Trump’s only tool for everything
Only One Tool in Bully Trump’s Policy Box
The following amendments to the US Constitution are part of the Bill of Rights, extended to states by the 14th amendment:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
1st Amendment
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
4th Amendment.
“No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
5th Amendment
“The president’s statements [to send federal troops to Minnesota by invoking the Insurrection Act] today essentially amount to threats of declaring war on Minnesota,”
Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minnesota)
Even if the President were to invoke the ambiguous Insurrection Act, and assuming somehow it was determined to be a lawful presidential act, none of the above amendments are suspended, states still are in charge of normal policing, and peaceful protests remain constitutionally protected. Trump cannot cancel or postpone elections, confiscate ballot boxes and voting machines or reverse election results. But I suspect Trump actually believes the Insurrection Act creates martial law against those he has designated as “insurrectionists” – in his discretion, giving him almost limitless power. Totally wrong. He would have to seize total power to do that. Hmmm!
On a January 9th social media post, Donald Trump responded to news of protesters throwing rocks at federal vehicles by issuing a shocking new directive. He announced he was giving “Total Authorization” for ICE and other federal law enforcement officers to arrest those responsible, “using whatever means is necessary to do so.” Earlier, VP JD Vance sent a clear message to such agents: they had “absolute immunity” in their enforcement activities. Both such statements are, flatly, unconstitutional and would leave individuals in the United States without any redress even for the most heinous actions. Except for diehard Republicans, the United States’ immigration actions with ample evidence of ICE cruelty, the threat to invade and annex Greenland and Trump’s failing economic policies, according to every major poll, make Trump the most unpopular president in modern history.
Trump, in my opinion, has become a pathetic, perhaps even sad but for his impact on others, obese and mentally unstable leader in horrible physical shape. To accept the Nobel Peace Price medallion from Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, who won it, will not give Trump the merit and meaning that the award signifies, but it shows how spinning words and shinny gold objects define who he truly is. And his triple-down threat to take Greenland completely is both insane and counter productive if national security is indeed his goal. Everything he wants to do in terms of military expansion into that vast island is already permitted under a 1951 treaty. Currently, there is one US base there (from a high of 17). He can amp-up tomorrow if he wants. But if he uses force to invade Greenland, the other NATO members are obligated to defend that Danish territory, and the NATO alliance – stronger than anything Trump could mount alone even if he annexed Greenland – would collapse.
How do our allies feel about his refusal to back down? Denmark, which is responsible for Greenland’s defense, has warned an attack on Greenland would all but end NATO, and announced on January 14th that it was expanding its military presence in close cooperation with NATO allies. Germany, Sweden, France, Norway, the Netherlands and Finland have all since confirmed they are sending military personnel to Greenland. Extracting minerals, even rare earths, from this frozen land is prohibitive (there are better and cheaper alternatives).
Just like the Big Oil aversion to investing in restoring the deteriorated petroleum extraction infrastructure in Venezuela, in a low-price oil glut marketplace with an accelerating move toward alternative energy, thinking that exploiting Greenland’s minerals cannot make that cost-effective. This move would destabilize the world… and cost us at every level, leaving us quite less secure.
As Trump tries to bully the world with his little hammer, he now says he may punish countries with tariffs if they don’t back the US controlling Greenland. There doesn’t seem to be subtle or diplomatic bone in his body. The United States is one of the least respected countries on earth, and the foreign nations that are celebrating his stupid policies, particularly places like Russia, China, North Korea and Iran.
Just looking at China, we can see smiles brimming from ear to ear. As Simon Elegant and Huiyee Chiew, writing for the January 16th Washington Post, observe: “[China’s President] Xi is likely following what American statesman Henry Kissinger characterized as the core Chinese approach to foreign policy: Focus on the long game.
“China can afford to play the long game precisely because it can depend on the U.S. to create opportunities for it to do so, said Bates Gill, a senior fellow for Asian security with the National Bureau of Asian Research in Washington… ‘To the degree countries see the United States as more of a problem than a solution to the challenges they face, China will try to provide an alternative,’ he said.
“In areas such as providing development assistance, opening export markets and in providing educational opportunities, for example, ‘that is already happening,’ Gill said. ‘Washington is handing over the script for China to use.’… China has aggressively expanded into Latin America, including through enormous infrastructure projects. In Venezuela, for example, estimates of total Chinese investment, including loans and investment in the oil industry, range from $60 to $100 billion… China has also grown its trading ties with the Middle East, including taking advantage of U.S. sanctions on Iran to buy discounted oil.” I’m sure Xi was heartened by Canada’s determination to open its markets to Chinese cars, where China has dominating presence in EVs. Trump does not care, it seems. The American people should.
I’m Peter Dekom, and neither the Supreme Court nor the GOP-controlled Congress seem to be able to contain the disastrous actions and decisions of a mentally impaired man that are rapidly unraveling everything American soldiers in two world wars fought and died for.
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