[ExI] Presidential overstep

spike at rainier66.com spike at rainier66.com
Thu Mar 7 15:02:55 UTC 2019


 

 

From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> On Behalf Of John Clark
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2019 6:30 AM
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Subject: Re: [ExI] Presidential overstep

 

On Wed, Mar 6, 2019 at 11:56 PM <spike at rainier66.com <mailto:spike at rainier66.com> > wrote:

 

>…declare the election null and void, lock up his political opponent who won 

 

> US presidents don’t have the power to do that.

 

I know, but US dictators do. …

 

Agreed, which is why we don’t have one and why the constitution is written to prevent one.

 

> He could make fiery speeches.  POTUSes can’t get someone arrested.

 

>…I know, but US dictators can. You keep saying Trump can not do stuff because a piece of paper called the Constitution says its against the rules…

 

That’s right.  The constitution is what gives a POTUS any authority at all.  

 

Regarding dictators, it has been tried, in our times.  Nixon tried to get his own guys, who report directly to him, to fire a special prosecutor.  They refused, arguing that it was an illegal order.

 

A POTUS can’t get someone arrested, but they could have someone killed.  It wouldn’t be legal of course.  A presidential candidate in 2016 suggested murdering Julian Assange with a drone.  No one took it seriously: they didn’t have a drone.  They weren’t in office yet.

 

>… Trump has expressed his admiration of President Andrew Jackson and Jackson's most famous quote is "The Supreme Court has made its decision now let them enforce it".  John K Clark

 

 

Jackson didn’t get his way.  But he is an example of one who would have converted the office of POTUS into dictator if he could have.  He could (and did) make fiery speeches.  The office of POTUS isn’t all that powerful, as we are seeing now.  If nothing else, the current POTUS has reduced the power of the office of POTUS, which in turn reduces the power of congress.  All of this is good.

 

John you worry too much me lad.  If you want something to worry about, consider this.  The US government has become completely dependent on a communist government loaning it money just to make normal expenses.  China’s government has the authority to order its people to desist lending money to the US at any time.  If it does, the US has no practical way to raise the difference.  It realizes this, so the federal government has to stand by and watch as China builds islands in international waters, then claims more and more territory in what had been sea lanes.  The US cannot go to war with China over that.  They can’t even pressure the China over that, because it needs China’s money.  Your worrying about a dictator rising during peacetime is distracting you from the real danger the world really is facing.  China is planning to take ownership of a huge swath of the Pacific.  The US can’t do anything about it.

 

spike

 

 

 

 

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