Trump’s pick for FCC chairman…..
As relevant here, Big Tech’s prized liability shield—Section 230—only applies to “good faith” actions.
My letter goes to Big Tech’s continued reliance on NewsGuard given its track record.
For one, reports indicate that NewsGuard has consistently rated official propaganda from…
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) November 15, 2024
We Are Living in Interesting Times
We are living in interesting times. Tulsi Gabbard will be taking the role of Director of National Intelligence, John Radcliffe will be Director of the CIA, Matt Gaetz will (I predict) be the Attorney General, Robert Kennedy will be the Secretary of HHS, and the rumor is that Kash Patel will be Director of the FBI; if Gaetz and Patel aren’t confirmed, the rumor is they will be investigating senators’ federally-funded hush-money payments for the senators own sexual peccadilloes (which is why I predict they’ll be confirmed).
This reminds me of other interesting times.
During and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a lot of the Soviet client states own governments collapsed. Sometimes violently, as with Romania or the fission of Yugoslavia, sometimes more quietly, but pretty uniformly, the Soviet-aligned satrapies were replaced by their own people.
The unification of East and West Germany wasn’t particularly violent, but the Germans on both sides of the Wall were very interested in finding out what The German “Democratic” Republic was doing, and to whom, during its reign.
Central to that and one of the largest parts of the GDR government was the Minsiterium für Stattssicherheit, familiarly abbreviated to the Stasi. A good summary is at the link (at least now, that is, Wikipedia), but in short, the Stasi arrested upwards of 250,000 people and extended its hooks into every aspect of East German life.
The ratio for the Stasi was one secret policeman per 166 East Germans. When the regular informers are added, these ratios become much higher: In the Stasi’s case, there would have been at least one spy watching every 66 citizens! When one adds in the estimated numbers of part-time snoops, the result is nothing short of monstrous: one informer per 6.5 citizens. It would not have been unreasonable to assume that at least one Stasi informer was present in any party of ten or twelve dinner guests. Like a giant octopus, the Stasi’s tentacles probed every aspect of life.
— John O. Koehler, “Stasi:The Untold Story of the East German Secret Police”
After the “Peaceful Revolution” of 1989, Stasi offices were taken over by the German people, while former Stasi officers desperately tried to destroy files and records, unsuccessfully, as it turned out.
But why did the Stasi collect all this information in its archives? The main purpose was to control the society. In nearly every speech, the Stasi minister gave the order to find out who is who, which meant who thinks what. He didn’t want to wait until somebody tried to act against the regime. He wanted to know in advance what people were thinking and planning. The East Germans knew, of course, that they were surrounded by informers, in a totalitarian regime that created mistrust and a state of widespread fear, the most important tools to oppress people in any dictatorship.
—Hubertus Knabe, German historian
The files were massive and damning. It was no wonder they were trying to destroy them. As I say, they were interesting times.
Now we’re having our own interesting times. I think we’re in nearly similar times to the German Peaceful Revolution. Oh, I don’t mean to imply that the FBI, CIA, and DoJ were as bad as the Stasi — I would be very much amazed that there were hundreds of thousands of people imprisoned for Wrongthink.
But thousands? Seems likely. And more thousands were intimidated, charged, and harassed. All of them are in government files that are now vulnerable to being disclosed. Jeremy Epstein’s passenger lists. Records of the FBI agents and informers who were supposed to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer. Records of Crossfire Hurricane and DoJ cooperation with Fani Willis, Alvin Bragg, and Letitia James. And most interesting of all, files covering people we don’t know to expect. That’s the way political police work — they don’t intimidate and investigate and collude with only the people we expect.
As I say, we live in interesting times.
I can only stand just so much of this joy….
🚨 Just in! 🚨
President-elect Donald Trump has picked Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright for Secretary of Energy. 💡
Wright has been an outspoken critic of the “climate crisis” narrative and is a fossil fuel advocate. After all, he is CEO of a fracking company. 🛢️
He has also…
— Chris Martz (@ChrisMartzWX) November 16, 2024
Matt Gaetz may scare Democrats more than President-elect Trump
Gaetz doesn’t seem to care. He has bigger things on his mind.
