Tag Archives: Donald Trump

Trump to the NRA

04 Friday May 2018

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He fired up the crowd.

He said, “Your second amendment rights … will never, ever be under siege as long as I am president. … We believe that our liberty is a gift from our Creator, that no government can ever take it away.”

Kind of true, about the taking away part. No government can ever take away Natural Rights. Governments, historically, just suppress them, steal things associated with them, and jail or kill people who stand up for them. GCA, NFA, FOPA, ETC. aside, it usually starts with little things. You know, like calling for admin bans on bump stocks.

Armatum populum sempiternum!

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Breitbart/Getty.

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Banning Bump Stocks

21 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Legal/Political Columns, Uncategorized

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Last fall, following the shooting in Las Vegas (which I think we were supposed to forget happened), a class action lawsuit was filed against a maker of bump stocks, Slide Fire.

The Complaint is HERE. I didn’t follow the case and won’t. Originally I figured it would go nowhere; now it’s a moot point. The suit was filed immediately in a case that still consists of nothing but unanswered questions. No investigative report. Multiple narrative changes. Adamant ISIS declarations. And admonishment from the FBI that it may be a year before anything is known factually (if ever).

Anyway, again, it no longer matters.

Yesterday, in the wake of the Florida high school shooting, President Donald John Trump directed AG Sessions to administratively ban the devices – which were not used in the Florida shooting. More from the Daily Mail.

President Donald Trump called on politicians on both sides of the aisle to back stronger background checks for prospective gun owners on Tuesday.

‘Whether we are Republican or Democrat, we must now focus on strengthening Background Checks!’ the president tweeted.

Hours earlier, Trump took action to outlaw bump stocks like the one used in the Las Vegas massacre last fall.

‘I signed a memorandum directing the Attorney General to propose regulations to ban all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns,’ Trump said in the wake of a Florida massacre in which the killer did not use such a device.

His push for stricter gun controls comes after thousands of students and parents have called on his administration to implement changes to prevent future mass shootings.

Sell. Out.

This isn’t merely an affront to the Second Amendment, it’s an APA-driven assault on the Article One legislative authority of Congress. I suppose none of this matters at this rather late hour.

Nothing to address the rapidly declining culture. Nothing about the schools themselves. Nothing about the constant link between the shootings and psychotropic medication. Nothing about the massive failure of existing laws and law enforcement. Nothing about the illegality of most of those existing laws. Nothing. A feel good measure that doesn’t even feel good. And won’t help anyone.

Since he took office last year I’ve been trying to give Trump the benefit of the doubt. That ends now.

You get what you vote for. Congratulations.

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Congress is Like a Train Wreck

31 Wednesday Jan 2018

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That’s always true in the figurative sense. And sometimes – times like today – it is literally so.

The Trump held forth last night before Congress on the State of the Onion.

CSPAN/YouTube.

He used triggering words like “America” and “American.” Naturally upset, some of the 535 criminals and idiots you’ve elected chose to retreat – to West Virginia. In route: a real train wreck:

Train carrying members of Congress — including House Speaker Paul Ryan — hits a truck

A train carrying members of Congress — including House Speaker Paul Ryan — to their legislative retreat in West Virginia hit a truck Wednesday, multiple sources told CNN.

An aide confirmed Ryan was on the train and is fine. Separately, a congressman on the train told CNN most of the staff and members on the train are OK.

“No serious injuries on the train,” another source said, adding there were only “bumps and bruises” for those on the train.

The Amtrak train left Union Station in Washington earlier Wednesday, and was carrying members of Congress, as well as their spouses, some family members and aides to the lawmakers. They are stopped on the tracks outside of Charlottesville, Virginia.

Rep. John Faso, a New York Republican, who was on the train that crashed, said he was able to see the truck that hit the train, and that he was told that injuries were expected from people in the truck, not the train.

“There was (what) looks like a tractor trailer carrying trash that was hit by the train,” Faso, who said he was in the third car of the train, told CNN.

…

In other words a trainload of garbage hit a truckload of garbage. Sadly word comes the truck driver died. Another case of skunk drivers escaping unscathed with innocents in their wake.

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Reddit/Google.

Of Crime and Punishment and Non-Crime and Punishment

28 Tuesday Nov 2017

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While in Asia the other week, President Trump secured the release of three high value American prisoners. All good and well, but Lawrence Vance ponders if Trump’s amnestying efforts might be better spent at home.

LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill, and Cody Riley, who are now on indefinite suspension from the UCLA Bruins basketball team, were in China with their team for a basketball game against Georgia Tech. The trio was arrested after allegedly shoplifting from a Louis Vuitton store in Hangzhou, China. After being detained for over a week and facing up to ten years in prison, they were released after President Donald Trump intervened on their behalf with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

These are not the only prisoners that Trump should have freed. Far more important are the people imprisoned in the United States for victimless crimes.

