The real "Coup" that has just occurred this week.
Trump is banging on about a "coup" and an "illegal" investigation that took place into his campaign. That is obviously nonsense aimed at distracting from the very real coup that he is mounting as we speak.At the big picture level, Trump wants to stay out of jail for all the illegal things he has done. He can't have the Mueller report be scrutinized by Congress and he must shut down Congressional oversight functions. As those oversight powers are welded into the Constitution, Trump would have to revise the US Constitution to stop Congressional oversight. However as only Congress can re-write the Constitution, Trump can't get his way. So the only alternative is to ignore the Constitution and attempt to bypass Congressional power. When a someone does things like that - it is called a "Coup" and the form of government that emerges from that is called a "Dictatorship".
This week - Trump went "full Palpatine". As the Senate is in his pocket - thanks to Mitch McConnell's failure to defend the Constitution, Trump went ahead and dismissed the last remaining members of the Congresionally approved leadership of the armed services. He now has "Acting" leaders in these positions and these people are beholden to Trump for their continued service. This already fractures Congressional oversight and injures the constitution.
Congress still has the power to withhold budget allocations and order the DOJ to act against people that break the laws laid down by Congress - but as the testimony two days ago of Barr and Mnuchin indicates - neither is interested in what Congress asks them to do. Mnuchin is actively obstructing Congress attempts to get Trump's taxes and Barr has indicated he intends to give the President an exception from common sense notions of legal accountability.
So the the way the Trump coup works is like this -
1) Acting leaders in various armed services departments are asked to do illegal things and when those are exposed - Congress attempts to withhold funding until greater transparency of Trump's exposure is obtained.
2) Mnuchin offers the department under scrutiny emergency funding and stonewalls or ignores all Congressional demands for staying within its directives.
3) Seeing Mnuchin's illegal actions, Congress order Barr to go after Mnuchin and Barr ignores or stonewalls Congress.
In this way Trump gets his dictatorship and Congress is shut out completely from the process of governance. The Senate passes whatever resolutions Trump wants and along with Mnuchin rubber stamps all the money he wants funneled into his personal accounts. Any government department that attempts to obstruct this illegal activity is promptly punished by Mnuchin who shuts down its funding.
At this point - the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is effectively suspended and whatever amendments that you like - they are suspended also.
Specifically - with the DHS in his thrall, Trump is able to restore the old system of voter fraud that dominated US elections for decades - i.e. back when the Sheriffs would just stuff the ballot boxes. Using the DHS' counter terrorism initiatives he is able to coerce Sheriffs departments across the US into doing his will. With GOP appointed Judges embedded in various parts of the Judiciary (thanks to Mitch's "fast track" for Judicial appointments) - there is no way to legally appeal this kind of action.
I am sure by now - you have seen the fatal flaw in Trump's plan.
Trump's entire power structure relies on projecting his base as being a set of deathly loyal followers who are prepared to wage "Civil War" if he doesn't get his way. Given how so many Trump supporters hoard guns and munitions and openly endorse violent behavior towards political enemies, it is unsurprising that Trump's claim of knowing some "hard people" is credible and serves as a deterrent to openly going after him.
But by cutting off access to peaceful means of enforcing the laws as they stand. Trump invites the same Civil War like conditions that he hopes to hold as a barrier against his arrest.
Most minorities are used to operating under the permanent threat of being killed by Trump supporters like Sayoc, Fields and Taggart. Such minorities are used to operating under the perpetual threat of having a pair of cross-hairs on their back.
Trump supporters like Sayoc etc... are unprepared to bear such risks.
Unfortunately for the United States - I have seen this in other lands.
For example in Punjab (Iraq)[Syria] the Sikh (Sunni) [Alawaite] male patriarchy felt threatened by the rising levels of empowerment among socially subaltern groups of people, and in the vain hope of retaining their power - they initiated what they thought would the Khalistan (Iraqi)[Syrian] Civil War they would easily win. Unfortunately died in the blaze they started.
We will witness a similar trajectory in the US.
Why would sensible people want to support this kind of madness. Here is a clue. [Hint ... it doesn't work like this].
posted by maverick @ 6:11 AM
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