[ExI] > Taiwan is standing strong

[John Clark]

On Wed, Mar 18, 2020 at 12:37 PM spike jones via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:


> > *Not only does POTUS not have a free hand, POTUS cannot legally be
> given a free hand.*


I know perfectly well it would be illegal for Trump to delay the election,
that doesn't mean it won't happen. Human laws are not like the laws of
physics, they can be broken.


> > *To give POTUS a free hand would violate the COTUS,*
>

Yeah it certainly would.


> *> POTUS does not have any authority on the date of the November
> election. *
>

To paraphrase Mao Zedong, authority comes from the barrel of a gun. And
before you ask the answer is no, I am not a fan of Mao Zedong.

>>…In 1864 some people urged the President to delay the November election…
>
>
> *> No doubt he would have done that had he the power.*
>

Lincoln had the power to delay the election but he didn't have the will to
do so. And history has looked at his decision with affection.

*> He didn’t refuse.  He didn’t have the authority, even in time of civil
> war, to delay that election.*
>

Lincoln didn't have the authority to issue the Emancipation Proclamation
freeing the slaves either, it was blatantly unconstitutional, but he had
both the will and the power to do so. And history has looked at his
decision with affection. If Trump delays the November 3 election history
will not be as kind.

 John K Clark
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