The United States is indeed an exceptional nation. It has less than 5 percent of the world’s population, but almost a quarter of the world’s prisoners. It has over 2 million people behind bars, more than any other nation. And it has the highest per capita prison rate.

A great many of the Americans who are in prison have been incarcerated for victimless crimes, and especially drug crimes. Only violent criminals should be incarcerated, and no one should ever be locked up for committing a victimless crime.

Every crime should have a tangible and identifiable victim with real harm and measurable damages. Rape, robbery, assault, child abuse, battery, burglary, theft, arson, looting, kidnapping, shoplifting, embezzlement, manslaughter, and murder are real crimes. Possessing “illegal” drugs, “illegal” gambling, prostitution, discriminating, price gouging, and ticket scalping are victimless crimes.

Prosecuting Americans for committing victimless crimes turns vices into crimes; unnecessarily makes criminals out of otherwise law-abiding Americans; is an illegitimate function of government; criminalizes voluntary, consensual, peaceful activity; costs far more than any of its supposed benefits; does violence to individual liberty and private property; and is incompatible with a free society.

Committing victimless crimes may be unwise, addictive, unhealthy, risky, immoral, sinful, and/or just plain stupid, but it is not for the government to decide what risks Americans are allowed to take and what kinds of behaviors they are allowed to engage in as long as their actions are peaceful, private, voluntary, and consensual.

According to Article 2, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution, the president “shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States except in cases of impeachment.” According to the case of Ex parte Garland (1867), the scope of the president’s pardon power is quite broad. And according to United States v. Klein (1871), Congress cannot limit the president’s grant of an amnesty or pardon.

This means that Trump could, today, pardon every American in a federal prison for committing a victimless crime. And like he did for the American basketball players in China, Trump could work to free every American held in a state prison for committing a victimless crime.

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, President Trump followed in the tradition of his predecessors and pardoned a turkey. Better that he ate the turkey and pardoned everyone in a federal prison for a victimless crime and ordered their immediate release. No one should ever be detained by police, arrested, tried, fined, or imprisoned for a victimless crime.

I completely agree with this idea. However, assuming (pointlessly) that we still have a Constitution, all Trump could do with the States would be lobby as he did with China. On the federal front things would be a little easier. Some, most, rather, violent federal inmates would have to freed as well.

That Constitution thing, the parts in, above, and below Article Two, only specifies three crimes. Honestly, if it’s not piracy, counterfeiting, or treason, what business has Washington prosecuting it.

Pardon this interruption…

Watch Your Guns and Your Politicians

03 Tuesday Oct 2017

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One might, just might, want the other.

Another seemingly narrative conforming mass shooting. Along with some other hallmarks of a false flag or crime of convenience, it’s interesting that the usual suspects immediately rolled out the gun control calls. Hillary and Tom Brokaw resumed the mantra at once, as if pre-planned.

There was another, perhaps less noticeable, but perhaps much more dangerous voice – Donald Trump’s. It was a little hard to hear over the noise.

According to the Washington Times, Trump praised the police response to the attack, saying on Tuesday the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police did an “incredible job.” He added, “How quickly the police department was able to get in was really very much of a miracle. They’ve done an amazing job.”

But after praising the police, Trump made clear a discussion on gun laws is coming:

During an October 2 press briefing, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders expressed the same sentiment. While dismissing calls to discuss gun control during the briefing, Sanders suggested there will be a time to look at gun policies. The Washington Post quoted her describing Monday as a “day of mourning.” She said, “There will certainly be a time for that policy discussion to take place, but that’s not the place that we’re in at this moment.”

Axios reports that Breitbart News’ executive chairman Steve Bannon observed that Trump’s voting base would react worse to gun control than to an amnesty bill. Bannon said that Trump’s support for gun control would “be the end of everything.”

A discussion. What on Earth would he mean by that? It may not be what you think or care to think.

I really like Trump and I want his (stated) mission to succeed – Make America Great Again, America First. However, a few issues aside, there seems to be a disconnect between what Candidate Trump said and what President Trump does:

Lock her up? We don’t need that.

Build a wall? DACA amnesty.

Repeal Obamacare? When???

Tax Reform? When???

Humble foreign policy? War, war, and more war.

Debt reduction and budgets? Not this term.

The Fed under the microscope? Telescope maybe.

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CNBC.

Then there is that gun control question. Where does Trump really stand? And what is he willing to stand for?

I hinted around about this 18 months ago:

Trump says he’s pro-Second Amendment but he hasn’t said it loud enough or demonstrated anything beyond saying to convince me. Reagan was pro-2A and he handed us the GCA modifications of 1986.

A reporter once asked Trump if he owned a gun. He answered that he had a concealed carry permit. He never said if he owned a gun to go along with the permit. He said it was none of the reporter’s business whether he did. That is true but I found it a little wishy-washy. I was reminded of a GOP presidential debate a few years ago. There and then an audience member asked the field if any of them owned a firearm which required a tax stamp. The answer was uniformly “no” and it seemed to go over all their heads.