Last January, former U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz [R-FL-1] introduced H.R. 374. It was a short bill that became known as the “Abolish the ATF Act.”
“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is hereby abolished,” Gaetz’s bill said.
It was simple, really.
Unfortunately, it received the same response as other bills Gaetz had submitted, such as H.R. 9534, the National Constitutional Carry Act, or H.R.3142, the Stand Your Ground Act of 2023. The bills were introduced but never received any further attention.
Gaetz didn’t seem to care about his lost legislation. He had bigger things on his mind.
Gaetz will always be known best for leading the fight that dumped the former Republican Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, last year. But for those who really know the 42-year-old former congressman who lives in Fort Walton Beach, Florida with his wife Ginger, this too was just par for his course.
Gaetz’s critics were never the silent type. Now, they’ve become slaphappy and completely unglued.
Axios reported there were gasps in the room coming from Republican lawmakers when Gaetz name was first announced.
“It must be the worst nomination for a cabinet position in American History,” John Bolton told NBC’s Meet the Press. Gaetz is “totally incompetent” for the AG position, Bolton said, adding, “This is a nomination the Republican Party would oppose.”
“I don’t think it’s a serious nomination for the attorney general,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska. “This one was not on my Bingo card.”
The BBC seemed to get Trump’s Gaetz decision better than the rest of the traditional media. They said Gaetz’s “bombastic approach” meant that he has no shortage of enemies, including some of his fellow Republicans.
“And so, Trump’s choice of Gaetz for this crucial role is a signal to those Republicans, too — his second administration will be staffed by loyalists who he trusts to enact his agenda, conventional political opinion be damned,” the BBC wrote.
Gaetz recent resignation from the House brought a quick halt to the internal investigations that had plagued him for the past few years, and House Speaker Mike Johnson referred to Gaetz as an “accomplished attorney.”
“He’s a reformer in his mind and heart, and I think that he’ll bring a lot to the table on that,” Johnson said.
To be clear, Gaetz has denied every allegation made against him, which are now moot.
Gaetz is nothing new or divisive to longtime Floridians. In fact, he’s exactly what we want from our public servants. A longtime radio host told me Thursday morning that Gaetz’s now former constituents cared about two issues: “Guns and guns.” I would strongly agree.
Gaetz cares more about the Second Amendment than anyone else in Congress — especially the Democrats. So, of course they are going to attack him personally. In fact, Gaetz is currently attracting as much if not more hate and discontent from the left than President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Unfortunately, much of the press Gaetz now faces is about what you’d expect, especially the stories from NBC.
A story published by NBC News Wednesday titled, “Justice Dept. employees stunned at Trump’s ‘insane,’ ‘unbelievable’ choice of Matt Gaetz for attorney general,” sums up most of the angst that characterizes the legacy media.
“OMG,” a current senior Justice Department official said. A second department official called the selection “truly stunning,” and a third labeled it “insane,” the story claims. Of course, none of the alleged Republicans were named.
I’m pretty confident that Gaetz isn’t bothered by NBC’s stories or those of other likeminded reporters. After all, he’s got as they say in his section of Florida’s panhandle, bigger fish to fry.
Matt Gaetz has strongly supported the Second Amendment since his first day in Congress, and he will get President-elect Trump’s backing for his new job regardless of what the Democrats choose to do, even if it takes a recess appointment or some other type of maneuver.
Florida and now the entire country need Matt Gaetz.
Thousands of ICE Officers Will Be Reassigned From Desk Jobs to Field Work.
The New York Post is reporting that incoming Border Czar and former Border Patrol agent Tom Homan will reassign U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who are currently engaged in processing asylum applications and other office work to the field.
During the Biden administration, up to 70% of ICE officers from field offices were assigned to desk jobs. Most of them will be assigned and, after training in fieldwork, hit the streets of America’s sanctuary cities.
Homan put those cities on notice.
“If they’re not willing to do it then get out of the way — we’re coming,” Homan said. He noted that tougher immigration enforcement will require more manpower “so if I have to flood agents to the sanctuary cities to get the job done then that’s what we’re gonna do.”
