In Front of Our Noses: “We’re going to kill them.”
“To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.”-George Orwell.
For previous entries, click here.
Not kinglike at all.
More from the NYT: Trump Says He Will Not Seek Authorization for Cartel Strikes.
The Constitution gives Congress the authority to declare war, but formal declarations are rare and have not been issued since World War II. Lawmakers have more often passed authorizations for the use of military force to grant the president permission to use force against specific targets.
The last time a president sought such a resolution was in October 2002, when President George W. Bush asked for authorization to use military force against Iraq. Congress approved that measure, and it has been cited for decades as the legal basis for military operations around the world carried out by subsequent administrations of both parties.
Though he repeatedly referred to the military operation targeting drug trafficking as a “war,” Mr. Trump said he would not seek any formal approval from lawmakers to continue striking boats or expand it to include airstrikes against countries like Venezuela, where he says the cartels originate.
Clearly, the Constitution is for suckers.
And yet, the administration wants to use the term “war.”
“The cartels are waging war against America and just like I promised in the campaign, we are waging war against them,” he said in the White House state dining room flanked by members of his cabinet, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth; Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence; and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“The land is going to be next,” he added.
Mr. Hegseth said the operation was aimed not only at deterrence but also elimination.
“Every boat we strike is 25,000 Americans whose lives were saved because of the drugs that were headed in our direction,” Mr. Hegseth said. “Our message to these foreign terrorists organizations is: We will treat you like we have treated Al Qaeda, we will find you, we will map your networks, we will hunt you down and we will kill you.”
Or, if you survive an attack, we’ll send you home because the evidence is not as strong as we claim, and we don’t really want any formal investigations and fact-finding to get in the way of our murder spree.
You know, like we treated al Qaeda.
We’ve officially reached the “shooting people on 5th Avenue” stage.
The real turning point is going to be if Trump orders military strikes on “terrorists” and “insurgents” inside the US.
@JohnSF:..The real turning point is going to be if Trump orders military strikes on “terrorists” and “insurgents” inside the US.
After the middle of the night raids, dropping from helicopters onto residential rooftops, snatching children sleeping in their beds in Chicago I’d say that Supreme Leader Kim Jong Trump has already made that turn.
@JohnSF:
It won’t be an ordered military strike as such, but rather a bunch of his SS* goons shooting dozens of protesters some random day.
*”ICE”
@JohnSF:
@Gregory Lawrence Brown:
@Kathy:
All: I honestly believe that we’re not all that far from this Administration creating the conditions for another ‘Kent State’ incident* wherein deadly force is used against American citizens.
*On May 4, 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine Kent State students
Donald the Dove, Hillary the Hawk
Thanks for the accuracy, NYT!
I was involved in some Pacific Ocean drug interdiction about 1990 (covert surveillance of a supposed drug boat off Mexico) and it was a total Cluster-F (OPSEC be damned, and I refused to discuss operation details over the phone as I was pretty sure theirs were tapped). Looks like things haven’t changed, now sending a scary Aircraft Carrier to the coast of Venezuela (VZ), To do what? It is show, to make ratings. Doing “something” even if useless. Oh, and a sub too (USS Newport News).
I do not agree with the Maduro government and consider them illegitimate. But claiming drugs as the reason is BS (ditto drugs pouring over the Canadian border, or how about guns pouring South into Mexico? (not significant, but about as valid).
The Emperor (not King) has no clothes. As for “They’re going to be, like dead,” after WE kill them (cue Trump as Rambo) – well Halloween season so maybe “like dead” makes sense if we’re talking zombies.
Bumper sticker in parking lot today, “Are We Great Yet?” LOL