Do we want a wishy-washy politician with a developing track record of flip-floppery having this “discussion?”

We’re about to find out. I may be completely wrong, but…

Guard the guns anyway.

Uni-Party Unison: Debt Forever!

07 Thursday Sep 2017

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Donald Trump (R), Paul Ryan (R), Charles Schumer (D), Nancy Pelosi (D), et al (R & D) are working hard on a plan to scrap the debt ceiling debacles forever:

President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) have agreed to pursue a deal that would permanently remove the requirement that Congress repeatedly raise the debt ceiling, three people familiar with the decision said.

Trump and Schumer discussed the idea Wednesday during an Oval Office meeting. The two, along with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D–Calif.), agreed to work together over the next several months to try to finalize a plan, which would need to be approved by Congress.

One of the people familiar described it as a “gentlemen’s agreement.”

With gentlemen like this who needs scoundrels?

Honestly, they might as well do away with the theater. D.C. is going to spend itself into oblivion regardless of what any law says. Might as well speed things up a bit.

“Conservatives” will surely spin this as a quid pro quo from Trump – maybe for his wall or tax relief or something. Whatever it is, watch it fail.

Let’s see how fast they can turn $20 Trillion (on books) into $40T, or $100T! I call $40T by 2025, outside maximum.

Long live the debt! Long live the funny money!

Y’all keep voting. Really making a difference!

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Scene from The Creature from Three Mile Island. Washington Post.

Hulk Smash: Lou to the Rescue

24 Thursday Aug 2017

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I recently pondered commenting on a few stories about laziness and obesity in China and the UK. Apparently it’s getting bad there and elsewhere. But nowhere is like the USA. We’re number 1! We’re number 1!

70%+ of Americans are either overweight or obese. Call me crazy but I’d rather we not rank in the top ten there.

Maybe Lou Ferrigno can help. The President is probably about to appoint The Hulk to head the President’s Council on Fitness.

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Daily Mail.

Big Lou to the rescue.

More War

21 Monday Aug 2017

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His first inclination, he said, was to cut the losses. Then, after meeting with the generals, Trump was convinced to carry on America’s longest war:

President Donald Trump opened the door to an increase in U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan on Monday night as part of a new strategy for the region, arguing against a hasty withdrawal from America’s longest military conflict.

Trump, in a prime-time televised address, said his new approach was aimed at preventing Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for Islamist militants bent on attacking the United States. He also laid out a tougher approach to U.S. policy toward Pakistan.

The Republican president overcame his own doubts about the war that began in October 2001 after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. He said repeatedly on the campaign trail last year that the war was too costly in lives and money.

Maybe another 16 years. Or 60. Not feeling to good about this. He did make some good upfront points about national reconciliation. There’s a thought – fix this country first…

In totally unrelated news I shot a video during the Solar Eclipse. That may come forth soon – it’s not that spectacular. It was maybe like early dusk? Meh.

Whither Afghanistan?

21 Monday Aug 2017

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So, sometime today we will hear just where the  nearly 16-year-old War in Afghanistan is going next.

President Donald Trump has made a decision on the United States’ strategy for Afghanistan after a “sufficiently rigorous” review process, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Sunday.

However, Mattis did not provide details on when the White House would make an announcement or what the decision was on Afghanistan, where fighting still rages more than 15 years after U.S. forces invaded and overthrew a Taliban government.

Soon after taking office in January, the Trump administration began a review of U.S. policy on Afghanistan, which has expanded into a broader South Asia review.

“I am very comfortable that the strategic process was sufficiently rigorous and did not go in with a pre-set position,” Mattis told reporters traveling with him aboard a military aircraft to Jordan. “The president has made a decision. As he said, he wants to be the one to announce it to the American people.”

We’re waiting.

Sixteen years and Taliban insurgents still control half the country. Imagine Hitler still controlling half of Germany and occupied Europe – in 1957… Of course, then, we had a declaration and goals.

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Mattis knows. We’ll know soon. Eric Vidal/Reuters.

The decision will be important and should shed some light on where all foreign policy is going in the years to come. I fear that minding our own business may not be an option. I hope I’m wrong.

Another Cakewalk in Venezuela???

15 Tuesday Aug 2017

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Venezuela and her people aren’t doing too well at the moment. President Trump suggested he might be able to “help.” Said “help” may be unwanted.

After months of attacking Venezuela’s unpopular President Nicolas Maduro, Latin America came out strongly against U.S. threats of military action against the crisis-hit nation.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise comments on Friday may bring the beleaguered Maduro some respite in the region, just as Venezuela was on verge of becoming a pariah over its recent installation of a legislative superbody, widely condemned as a power grab by the ruling Socialists.

Following Trump’s assertion that military intervention in Venezuela was an option, Maduro’s critics are caught between backing the idea of a foreign invasion of Venezuela or supporting a president they call a dictator.

Wars and near wars in and with: Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, North Korea, etc. What’s one more? It’s madness, that’s what.

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A problem? Yes. Our problem? No. Reuters.