It’s unclear how Trump’s mass deportation plan will work. It’s a good bet that people will not be randomly stopped on the street and asked for their “papers.”
But doing the job that cities refused to do — holding illegal alien criminals convicted of felonies to turn over to ICE — would be a very good start.
“If the fugitive operations street team isn’t making enough arrests, they’ll crack down on them first,” a source told the Post. He’s referring to the ICE program that helps field offices locate and arrest illegal aliens who represent a threat to national security or public safety.
“And if that’s still not enough, then they’ll probably be mandated to add more officers to the arrest team to make more arrests.”
Grandstanding Democrats are waving the bloody shirt, promising to resist the federal government’s efforts to arrest illegal aliens. One of the early frontrunners for the 2028 Democratic nomination, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, challenged Homan to enforce the law in Illinois.
“To anyone that comes to take away freedom and dignity of Illinoisans, I would remind you that a happy warrior is still a warrior,” Pritzker said.
“You come for my people – you come through me.”
The 300-pound Pritzker would certainly present a problem trying to go through him. But Homan threw down his own gauntlet in response.
“Game on. We’ve got no problem going through him. I’ve got 20,000 men and women in ICE who are going to do their job with no apology,” Homan said. “And if any governor wants to stand in the way, go ahead and do it. We’ll see what happens. We’re not gonna be intimidated.”
Homan, who served in the last Trump administration as acting ICE director, said that in his first week on the job, he plans to visit the southern and northern borders and meet with Border Patrol and ICE personnel to get a sense of their greatest needs.
He also indicated that he would prioritize making arrests of illegal migrants who pose threats to national security and public safety, and bring back worksite raids, which the Biden-Harris administration halted in October 2021.
“And look, there’s some worse than others, I get that,” Homan continued. “And even if they’re not a criminal alien, when you cross that border and you overwhelm the border patrol… that’s when the fentanyl comes across to kill a quarter-million people. That’s when you have a 600% increase in sex trafficking. That’s when you have a record number of terrorists crossing the border. Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime.”
“We’re gonna enforce the law without apology… and if any governor wants to stand in the way, go ahead and do it. We’ll see what happens. We’re not gonna be intimidated.”
I think Pritzker, Gavin Newsom, and other Democratic governors have met their match.
Trump appoints Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence
I thought he said she wasn’t going to have a part in his administration?
Appears that he got told different.
Trump nominates Matt Gaetz as attorney general.
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.
One thing for sure, Gaetz hates bureaucraps, but Trump needs to stop it with nominating serving Republican Representatives with the House majority likely, but still not confirmed. If the demoncraps gain power, all we’ll see is them continually impeaching him on whatever frivolous charge they can think up.
Here’s Trump’s Plan to Purge the Pentagon of the Woke Brass
President-elect Donald J. Trump is sending signals to the military brass. They’re going back to protecting our country, killing our enemies, and enhancing our national security. The era of woke nonsense and sensitivity training is over. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Trump’s plans for the Pentagon, alluding to the “chilling” effect it could have on the officer corps, but the president-elect has a mandate and should use it.
The reported executive order would create a “warrior board” of retired generals and other senior personnel who would review the leadership qualities of the officers in question. There’s no re-election effort lingering overhead either, so don’t be shocked if this executive is issued. It’s time to clean house (via WSJ):
The Trump transition team is considering a draft executive order that establishes a “warrior board” of retired senior military personnel with the power to review three- and four-star officers and to recommend removals of any deemed unfit for leadership.
If Donald Trump approves the order, it could fast-track the removal of generals and admirals found to be “lacking in requisite leadership qualities,” according to a draft of the order reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. But it could also create a chilling effect on top military officers, given the president-elect’s past vow to fire “woke generals,” referring to officers seen as promoting diversity in the ranks at the expense of military readiness.
As commander in chief, Trump can fire any officer at will, but an outside board whose members he appoints would bypass the Pentagon’s regular promotion system, signaling across the military that he intends to purge a number of generals and admirals.
