one” was for him – NOT
ONE! Imagine the statistical odds of
that happening.
My
apologies to all of the Trump supporters, who will read this. I wish I did not have to say this, but
. . .
Could
it be that Trump is trying to burn the house down around him? That he wants to ensure he is the
greatest . . . and last president. Popular mythology claims Emperor Nerō Claudius Caesar watched
Rome burn [19.July.64]. Reichkanzler
(emperor) Adolf Hitler issued his Nero decree (19.March.1945) . . . nothing of
value in Germany should survive him.
Trump appears to be perfectly content to poison the well and leave nothing
worthwhile behind. Once again and
regrettably, we see that particular name, again – the similarity to Adolf
Hitler is shocking.
On
Wednesday, the 25th, President Trump signed (an as yet unnumbered)
executive order titled: “Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements.”
§ 2 (a) – “secure
the southern border of the United States through the immediate construction of
a physical wall on the southern border, monitored and supported by adequate
personnel so as to prevent illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, and
acts of terrorism.”
Interestingly, he also added:
§ 10. – Federal-State
Agreements. It is the policy of the executive branch to empower State and local
law enforcement agencies across the country to perform the functions of an
immigration officer in the interior of the United States to the maximum extent
permitted by law.
A border wall will never secure the border by itself. It is, however, a huge expenditure that
will not achieve its objective (ineffective). Where there is a will, there is a way. And, those who seek the promised land
will find a way. I have never been
in favor of the wall in the sense The Donald has sold it; it is never that
simple. However, § 10 at least
suggests recognition that a defense in depth is the only means by which we can
control and seriously reduce illegal migration or immigration. Unfortunately, Congress must change the
law, and the states, local communities and employers must have sufficient inducement
to assist the federal government in the process of immigration control. This executive order is far too
simplistic and at best is barely visible window dressing to placate his
supporters.
On
Friday, President Trump signed another (as yet unnumbered) executive order
titled: “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United
States.” The order directs the
Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a study to improve and tighten
immigration rules for entry. In
the process, he directed the outright ban of any citizens from seven Middle
Eastern countries targeted by the Trump administration. Those impacted have not been determined,
but at last count, 109 individuals were caught in transit to the United States,
and something like 170 were rejected before they board an aircraft to return. I condemned his nonsensical suggestion
when he first made it [7.12.2015; 730];
my condemnation remains; this is not the way to deal with the problem – never
was, never will be.
This
is a classic “Fire, Aim, Ready” action – a very foolish, counterproductive move
to placate his supporters – damn the consequences. It was quite like using a nuclear weapon to swat a fly –
sure it will likely get the fly, but how much collateral damage does it
inflict. As Julius Caesar so
succinctly and eloquently stated, “Iacta alea est” (the die is cast).
The
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed an Emergency Motion for Stay of
Removal in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York. U.S. District Judge Ann Marie Donnelly
issued an immediate, nationwide stay of execution of Trump’s 27.January.2017,
Executive Order, finding the order likely violates the Due Process and Equal
Protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution. The stay will remain effective at least until a hearing is
held on 21.February. Judge
Donnelly’s order is spot on the money; this order is likely an unconstitutional
violation of the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses.
We
are only one week into the Trump administration and we have an inordinate
number of controversies by his signature alone. What does this portent for the next 207 weeks? I sure hope Trump’s supporters are
ecstatic, because the rest of us are not so excited.
Comments and contributions from Update no.788:
“Strangely you may
well think, I can’t recall exactly what Chelsea Manning did. Remiss of me.
“Also Mr. Trump’s
immediate deletion of Obama Care was something of a surprise. As you know we
and many countries have a free or almost free health service. Ours in the U/K
introduced after WW2 by a Labour Government. It would be unthinkable not to
have this wonderful support for those who need medical help. To me it seems
uncaring to read the comment that those who objected to your health care
probably didn’t need it in the first place. Infamy on those who care less about
their fellow countrymen than the self-importance they attach to themselves.”
My reply:
Chelsea
Manning was arrested in 2010 for espionage after stealing something like 30,000
classified, electronic files to passing them to WikiLeaks, who in turn publicly
released many of the documents.
When she was arrested, she was PFC Bradley Edward Manning, U.S. Army,
serving as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. After he was convicted and sentenced to Leavenworth prison,
he declared his transgender condition and changed his name to Chelsea. Most of us see her as a traitor – aid
& comfort to the enemy in a time of war. Now you know.
Trump
did not delete the PPACA. Only
Congress can do that. The
executive order signed by Trump states his direction to the Executive Branch to
lessen the “burden” of PPACA, while Congress considers repeal / replacement.
While
we lived and worked in England (1993-1995), we were beneficiaries of Public
Health Service medical care, specifically for our daughter. I am disturbed (and have been since the
PPACA became law [2010]) by the Republican, almost blind aversion to PPACA, as
well as the near perpetual Republican efforts to repeal PPACA. There is no question there are problems
with the health care insurance law.
Instead of fixing the problems, they want to repeal the law. I sure hope that once you use the
proper decoder ring, the Republicans mean they are going to fix the problems
rather than throw the whole thing out and return to the status quo ante – the good ol’ days were not so good for far too
many.
. . . follow-up comment:
“The Manning story is somewhat complicated and much of it came
back to me when reading your precis. Yes I believe if she/he was giving away
our secrets we would want to see a long prison sentence. However, your last
President has reduced the sentence, one of his last Presidential acts. He must
have had good reason?
