- Joined
- Mar 6, 2019
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A series of actions taken ɓy Trump in the first two weeks of the administration are intended to stress the system in as many ways as possible. By "the system", I mean, "the constitutional order". Many of his EOs are about as blatantly unconstitutional as possible, and he is literally ignoring a plethora of laws and daring the Congress and the courts to intervene.
The list is too long to catalog in this OP - I only get 5000 characters - but they range from trying to rewrite the 14th Amendment's "birthright citizenship" provision, to blatantly discriminating against minorities, to appointing a private citizen with multiple conflicts of interest to "oversee" government operations, self-dealing, firing protected employees in violation of federal laws - essentially a system built over nearly 150 years to prevent the cronyism and conflicts of interest he's foisting upon the nation - and misusing the US treasury.
The point, as with his first go round, is to see what he can get away with. Every time he violates the law, ignores his duty, arrogates powers to himself, and abuses his office, it is to push the boundaries. He's already learned that he will face little consequences from an obsequious party and congressional toadies - they refused to hold him accountable in two well-grounded impeachments and a violent insurrection - and a collaborative Supreme Court majority that extended impunity in a wholly unconstitutional manner, essentially preventing any criminal prosecution no matter how egregious the crime. And egregious they have been.
The problem is, it may already be too late to stop the coup. And it is, definitionally, a coup. "A coup d'état, often abbreviated to coup, is the overthrow of a lawful government through illegal means. If force or violence are not involved, such an event is sometimes called a soft or bloodless coup. In another variation, a ruler who came to power through legal means may try to stay in power through illegal means, thus preventing the next legal ruler from taking power. These events are called self coups." Wikipedia (which also lists Jan 6 as a coup attempt)
We are in the midst of history, a very dark chapter. Unfortunately, it is still unfolding. I doubt it will be long before greater outright violence will be employed in its pursuit. History, if it is ever written, as it is currently being "revised", will not be kind to those who failed to prevent it from happening.
The list is too long to catalog in this OP - I only get 5000 characters - but they range from trying to rewrite the 14th Amendment's "birthright citizenship" provision, to blatantly discriminating against minorities, to appointing a private citizen with multiple conflicts of interest to "oversee" government operations, self-dealing, firing protected employees in violation of federal laws - essentially a system built over nearly 150 years to prevent the cronyism and conflicts of interest he's foisting upon the nation - and misusing the US treasury.
The point, as with his first go round, is to see what he can get away with. Every time he violates the law, ignores his duty, arrogates powers to himself, and abuses his office, it is to push the boundaries. He's already learned that he will face little consequences from an obsequious party and congressional toadies - they refused to hold him accountable in two well-grounded impeachments and a violent insurrection - and a collaborative Supreme Court majority that extended impunity in a wholly unconstitutional manner, essentially preventing any criminal prosecution no matter how egregious the crime. And egregious they have been.
The problem is, it may already be too late to stop the coup. And it is, definitionally, a coup. "A coup d'état, often abbreviated to coup, is the overthrow of a lawful government through illegal means. If force or violence are not involved, such an event is sometimes called a soft or bloodless coup. In another variation, a ruler who came to power through legal means may try to stay in power through illegal means, thus preventing the next legal ruler from taking power. These events are called self coups." Wikipedia (which also lists Jan 6 as a coup attempt)
We are in the midst of history, a very dark chapter. Unfortunately, it is still unfolding. I doubt it will be long before greater outright violence will be employed in its pursuit. History, if it is ever written, as it is currently being "revised", will not be kind to those who failed to prevent it from happening.