The draft order says it aims to establish a review that focuses “on leadership capability, strategic readiness, and commitment to military excellence.” The draft doesn’t specify what officers need to do or present to show if they meet those standards. The draft order originated with one of several outside policy groups collaborating with the transition team, and is one of numerous executive orders under review by Trump’s team, a transition official said.
The warrior board would be made up of retired generals and noncommissioned officers, who would send their recommendations to the president. Those identified for removal would be retired at their current rank within 30 days.
There’s likely to be a media overreaction, and officers who engaged in this DEI/woke nonsense are likely to retire instead of fighting this board. Whatever the reason, I like the blueprint. Let’s see if the administration follows through.
Before you start freaking out about Pete Hegseth, let me educate you.
Pete has a bachelors from Princeton, a Masters from Harvard, 2 bronze stars, was a Major in the Army National Guard, has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan (has a CIB), and listen to this… pic.twitter.com/d2smhgYf5s
— Kron (@Kronykal) November 13, 2024
This ain’t your father’s Donald Trump
This is the Lemon-scented Super Duper Ultra President Trump with OxiClean
Our once and future president Donald Trump is announcing his appointments to his next administration via Twitter and Truth Social, bypassing the media completely. This avoids a formal announcement and having to answer silly, loaded questions at press conferences asked by DNC water carriers who pose as reporters.
His new approach bodes well for his second term because the media will no longer control how the news is presented. Those following Twitter and Truth Social will get the news first and straight from the source.
But that’s not the only thing Trump is doing differently from 2016. Democrats are freaking out because Trump’s transition team won’t play by their rules.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said on Monday that President elect-Trump “and his transition team are already breaking” a law on presidential transition.
“Donald Trump and his transition team are already breaking the law,” Warren said in a post on the social platform X. “I would know because I wrote the law. Incoming presidents are required to prevent conflicts of interest and sign an ethics agreement.”
“This is what illegal corruption looks like,” she added.
And here is what legal corruption looks like.
Warren’s changing of the rules is why Trump hasn’t accepted federal money or office space because it comes with Democrat strings attached.
Earlier, the Economist reported:
Trump has steered clear of any government funding or office space so far, so distrustful are his allies of career civil servants and the Biden administration. That frees him to accept unlimited private donations. Cantor Fitzgerald Chief Executive Officer Howard Lutnick is running personnel while Linda McMahon, Trump’s former head of the Small Business Administration, is supervising the policy operation.
I recall in 2008 that Obama decided against accepting federal matching money for his presidential campaign because it would limit his fundraising. That pretty much ended Democrats and Republicans accepting the money because it wasn’t free. It came with strings attached, as does this money.
In order to get federal aid, Trump must sign an agreement with this administration, which is headed by the man who called Trump supporters garbage. The Hill said this agreement is done “so [the Democrat] staff may get their hands on relevant resources like facilities, documents, executive branch employees and national security information in the period between the election and the inauguration. Those agreements also feature an ethics plan.”
Sounds perfectly legit. Trade their privacy for a few bucks more.
The Hill also reported:
Last month, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) raised concerns in a letter to Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance over their campaign’s failure to enter into presidential transition agreements with the federal government. Raskin warned that the delay could have an unfavorable impact on the transfer of power in the upcoming year.
“Breaking the precedent set by every other presidential candidate since 2010, you have rejected these resources and refused to commit to a smooth transition,” Raskin wrote.
“Your actions depart from well-established norms of the federal government and demonstrate a spectacular disregard for the successful continuation of the essential institutions of American democratic government,” he added.
Like Hunter Biden, these entitled Democrats are spoiled rotten brats. They are dogs who keep chasing the car — only to crash when the driver slams on the brakes.
If the Trump administration decided to ask me to become the Director of the ATF, I would gladly accept and help make America great again 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
— Brandon Herrera (@TheAKGuy) November 9, 2024
BLUF
There is nothing wrong with Trump doing just that, and the worst results of that process would not be as bad as what we’ve seen with the military being suborned on a wholesale level by the left.