“Thanks for updating me on your nation’s health care system. When
we saw Trump signing some document whilst smiling at the camera I wondered just
what powers does your President have – it appeared he was sending Obama Care
into the compost bin at a stroke.
“And now we Brits have political turmoil with our highest court
stating that we cannot move on the Brexit front until our MPs have agreed a
notion in the Commons and Lords…well we shall see!”
. . . my follow-up reply:
Yes,
I agree. I do give President Obama
the benefit of the doubt, i.e., that he believed he had good reason(s). Unfortunately, what he gave us as
public rationale did not assuage my sense of offense. We must never condone such behavior, and in consequence, we
must seriously punish offenders. I
will grant that 35 years sounded a bit much, but 7 years is too little; but,
that is water under the bridge, now.
Remember,
the PPACA is established law. Only
Congress can change the law. The
President’s action was to direct the Executive to lessen the burden (without
defining what that really meant); I took it as a symbolic statement, not much
more.
I
have not read your court’s ruling, but I think it would be interesting. I suspect the court was saying the law
does not allow for the PM to act unilateral in disassembling an established
treaty. I’ll see if I can find the
ruling.
Postscript: I have since read the ruling as noted above.
Comment to the Blog:
“I expected we’d disagree about Chelsea Manning. We do. I hope she
has a long and productive life as an activist.
“The same goes for the boycott of the Installation. The man cannot
be separated from the office he dishonors. John Lewis’s term “illegitimate”
makes sense in many ways that need not involve the Russians. This is no time
for that “get over it” attitude. Trump is mentally ill as well as corrupt and
is subject to wrecking the entire world with our nuclear arsenal, among other
likely disasters. Nope, not getting over it.
“Hitler was a megalomaniac. Trump is most likely a narcissist in
the clinical sense, which is somewhat different. Approaching either of them as
if they were a rational actor with a grasp of facts and a policy direction is
silly. Hitler came closer because of the nature of his insanity. For the
narcissist, all of that is pretty much meaningless. It’s all about satisfying
his enormous but fragile ego.
“The issue about Putin is whether he actually has blackmail
leverage on Trump. Trump hides all of his financial information and business
dealings. He keeps other things quiet, too. Whether anyone likes it or not,
hacking seems to be a growing field. Personal friendship or like that probably
has nothing to do with anything.
“We shall see what comes of Trump’s feuds with the spies and with
the press. In the bizarre world in his head, they may seem like just two more
groups to be dominated by the force of his personality. In the world you and I
inhabit, things might be very different.
“Here’s a link to a CBS News story on the odds of Trump being
impeached and how soon. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/before-trump-was-sworn-in-people-were-betting-on-impeachment/.
Ladbroke's is offering even money
he doesn't finish his term.
“Also, Trump is the oldest President at his first inauguration. Could
he be hiding health issues?"
My response to the
Blog:
Re:
Manning. Agreed; we disagree.
Re:
illegitimate. Lewis’ statement was
just as wrong as Trump’s erroneous claim of 3.5M fraudulent votes – both
patently false. I do not like the
outcome of the election either, but Trump was elected correctly, properly and
in full compliance with the Constitution.
If the Russians affected the election even in the slightest, We, the
People, are solely to blame for succumbing to and believing their false claims
and criminal conduct. We are at
fault. As citizen-voters, the
burden rests with us to fully evaluate the news we are exposed to in any election. Trump may be mentally ill; he does
suffer from more than a few gargantuan personality abnormalities, but he still
properly received 306 Electoral College votes, well in excess of the 270
necessary to win the election. He
is the legitimate and properly elected President of the United States . . .
full stop!
Re:
Hitler & Trump. OK; I could
buy that. However, there are a
number of crossover traits, and let us not forget Hitler had a substantial ego
that had to be regularly fed, as well.
While I agree there are no signs, yet, of megalomania in Trump, several
of his personality flaws would not take much to push them over into
megalomania. Further, it is
arguable that Trump has far more military power at his command than Hitler ever
had. Fortunately, he has shown no
hegemonic intentions. We must
remain vigilant.
Re:
Putin. I’m not sure what you were
trying to say in that paragraph.
Re:
IC & Press. Domination . . .
no doubt. He does not tolerate
anyone who does not submit and conform to his will . . . which is verging upon
elements of megalomania, by the way.
Re:
impeachment. I think there is
substance to that possibility. Men
with his personality flaws usually find a way to hang themselves. Again, we shall remain vigilant.
Re:
“Could
he be hiding health issues?”
Could be. He is hiding an
unprecedented amount of his state in life; he could easily be hiding that
too. That nonsense medical
statement during the primaries was a joke.
. . . follow-up comment:
“My point about Putin is that his personality really doesn't
affect Trump. Trump sees little and understands less about others'
personalities. However, if Putin really does have blackmail evidence on Trump,
that threatens Trump's ego and could have very serious consequences.
“My point about the spies and about the press is that each group
has resources of which Trump is ignorant. He doesn't even seem to recognize the
resistance potential of social media.”
. . . my follow-up response:
Re:
Putin. Agreed, and I have not
discounted that potential. That
bus video clip was just the snowflake on the tip of the iceberg, in my humble
opinion.
Re:
resistance potential. Indeed! Quite so . . . most likely because he
sees himself as omnipotent, omniscient, infallible and unassailable – a direct
product of his myriad personality flaws.
“That’s
just my opinion, but I could be wrong” . . . and I truly hope I AM wrong in this instance.
My
very best wishes to all. Take care
of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
