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Have you scoped out your "Safe" place now that we are under a National emergency declared by the president? Have you stocked up on canned food in case there is a run on local grocers fearing the invading mob from our Southern border? Have you erected walls around your individual residence in case the invading mob from the Southern border decide they prefer to live in your house instead of confined holding cells where they are separated from their families? You see, back during the height of the Cold War, my father Jean volunteered to serve in the South Bend, Indiana Civil Defense Police. Issued a special CD helmet, uniform, badge, flashlights with extended red ends to assist in directing traffic as well as a firearm - he was prepared to defend and protect the community should the Russkies invade our quiet Mid-Western town. We were instructed in food preparation if the the invaders cut off our electricity. THAT was in response to a fear-driven reaction to the unknowns relating to the Cold War (and to deal with inclement weather that was frequent in our area - from massive blizzards and electrical failures due to ice, but also the occasional late spring and early summer spate of tornados.) All because we were conditioned to react in the event of a true National Emergency facing our great nation. (See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Civil_Defense_Administration).
And today? We no longer have a Cold War. We no longer have a volunteer Civil Defense department prepared to tackle real emergencies in our community. Now we have an emergency on our Southern Border because the President says so. Even though there is no actual evidence of any emergency (of any kind), the President made it clear during the conference wherein he declared his emergency, that his evidence is better than that compiled by the government itself, that there is no actual emergency. Anyone with a brain cell would realize that this emergency declared by the President, is the same emergency he claimed was underway with the imminent invasion of the Caravan threatening to flood our Southern Border back in November, 2018. Except that invasion failed to materialize. In fact, Americans were so convinced there was no real emergency or invasion, they voted overwhelmingly to elect a majority of Democrats to take control of the House of Representatives (by winning 40 seats in the Chamber in the Mid-Terms). So what gives now? Is there another caravan careening to invade our borders? According to government data, illegal crossings of our Southern Border have actually been declining over the past several years (See: www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/fact-check-trump-border-crossings-declining-.html). So where is the emergency?
The only folks concerned about the "emergency" are those that have suffered recent political defeats at the ballot box. In an effort to shore up his unsteady base - yes, they have become agitated after receiving tax refunds reflecting the con played on them by their Republican representatives in Congress. The huge deficit busting tax bill did nothing for them, and as predicted only went to the wealthiest Americans and corporations. Tax cuts are not impacting Trump supporters as they were told it would - and in fact, their tax refunds have begun to reflect the unfair advantage it gave to the wealthiest. (See: www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2018/10/16/the-middle-class-needs-a-tax-cut-trump-didnt-give-it-to-them/). So how to get his base and their support back? Declare a National Emergency and claim the Wall (promised repeatedly to be built on the campaign trail), will be built - even over the objections of both chambers of Congress (even claiming construction for the Wall has already begun (another lie). But another promise was made with the Wall, that Mexico would be paying for it. Trump and his troop of fellow con-men, have somehow begun to convince their base (and Right Wing Media) that the promise Mexico would pay for the Wall was just rhetoric and was never intended to be taken seriously. What? What other campaign claims weren't supposed to be taken seriously? Obviously the claim that anyone under active FBI investigation should never be eligible to serve as president. Remember that one? Or the infamous "Lock Her UP!" chants led by Retired General Michael Flynn - even though he was subsequently indicted and convicted for lying to the FBI as well as the number of other Trump Campaign officials indicted and convicted of felonies keep piling up.
Hypocrisy is not new, especially in American politics. But a National Emergency on our Southern Border is not an emergency. Congress recently voted to limit the money Trump could use for the border wall. Mueller and his investigators are getting closer and closer to hitting some unlikely targets for felony prosecution - the entire Trump clan - potentially including the president himself. What better strategy to mislead the public over his own potentially problematic criminal investigation and indictment? Circumventing Congress by declaring a National Emergency, Trump has not only diminished the basis for declaring actual emergencies, but has also broken the chain of power as created and outlined by the Framers of the Constitution. For years, Congress has allowed the Executive to act unilaterally when it come to foreign affairs (as it may impact national interests). This time though, the president has used this authority to declare an emergency for purely political reasons. With Congress voting against the use of his authority to move money around within his budget (but outside the authority of Congress under Article I), he has gone where no other president has before - pitting his personal political aspirations above the actual interests and needs of America itself. The only National Emergency we are facing is one where a president abuses his authority without any actual rational basis for doing so. Trump's team believes this is a winning solution for their growing political problems heading into 2020. Makes one wonder what they will do if Mueller's team recommends a Grand Jury actually indict the president directly? Where will the GOP leadership fall in this scenario? Their failure to act responsibly will determine if we have an actual emergency. 2020 can't come soon enough. Let's see if a number of concerned Americans can discern an emergency needing Civil Defense versus one that requires ridicule and derision, and hopefully corrective action by Congress and/or the Courts.