The observance of Pride Month, celebrated every June, was first recognized by the Department of Defense in June 2012. It is a time when the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community come together to celebrate love and authenticity. Maj. Rachel Jones is an example of this, serving openly as a transgender female Soldier. Jones is the U.S. Army Sustainment Command’s Cyber Division chief, G6 (Information Management). (Sarah Patterson)
That -whatever that is -shouldn’t be anywhere near a uniform, and should be discharged. Miles
Former President Donald Trump’s use of a mashup of scenes from the 1987 Stanley Kubrick film, “Full Metal Jacket,” interspersed with clips of today’s military, has caused some outrage on the left, but mostly, it has caused consternation among some of the right people.
I think it is inarguable that the military created by Joe Biden and Kamala is only fractionally as effective as the military under Trump. And even in Trump’s first term, the rot of DEI and “gender equality” had already taken root.
The failure of Biden and Harris is made clear every day as the only way the services make their manpower goals is by cutting end strength. We’ve seen the US Navy in the Western Pacific on the cusp of being unable to operate because of a lack of fleet oilers.
The official and institutional embrace of sexual fetishes as a normal part of the military has been shocking. The clips Trump shows are nowhere near as bad as the situation really is.
Trump’s promise to fire the generals behind this insanity is viewed by Kamala’s flailing and undirected campaign as a campaign issue.
DeSantis Declares No Orders for Closing Gun Stores Ahead of Milton
If Hurricane Helene was all we had to deal with, that would have been plenty for the year. Unfortunately, now Florida is bracing for Milton, which is expected to reach category four status and then slam into the state.
With all the death and devastation hitting a part of the country that pretty much never has to worry about hurricanes, a lot of stories have gotten lost in the shuffle. We covered the situation in Okeechobee, Florida where the police chief illegally decreed that gun stores must be closed. No one stopped what they were doing because of the decree, mind you, and it wasn’t enforced–the chief says it was a mistake that shouldn’t have happened–but it was still a thing.
Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking steps to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued an emergency declaration ahead of Hurricane Milton that prohibits Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie from exercising his authority to suspend or limit gun sales.
The preemption of Guthrie’s authority is unprecedented and even highlighted in the news release that went out with the executive order declaring an emergency:…
Florida law allows the emergency management director to prohibit citizens from carrying guns and selling guns and ammunition during an emergency, but Guthrie has not taken such action as far as available records show.
Except that it doesn’t.
It provides for emergency management directors to prohibit the carrying and selling of firearms when there have been acts of violence or defiance of lawful authority. That simply doesn’t exist here, so no, Guthrie doesn’t actually have the authority to do so. The fact that he hasn’t doesn’t mean he won’t, and after what happened to Okeechobee, well, DeSantis is taking steps to make sure it doesn’t happen this time.
“But this is unprecedented!” the writers declare.
Sure, it’s unprecedented, but that’s because no one figured they needed to spell it out specifically before. Prior to Okeechobee, no one in Florida thought that someone would try to prohibit the lawful carry of a firearm or the sale of one in the lead-up to a hurricane. Sure, I could see them doing it during a riot or some kind of uprising, but for a storm?
Yet someone did, and DeSantis clearly wants to make sure there’s not a repeat.
Yes, officials said it was a mistake, that they didn’t mean to sign any such order and it was never enforced, and so on. That doesn’t mean someone else won’t try to do it simply because they don’t like guns.
I don’t think Guthrie would do so–he was appointed to his job by DeSantis, so, probably, he’s not exactly a gun control enthusiast–but this also shields him from criticism if something goes sideways and someone gets shot during the storm or the immediate aftermath. It’s unlikely we’ll see widespread violence or anything, but we also know how the news media gets.
No, DeSantis did the right thing and media hysterics are nothing but an attempt to try and pretend this is something that it’s not.
People need to be able to buy guns right up until the stores close because the stores’ management decides its time to close. DeSantis making sure there’s no repeat of Helene and Okeechobee is just good sense.
Trump Wins: Supreme Court Says Presidents Covered by Immunity for ‘Official Acts’
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of former President Donald Trump on Monday, holding in a 6-3 decision that presidents are covered by limited immunity from criminal prosecutions for actions taken while in office.
The decision is here.
The Court held, according to the summary of the decision:
Under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority. And he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts. There is no immunity for unofficial acts.
