Trump has exposed the weaknesses of our much-ballyhooed system of checks and balances. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Pay Attention to the Risk of Martial Law
The latest ravings of our tyrannical President highlight a true threat to democracy.
History will record that on Friday, December 18, Donald Trump held a discussion in the Oval Office about imposing martial law.
Martial law!
To even consider imposing martial law should be anathema to anyone who respects democracy and is sworn to uphold the Constitution.
Disgraced General Michael Flynn was in the Oval Office urging Trump to engage in this grotesquely unconstitutional and anti-constitutional maneuver. So was Trump's lawyer, Sidney Powell.
This will leave the ultimate stain on Trump's reputation, along with the blood of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who died of COVID-19 due to his negligence and narcissism.
To even consider imposing martial law should be anathema to anyone who respects democracy and is sworn to uphold the Constitution.
And to consider it for the sole and selfish purpose of holding on to power marks a new low, one that even Richard Nixon didn't stoop to.
And let's remember, Trump did this after his defeat was upheld in every state court and every federal court, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Outrageous as it is, Trump's consideration of martial law hasn't received the attention and denunciation it deserves and demands.
Republican officials again have remained cravenly quiet.
And with the exception of CNN, most of the media have given it only faint coverage.
That's a huge mistake.
When democracy is under all-out threat, minimizing the risk is a dangerous course of action.
Trump probably won't be able to pull it off. His chief of staff reportedly argued strenuously against it, and military leaders have shown no inclination to go along--quite the contrary.
But the very idea that he is considering doing this should put all of us on our guard.
And even if he fails, he is setting the table for the next narcissist or fascist who would ride into the Oval Office.
Trump has exposed the weaknesses of our much-ballyhooed system of checks and balances.
Assuming that Trump does leave office on January 20, Congress will need to pass laws, on the double, that would prevent a future President from even considering martial law.
One would be to require approval of Congress before the President could issue such a declaration. But there are others. Chief among these are repealing the Insurrection Act, which lets the President put federal troops in our streets; repealing the National Emergencies Act, which gives the President enormous powers when he or she unilaterally declares an emergency; and overturning National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 51, which gives the President even more powers after he or she unilaterally declares a "catastrophic emergency."
In all likelihood (but not 100 percent guaranteed), Trump will be gone on January 20.
But the risk of a future tyrant will remain.
This article first appeared in the Wisconsin Examiner.
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just two days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
History will record that on Friday, December 18, Donald Trump held a discussion in the Oval Office about imposing martial law.
Martial law!
To even consider imposing martial law should be anathema to anyone who respects democracy and is sworn to uphold the Constitution.
Disgraced General Michael Flynn was in the Oval Office urging Trump to engage in this grotesquely unconstitutional and anti-constitutional maneuver. So was Trump's lawyer, Sidney Powell.
This will leave the ultimate stain on Trump's reputation, along with the blood of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who died of COVID-19 due to his negligence and narcissism.
To even consider imposing martial law should be anathema to anyone who respects democracy and is sworn to uphold the Constitution.
And to consider it for the sole and selfish purpose of holding on to power marks a new low, one that even Richard Nixon didn't stoop to.
And let's remember, Trump did this after his defeat was upheld in every state court and every federal court, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Outrageous as it is, Trump's consideration of martial law hasn't received the attention and denunciation it deserves and demands.
Republican officials again have remained cravenly quiet.
And with the exception of CNN, most of the media have given it only faint coverage.
That's a huge mistake.
When democracy is under all-out threat, minimizing the risk is a dangerous course of action.
Trump probably won't be able to pull it off. His chief of staff reportedly argued strenuously against it, and military leaders have shown no inclination to go along--quite the contrary.
But the very idea that he is considering doing this should put all of us on our guard.
And even if he fails, he is setting the table for the next narcissist or fascist who would ride into the Oval Office.
Trump has exposed the weaknesses of our much-ballyhooed system of checks and balances.
Assuming that Trump does leave office on January 20, Congress will need to pass laws, on the double, that would prevent a future President from even considering martial law.
One would be to require approval of Congress before the President could issue such a declaration. But there are others. Chief among these are repealing the Insurrection Act, which lets the President put federal troops in our streets; repealing the National Emergencies Act, which gives the President enormous powers when he or she unilaterally declares an emergency; and overturning National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 51, which gives the President even more powers after he or she unilaterally declares a "catastrophic emergency."
In all likelihood (but not 100 percent guaranteed), Trump will be gone on January 20.
But the risk of a future tyrant will remain.
This article first appeared in the Wisconsin Examiner.
History will record that on Friday, December 18, Donald Trump held a discussion in the Oval Office about imposing martial law.
Martial law!
To even consider imposing martial law should be anathema to anyone who respects democracy and is sworn to uphold the Constitution.
Disgraced General Michael Flynn was in the Oval Office urging Trump to engage in this grotesquely unconstitutional and anti-constitutional maneuver. So was Trump's lawyer, Sidney Powell.
This will leave the ultimate stain on Trump's reputation, along with the blood of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who died of COVID-19 due to his negligence and narcissism.
To even consider imposing martial law should be anathema to anyone who respects democracy and is sworn to uphold the Constitution.
And to consider it for the sole and selfish purpose of holding on to power marks a new low, one that even Richard Nixon didn't stoop to.
And let's remember, Trump did this after his defeat was upheld in every state court and every federal court, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Outrageous as it is, Trump's consideration of martial law hasn't received the attention and denunciation it deserves and demands.
Republican officials again have remained cravenly quiet.
And with the exception of CNN, most of the media have given it only faint coverage.
That's a huge mistake.
When democracy is under all-out threat, minimizing the risk is a dangerous course of action.
Trump probably won't be able to pull it off. His chief of staff reportedly argued strenuously against it, and military leaders have shown no inclination to go along--quite the contrary.
But the very idea that he is considering doing this should put all of us on our guard.
And even if he fails, he is setting the table for the next narcissist or fascist who would ride into the Oval Office.
Trump has exposed the weaknesses of our much-ballyhooed system of checks and balances.
Assuming that Trump does leave office on January 20, Congress will need to pass laws, on the double, that would prevent a future President from even considering martial law.
One would be to require approval of Congress before the President could issue such a declaration. But there are others. Chief among these are repealing the Insurrection Act, which lets the President put federal troops in our streets; repealing the National Emergencies Act, which gives the President enormous powers when he or she unilaterally declares an emergency; and overturning National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 51, which gives the President even more powers after he or she unilaterally declares a "catastrophic emergency."
In all likelihood (but not 100 percent guaranteed), Trump will be gone on January 20.
But the risk of a future tyrant will remain.
This article first appeared in the Wisconsin Examiner.