“Oh when the saints, oh when the saints, oh when the saints go marchin’ in..,” what do you really know about martial law and a certain presidential hopeful?

What a collection of keystone cops.  And, we absolutely cannot forget this Cretan:

Almighty Zeus, this is the face of the MAGA movement? Wow.  Just think about how these twin images contribute to our global image.  All January 6th did, however, was to make us look like this:

 Alright. Once more into the breach Dear Reader, we’ll ‘let loose the dogs of war’… on our very own ringleader, Donald ‘I love my orange pancake makeup’ Trump.

Yeah, I really detest this asshole, and I’m absolutely terrified he’ll be reelected in 2024. 

Trump has hinted that he’ll be, let’s just say a little more forceful in using the military to quell anything he deems to be “domestic violence” if reelected.

Sh&t, why doesn’t this dickhead just return to his home on Saturn?

So.  What do we know about martial law, and the American president’s ability to use the army in a domestic arena? First, let’s define martial law:

From the Oxford Reference Library:

"A state of military control of the general population. Authority may be granted to a state's military forces during war or other emergency situations, or seized, unconstitutionally, in a coup d'état."

Uh. OK. That’s not terrifying at all. 

Now, let’s take a look at something called “The Insurrection Act”:

And, what is the Insurrection Act?

"The Insurrection Act authorizes the president to deploy military forces inside the United States to suppress rebellion or domestic violence or to enforce the law in certain situations. The statute implements Congress’s authority under the Constitution to “provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions.” It is the primary exception to the Posse Comitatus Act under which federal military forces are generally barred from participating in civilian law enforcement activities."

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/insurrection-act-explained

251. Federal aid for State governments

"Whenever there is an insurrection in any State against its government, the President may, upon the request of its legislature or of its governor if the legislature cannot be convened, call into Federal service such of the militia of the other States, in the number requested by that State, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary to suppress the insurrection."

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 15, §331; renumbered §251, Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XII, §1241(a)(2), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2497.)

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title10/subtitleA/part1/chapter13&edition=prelim#:~:text=Whenever%20there%20is%20an%20insurrection,use%20such%20of%20the%20armed

Uh, holy merde? F$&k? What the f&@k?????????

Why don’t we just conjure Thor, the god of thunder, and his f&$@ing hammer?

Why in hell would anyone enact a statute like this? In other words, in what context was The Insurrection Act created?   This article provides some answers:  https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/2421411/calling-forth-the-military-a-brief-history-of-the-insurrection-act/  This piece provides a lovely history of the Act, discussing how the history of this country has been deeply influenced by the Roman suspicion/hatred/injunction against the domestic use of the military.  Remember Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon, leading his troops into Italy (in gross violation of one of Rome's deepest moral tenets)? You have to remember, Dear Reader, the incredible influence of the Roman Republic on the formation of this country.  And yet, we also must remember the death of that Republic, and the subsequent elevation of Julius Caesar to some kind of divine ruler.

Of course we all remember what happened to Caesar...

To tell you the truth, I don't really know what would happen if Trump wins the 2024 election.  All I can tell you, is that the man's ego is dangerous.  His followers are also dangerous, because of their blind love of this man, in addition to their blind hatred of his enemies.  I also don't have to reiterate to you, Dear Reader, that violence always follows when such men take absolute power, especially when that action goes against the fundamental traditions of the state.

Let me provide you with a little more context for this obscure (and fing dangerous law):

"The law is a model of how not to draft major legislation. Key terms like “insurrection” and “rebellion” are left undefined. The language is so outdated that no modern American can be sure of its meaning. The few times the law was reformed, it was changed to give the president more power rather than less. And courts have interpreted it to grant the president exclusive and unreviewable authority to decide whether the conditions to deploy the military have been met. 

There’s a complete absence of checks and balances. As a result, we rely on the wisdom and good faith of a single person to uphold the important wall between military action and domestic policing. 

Trump reportedly considered activating the Insurrection Act twice during his presidency — first to quell Black Lives Matter protests and later to hold on to power after his election defeat"  https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/trumps-insurrection-act-threat. 

Now, here is what the Associated Press reported on Trump's comments about his possible domestic use of the military, perhaps through the Insurrection Act:

"WASHINGTON (AP) — Campaigning in Iowa this year, Donald Trump said he was prevented during his presidency from using the military to quell violence in primarily Democratic cities and states.

Calling New York City and Chicago “crime dens,” the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination told his audience, “The next time, I’m not waiting. One of the things I did was let them run it and we’re going to show how bad a job they do,” he said. “Well, we did that. We don’t have to wait any longer.”

Trump has not spelled out precisely how he might use the military during a second term, although he and his advisers have suggested they would have wide latitude to call up units. While deploying the military regularly within the country’s borders would be a departure from tradition, the former president already has signaled an aggressive agenda if he wins, from mass deportations to travel bans imposed on certain Muslim-majority countries." https://apnews.com/article/trump-military-insurrection-act-2024-election-03858b6291e4721991b5a18c2dfb3c36

Gosh! Golly gee whiz! I didn't know that NYC and/or Chicago were crime dens.

"Crime Dens."  Sigh.  Where is the Dark Knight when we need him?

Trump's team seems to be more successful this time around, in keeping his mouth shut--'embarrassing faux pas r them'-- at least in the past.  His internet presence seems to have calmed down a little bit as well, but its' all relative, isn't it?

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Gand recently warned of “a deeply disturbing spike in threats against those who serve the public.” Last month, his top deputy said the Department of Justice is receiving urgent reports of threats to public officials “on a weekly basis.” Around the country, election officials in key battleground states say they are devoting unprecedented resources to election and physical security, and are bracing for an increasingly hellish 2024 to come.

The man who has inspired much of the wave of threats and intimidation efforts directed at politicians, judges, prosecutors, and other officials is not disturbed by any of this. Trump has stressed to close allies that if those individuals — who he says are “harassing” him or trying to “cheat” him out of the 2024 election — simply did what he wanted, the torrent of death threats would stop immediately

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-threats-2024-election-horror-show-1234953036/

Alright.  You might argue, that I've been drawing from liberal sources (not really though), but the following is from the moron's own website:

"THEY’RE NOT AFTER ME,

THEY’RE AFTER YOU

…I’M JUST STANDING

IN THE WAY!”

DONALD J. TRUMP, 45th President of the United States

Ok, how about this:

"Our populist movement to Make America Great Again is the only force on earth that will lead our country back to safety, prosperity, and peace. I will never stop fighting for you, the American People, against the failed political establishment. I take the slings and arrows for you so that we can have our country back. Together, we will finish the job of saving our country once and for all and raise the next generation of strong American Patriots and Leaders."

https://www.donaldjtrump.com/mission

One idea I find particularly frightening, is Trump's "vision" of overhauling our university system, and replacing it with "The American University":

https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-the-american-academy

Oooooooooooh yeah.  Let's trash academic freedom....  But, wait.  That's been done before:

Oh yeah, what a magnificent first lady we'll have if this twit gets reelected, right?

I mean, she it's clear (to me at least) that doesn't give a shit about how her aversion looks!

And, then there is this classic 'Melania Moment', taken when she was on her way to visit with immigrant children in the Texas shelters:

The jacket reads "I really don't care, do u?"

This (former) First couple were (and are) an embarrassment to this country.  Arguably, the First Family should represent our country favorably.  They did NOT succeed.

It makes me inordinately sad to think that even one American is thinking about electing this used car salesman and his trophy wife to a second term in office.

But, the race isn't over yet, is it? Only time will tell.

Perhaps this is the price of freedom.  I don't know.