The Court also ruled that a president is entitled to a pretrial hearing on immunity that can be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court before a trial begins.
This means that any trial of the former president will take place after the November 5, 2024, election.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing the opinion for the Court’s conservative majority, said:
This case poses a question of lasting significance: When may a former President be prosecuted for official acts taken during his Presidency? Our Nation has never before needed an answer. But in addressing that question today, unlike the political branches and the public at large, we cannot afford to fixate exclusively, or even primarily, on present exigencies. In a case like this one, focusing on “transient results” may have profound consequences for the separation of powers and for the future of our Republic.…
The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official. The President is not above the law. But Congress may not criminalize the President’s conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the Executive Branch under the Constitution. And the system of separated powers designed by the Framers has always demanded an energetic, independent Executive.
The President therefore may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled, at a minimum, to a presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts. That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office, regardless of politics, policy, or party.
Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed legislation SB 301 last week to prohibit credit card companies and other financial institutions from tracking firearm and firearm-related purchases in Louisiana.
Landry’s signature made Louisiana the 16th state to ban such tracking efforts.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Darren LaSorte applauded Landry:
Governor Jeff Landry’s signature on the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act is a powerful statement that the Second Amendment rights of Louisianans are not negotiable. This law will protect Louisiana’s citizens from unlawful intrusion on their private purchases when purchasing firearms and ammunition with a payment card.
“‘Woke’ Wall Street banks, credit card companies and payment processors won’t be able to collude with government entities to spy on Louisianans’ private finances when they exercise their rights,” LaSorte added. “No American should fear being placed on a government watchlist because they choose their Constitutionally-protected rights to keep and bear arms.”
The other 15 states that have barred credit card tracking of firearm and firearm-related purchases are Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Iowa, Kentucky, Wyoming, Indiana, Utah, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia.
On the other hand, California’s Democrat-controlled legislature passed a bill requiring credit card companies to track firearm and firearm-related purchases in their state. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed the legislation, which takes effect in 2025.
The merit of our Constitution is not that it promotes democracy, but checks it.
– Horatio Seymour, 18th Governor of New York
Bank of America Walks Back Gun Lending Ban
One of the country’s largest financial institutions is reversing course on AR-15s and other popular firearms.
Bank of America backed off its blanket ban on lending to companies that manufacture what it has labeled “military-style firearms,” Bloomberg first reported Friday. Going forward, the bank will resume lending to firearms companies on a case-by-case basis subject to “enhanced due diligence,” according to its latest Environmental and Social Risk Policy (ESRP) Framework.
Bill Haldin, a spokesperson for Bank of America, confirmed the change in policy in a statement to The Reload.
“Certain client relationships or transactions that carry heightened risks go through a due diligence process that involves senior level risk review,” he said. “We recently detailed that in our updated risk policy framework.”
The about-face comes as Republican-led states are increasingly turning up the heat on financial institutions and other businesses that adopt environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies they argue target legal firearms and energy production. Gun commerce, in particular, has become a flashpoint in recent years as major banks like Bank of America, JPMorgan, and Citibank publicly cut off funding to businesses that sell certain firearms and accessories. In response, Republicans in states like Texas and Florida have shown an increased willingness to use new government regulations to combat those practices.
Fetterman has turned out to be a less a demoncrap and more a thorn in the party’s side.
Fetterman: Biden’s Ceasefire Proposal Isn’t ‘Meaningful Peace’, Hamas Has to Be Destroyed
During an interview aired on Friday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Special Report,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) reacted to President Joe Biden’s ceasefire proposal by stating that there won’t “be any meaningful peace, so long as Hamas is able to operate.”
Host Bret Baier asked, [relevant exchange begins around 3:50] “Sen. Fetterman, while I have you, the President endorsed a ceasefire proposal today, … and essentially, it would stop going after Hamas, would release all the hostages, and be a permanent ceasefire. Your thoughts on that proposal?”