President Barack Obama once wrote; "We want everybody to act like adults, quit playing games, realize that it's not just my way or the highway." Clearly declaring a National Emergency when there truly isn't, is an example of "playing con-games." We can only hope a majority of the American public will take steps to end this game as it turns both economically costly and also outside the rule of law! Have a great week!
And today? We no longer have a Cold War. We no longer have a volunteer Civil Defense department prepared to tackle real emergencies in our community. Now we have an emergency on our Southern Border because the President says so. Even though there is no actual evidence of any emergency (of any kind), the President made it clear during the conference wherein he declared his emergency, that his evidence is better than that compiled by the government itself, that there is no actual emergency. Anyone with a brain cell would realize that this emergency declared by the President, is the same emergency he claimed was underway with the imminent invasion of the Caravan threatening to flood our Southern Border back in November, 2018. Except that invasion failed to materialize. In fact, Americans were so convinced there was no real emergency or invasion, they voted overwhelmingly to elect a majority of Democrats to take control of the House of Representatives (by winning 40 seats in the Chamber in the Mid-Terms). So what gives now? Is there another caravan careening to invade our borders? According to government data, illegal crossings of our Southern Border have actually been declining over the past several years (See: www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/fact-check-trump-border-crossings-declining-.html). So where is the emergency?
The only folks concerned about the "emergency" are those that have suffered recent political defeats at the ballot box. In an effort to shore up his unsteady base - yes, they have become agitated after receiving tax refunds reflecting the con played on them by their Republican representatives in Congress. The huge deficit busting tax bill did nothing for them, and as predicted only went to the wealthiest Americans and corporations. Tax cuts are not impacting Trump supporters as they were told it would - and in fact, their tax refunds have begun to reflect the unfair advantage it gave to the wealthiest. (See: www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2018/10/16/the-middle-class-needs-a-tax-cut-trump-didnt-give-it-to-them/). So how to get his base and their support back? Declare a National Emergency and claim the Wall (promised repeatedly to be built on the campaign trail), will be built - even over the objections of both chambers of Congress (even claiming construction for the Wall has already begun (another lie). But another promise was made with the Wall, that Mexico would be paying for it. Trump and his troop of fellow con-men, have somehow begun to convince their base (and Right Wing Media) that the promise Mexico would pay for the Wall was just rhetoric and was never intended to be taken seriously. What? What other campaign claims weren't supposed to be taken seriously? Obviously the claim that anyone under active FBI investigation should never be eligible to serve as president. Remember that one? Or the infamous "Lock Her UP!" chants led by Retired General Michael Flynn - even though he was subsequently indicted and convicted for lying to the FBI as well as the number of other Trump Campaign officials indicted and convicted of felonies keep piling up.
Hypocrisy is not new, especially in American politics. But a National Emergency on our Southern Border is not an emergency. Congress recently voted to limit the money Trump could use for the border wall. Mueller and his investigators are getting closer and closer to hitting some unlikely targets for felony prosecution - the entire Trump clan - potentially including the president himself. What better strategy to mislead the public over his own potentially problematic criminal investigation and indictment? Circumventing Congress by declaring a National Emergency, Trump has not only diminished the basis for declaring actual emergencies, but has also broken the chain of power as created and outlined by the Framers of the Constitution. For years, Congress has allowed the Executive to act unilaterally when it come to foreign affairs (as it may impact national interests). This time though, the president has used this authority to declare an emergency for purely political reasons. With Congress voting against the use of his authority to move money around within his budget (but outside the authority of Congress under Article I), he has gone where no other president has before - pitting his personal political aspirations above the actual interests and needs of America itself. The only National Emergency we are facing is one where a president abuses his authority without any actual rational basis for doing so. Trump's team believes this is a winning solution for their growing political problems heading into 2020. Makes one wonder what they will do if Mueller's team recommends a Grand Jury actually indict the president directly? Where will the GOP leadership fall in this scenario? Their failure to act responsibly will determine if we have an actual emergency. 2020 can't come soon enough. Let's see if a number of concerned Americans can discern an emergency needing Civil Defense versus one that requires ridicule and derision, and hopefully corrective action by Congress and/or the Courts.
President Barack Obama once wrote; "We want everybody to act like adults, quit playing games, realize that it's not just my way or the highway." Clearly declaring a National Emergency when there truly isn't, is an example of "playing con-games." We can only hope a majority of the American public will take steps to end this game as it turns both economically costly and also outside the rule of law! Have a great week!
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