One Year Ago Today...
The Total Solar Eclipse happened here in Vermont one year ago today, when I took this photo. Today we have SNOW! It feels all the more amazing that we got to see it, knowing today's weather was more likely than what we had!
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Supreme Court allows Trump to enforce Alien Enemies Act for rapid deportations for now
ReplyDeleteSupreme Court pauses midnight deadline to return man mistakenly deported to El Salvador
I should say "ilegally" rather than "mistakenly" deported.
Delete----Alan
HOWEVER, the Supreme Court mandated that individuals facing deportation must be granted due process of law. The ACLU views this as a win for potential dportees.
DeleteThinking of crowd sizes, they don't generally get packed any closer than one person per four square feet.
ReplyDelete-----Alan
Paul Krugman: Attack of the Quack-Industrial Complex [Click]
ReplyDelete---Alan
Found this on Facebook and thought to share it for discussion:
ReplyDeleteWe know this post is long, but it’s important to read to understand what’s going on. A lot of people are asking, “Why is Trump just out golfing while things are falling apart?” It’s simple: the emergency isn’t something he’s reacting to – it’s something he’s building.
Trump recently declared a national economic emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) – granting himself sweeping authority over international trade by labeling foreign economic practices an “unusual and extraordinary threat.”
But here’s the real play: by declaring a national emergency, Trump didn’t just respond to a crisis — he created one. And in doing so, he unlocked access to over 120 statutory powers scattered throughout federal law. Many of these powers have nothing to do with trade – and everything to do with expanding presidential authority inside the U.S.
What This Move Enables: Expanded Domestic Powers
1. Control of Domestic Communications
- 47 U.S.C. §606(c): Allows the president to take control of, shut down, or regulate wire and radio communications – including the internet, social media platforms, broadcast networks, and telecom infrastructure – in the name of national defense. Originally intended for wartime, this Cold War-era law remains on the books.
2. Asset Freezing and Financial Surveillance
- Under IEEPA and related laws, the president can freeze the assets and bank accounts of individuals or organizations accused of aiding foreign threats. These powers are vague and can be stretched to include domestic political groups, journalists, or activists – especially if they’re perceived as having foreign ties or influence.
3. Domestic Military Deployment
- Under the Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C. §§ 251–255), the president can deploy active-duty U.S. military to enforce laws or suppress civil unrest within the country. In certain scenarios, this can be done without state governor consent – especially if the president claims state authorities are failing to uphold federal law.
4. Emergency Detention Powers (Non-Citizens)
- The Alien Enemies Act (50 U.S.C. §21) – a law dating back to 1798 – allows the president to detain or restrict the movement of non-citizens from nations deemed hostile. The criteria for “hostile” can be broad and undefined during a declared emergency.
5. Control of Energy and Transportation
- Under laws like 42 U.S.C. §6272 and others, the president can redirect or restrict domestic fuel production, electricity usage, or energy transportation. Additionally, 49 U.S.C. §40106(b) allows the president to limit, reroute, or suspend civil aviation, giving the executive branch near-total control over U.S. airspace in a crisis.
6. Suspension of Labor Regulations
- During a declared emergency, the president can waive federal labor regulations and override contract protections. This includes removing limits on hours, wages, and workplace safety for federal contractors and any industries deemed vital to national security.
7. National Security Letters & Warrantless Surveillance
Delete- Emergency declarations expand the reach and use of National Security Letters (NSLs) – tools that let federal agencies demand financial, telecom, and internet records without a warrant. These also come with gag orders, preventing the recipient (e.g., Google or a bank) from disclosing that they’re under surveillance.
Why it Matters?
Even when legal domestic powers are limited, a national emergency lets the president:
- Frame the issue as a national security crisis, justifying aggressive action
- Bypass Congress and the courts by acting unilaterally
- Sway public opinion using fear, urgency, and patriotic rhetoric
Bottom Line
IEEPA is focused on foreign threats – but once the emergency is declared, the president taps into a hidden arsenal of domestic control powers. What began as a trade issue could quickly shift into civil liberties restrictions, mass surveillance, or even crackdowns under the legal shield of an “emergency.”
This isn’t just about tariffs. It’s about redefining the boundaries of executive power. Imagine if this economic crisis keeps getting worse — the amount of power he will gain.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Heads up! A dangerous window is opening before April 20
Trump’s executive order declaring a national emergency at the southern border may be more than political theater, but a strategic move pulled straight from the Project 2025 playbook, and it may be laying the groundwork for martial law in the United States.
The order demands that the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security submit a joint report by April 20, 2025, outlining the steps needed to achieve “complete operational control” of the southern border. That language alone is militaristic, but it gets worse: the order explicitly invites recommendations to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.
The Insurrection Act allows the president to deploy the U.S. military on domestic soil, even against citizens.
Project 2025 explicitly promotes the use of this law to quash unrest, target political enemies, and sideline governors or local officials who refuse to comply.
Once invoked, it can override the Posse Comitatus Act, which normally prohibits military enforcement of civilian laws.
This may be less about immigration and more about setting a precedent, one that could quickly expand to include protests, strikes, sanctuary cities, and dissent of any kind.
We’re now on a 90-day countdown that ends April 20, a point at which Trump’s administration could attempt to justify domestic military deployment under the guise of “border control.” But Project 2025 shows the border is just the start.
If this report recommends invoking the Insurrection Act, we could witness one of the most dangerous escalations of executive power in modern U.S. history.
A reader brought this to my attention.
Watch this date. Spread the word. We cannot afford to be silent.
#InsurrectionAct #possecomitatus
Not "one of the most dangerous escalations of executive power in modern U.S. history," but rather the most dangerous.
Delete-----Alan
That would be a tremendous test of the loyalty of the military to their oaths.
Delete-----Alan
How many military members loyal to the Constitution does it take to unscrew a dim bulb?
DeleteIt may well be that I read too much news, but I am beginning to wonder if a second Civil War could be developing.
Delete-----Alan
I've been thinking the first one never completely ended.
DeleteThe "Lost Cause" mythology continues; General Thomas recognized its beginnings and warned about it. BTW, Thomas was arguably one of the best generals in the Civil War; he never made a mistake, although he took too long to act to please Grant. He destroyed all his papers so people wouldn't pore over them after he died. There is only one statue of him in Washington; by honoring his oath to the United States he came to be considered a traitor by many Virginians (his home state).
Delete-----Alan
Accused would-be Trump assassin tried to buy Ukraine rocket launcher, filing says [Click] I had nearly forgotten this case; it sounds almost like he was trying to be caught.
ReplyDelete----Alan
Gee, tried to buy? Why didn't they just ask?
Delete