Fetterman answered, “I’ve been very clear, I’m going to follow Israel in this situation. I do believe that Hamas needs to be destroyed, and it needs to be followed to the end, until there is an absolute surrender and they are…either in exile or they’re brought to justice or they’re eliminated. One way or another, there’s not going to be any meaningful peace, so long as Hamas is able to operate. And if you look at all of the damage, the death, and all of that, that’s exactly what Hamas wants. They designed that to be that way. They really don’t care how many Palestinians actually die and their suffering. Actually, Israel cares about minimizing all of the civilian deaths and all of the kinds of damage.”
Cynical Publius
I get the sense that a lot of people across the entire political spectrum do not fully understand one of the very most basic reasons why the US federal government is such a tyrannical soup sandwich, so I thought I would write a quick primer.
The US Constitution limits the power of the federal government vis-a-vis the states (or the People). To the extent the federal government has certain enumerated powers, it is up to Congress to make laws, and it is up to the President to enforce them. (Yes, I know that it is a very simplified explanation, but it’s basically true.)
Certain federal agencies housed in the Executive Branch have existed almost from the nation’s founding, but these related solely and directly to the President’s Constitutionally-enumerated powers, thus the War Department (for example) was necessary. However, starting with the establishment of the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1887, we began to see Congress abdicating some of its lawmaking powers to federal agencies.
Through the following decades, with the desire of the so-called “progressives” to establish rule by “experts,” that abdication of Congressional law-making responsibilities went on warp drive, through Woodrow Wilson, through FDR and even through Richard Nixon, as numerous new federal agencies came into being.
Over those decades, more and more law-making authority was delegated to those federal agencies, most of which were housed in the Executive Branch and responsive to the President, thus greatly expanding the President’s powers beyond the original Constitutional intent.
Over time, even the powers of the third branch—the Judicial Branch—were co-opted into the Executive Branch as these administrative agencies were given the power to create their own courts, thus ruling on disputes regarding and enforcement of the very laws they made.
Penultimately, we have reached the point today where the Executive Branch has subsumed many of the Constitutional authorities of the Legislative and Judicial Branches, creating the tyrannical federal government we see today—one run by life-tenured, unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats who rule first and foremost for the growth and protection of their own agencies.
Now Donald Trump wants to undo much of this. He wants to unwind this cabal of extra-Constitutional power, and he wants to do so by taking that power OUT OF THE VERY BRANCH HE WILL RUN and return that power to the Constitutional authorities where it belongs. This effort to unwind the power in the Executive Branch is what worries Fascist Democrats when they talk about Trump “destroying democracy,” and it’s why they call him a “dictator.”
(Which is hilarious, since Trump would be the very first “dictator” in world history whose primary purpose is to reduce his own power, thereby enhancing democracy.)
So hopefully that makes things more clear. I left a lot out and simplified some very complex issues, but I think this covers things at the most basic level. If you want to know more, Google the following:
1. Administrative Procedure Act.
2. “Abolishing the Administrative Procedure Act.”
3. Chevron v. NRDC.
4. INS v. Chadha.
5. Wickard v. Filburn
Have a patriotic day please.
Louisiana Passes Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act
BATON ROUGE, LA. (May 28, 2024) – Today, the Louisiana Senate gave final approval to the “Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act,” a bill to prohibit financial institutions from using a credit card merchant code that would enable the tracking of firearm and ammunition purchases.
Sen. Blake Miguez filed Senate Bill 301 (SB301) on March 1. The bill would prohibit any financial institution operating in the state from requiring or permitting “the assignment of a firearms code in a way that distinguishes a firearms retailer from other retailers.”
SB301 also prohibits all state and local government entities from keeping any list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or the owners of such firearms. Financial institutions would be prohibited from denying a transaction based on the code. Those found guilty in a court of violating the law would be subject to a fine not to exceed $1,000 per violation, with the court determining the amount by factors “including the financial resources of the violator and the harm or risk of harm to the rights under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 11 of the Constitution of Louisiana, resulting from the violation.”
On April 16, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 28-11. Last week, the House approved the measure with some technical amendments by a vote of 74-26. Today, the Senate concurred with a vote of 27-9.
Over the 2023-2024 legislative sessions, at least 13 states have passed similar legislation.