20 lessons on Tyranny

[Rideback]

Miss Ken, you are undeniably entertaining.

[dorankj]

“Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile” William Shakespeare

[just-jim]

.
Trying to argue the 14th Amendment into a place you would LIKE it be, is a fool’s errand as MC points out.
The text couldn’t be more clear.

Additionally, the history behind its establishment makes its intent even clearer….it was a direct post-Civil War reaction against the ‘Dred Scott’ case - which had established that children of slaves and Native Americans WERE not citizens of the US.

The one modifying clause - ‘subject to the jurisdiction of’ was meant to exclude children of foreign ambassadors, invading armies, etc.

It is crystal clear.
.

[mister_coffee]

The Supreme Court has pretty much decided that that is Not How It Works.

There is also the practical problem that shutting down birthright citizenship creates a new class of stateless people. Someone born in the United States of undocumented Peruvian parents is not a citizen of Peru and the Peruvian government would not accept their deportation to Peru. So where do you put such a person? I know to the MAGAts that won't matter because they love to be cruel but the practical matter is you couldn't deport that person so what is the point of depriving them of citizenship?

Also punishing children for the sins of their parents is barbaric and also pointless.

On top of that any literate person can read the plain text of the fourteenth amendment and it is crystal clear. You'd need to pay your lawyers a lot to twist it in the knots that the Trump cult wants to twist it into. And there would be little guarantee of success.

[Jingles]

Surprise Itotally agree that the higher numbered Amendments cannot be flicked away with the stroke of a Presidential pen. This is probably going to cause some to dislike me even more ( if possible) but I am a supporter of Birthright citizenship AS LONG AS the parents are in this country legally, no I do not support separating families when parents that are deported because they are illegals and criminals, deport their kids with them that way the family stays together.
Let's look at the record of both the fed and state Legislature they currently are working overtime to "infringe" on your 2A rights by requiring their permission to exercise a Right, they already have limited your 1st A right of Free speech, they not only limited but totally banned your right to assemble during Covid , no freedom exercise your freedom of religion, BUT they did not liimit the freedom to riot/ destroy buildings, supposed freedom to peaceably assemble, what right will they target next.
The Government is NOT after Gun Control they are after Total control and unfortunately there is a large amount of the population that is either to blind to see that, or agrees that the government should have total control of your life
Remember the saying, "Give them an inch and they'll take a mile" we'll folks We're approaching the 1/2 mile mark

[Rideback]

Jingles, there's a fair amount of women who are having their rights dismissed by your Red states. They don't enjoy the freedoms that you do.

[PAL]

Well, because this is still sort of a free country, Jingles can indeed like that kind of person. His choice. But yes, there are more rights than 2nd amendment rights. The 14th amendment cannot be flicked away by an executive order. It is in the Constitution. Can't just cherry pick the Constitution to suit what he wants.
It appears we may indeed have to have a permit to express opinions. The federal workers(all departments, even here) received a memo to snitch on their fellow employees if they don't go along with Trump's policies.

[mister_coffee]

... and yet you apparently support a "President" who thinks he can revoke constitutional rights with an executive order. Or maybe you think constitutional amendments numbered higher than "2" apparently do not count? Or maybe you and your ilk just don't know that there are amendments numbered higher than "2"?

I suspect it is because you do not think the constitution applies to people who are darker skinned or poorer than you, but can't know that for sure.

[Jingles]

Redneck state?
No I'd call it a free state where you don't have to get state approval (i.e. A permit ) to exercise a right. And I don't mean not having to get a background check before being able to take possession of a firearm I'm talking about an additional background check to get a permit just to purchase, where you will undergo an additional background check. Sorry but the 2A gives me the RIGHT to Keep and bear, as to how and where I store those firearms is none of the States dam business nor should I have to have special insurance to just own those firearms.
Maybe they need to say you need a permit to express your opinions, or go to a church, synagogue, mosque of your choice, a permit to purchase more than a dz eggs, 2 loaves of bread,
One must ask will these have any effect on the gang bangers, armed robbers, murders that aren't following the laws to begin with? I'm sure the gangs are going to go and get 25,000$ worth of liability insurance for every gun the gang has. If you seriously believe this will have any effect I am sure you will believe you canpurchase some ocean front property in Utah

[just-jim]

I gotta find a way to get out of this communist state

Please. Go make some red-neck state that much more red.

Bye bye. Dont let the door hit ya in the…..
.

[PAL]

Chansely will buy them on the black market or from a friend, which will be non traceable.
So, instead you'll go to a fascist state. Fed employees got notices to snitch on each other.

[Jingles]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 07f8&ei=68

And wonderful 'ole Chancley, the horn wearer, said he can now go buy some MF guns! Bless his heart.

With the legislation currently working it's way thru Olympia not unless he takes firearms safety classes including live fire training/ qualification and is willing to get $25,000.00 liability insurance per firearm and pay an additional 11% tax on the firearm and any ammunition he may want to purchase after a state background check just to buy ammo.
Time to stock up before signed into law and knowing the politics of WA this will be an emergency action which means takes effect day it is signed

I gotta find a way to get out of this communist state

[PAL]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 07f8&ei=68

And wonderful 'ole Chancley, the horn wearer, said he can now go buy some MF guns! Bless his heart.

[Rideback]

Ken, get a grip. The death row inmates were commuted which means they no longer face the death penalty but instead will be incarcerated for life.

[mister_coffee]

This government publication provides some possible useful advice:

https://www.cia.gov/static/5c875f3ec660 ... botage.pdf

[just-jim]

.
WOW….Ken is in full hissy-fit mode!

Wonder if someone oughta check his diaper….it might be more full than usual.
.

[dorankj]

You lost that argument when the decrepit, corrupt, senile lier pardoned and commuted 40000 including his family, nearly all of death row and disgusting unrepentant criminals not to mention 15,000 illegal alien criminals he let in and run around freely! So full of sh** about “Nazi salutes” too, you’re going to need to find new material dumba**.

[Rideback]

1,500 felons loose on the streets of DC all at once, and invited to the inaugural ball...what could possibly go wrong...and meanwhile Musk is giving the Nazi salute two times in his jubilant speech. Trump and his co president are telling the world on day one what to expect and it isn't Democracy.

[dorankj]

We just got rid of that, Morning in America!

[mister_coffee]

Someone is running for Gauletier ...

[dorankj]

You’re late and backwards like usual, but even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. This is what we did to throw out the tyrant and tyranny we’ve had to live through, may it never return!

[just-jim]

.
GREAT points from Timothy Snyder, today;

1. Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.

2. Defend institutions. It is institutions that help us to preserve decency. They need our help as well. Do not speak of "our institutions" unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning. So choose an institution you care about -- a court, a newspaper, a law, a labor union -- and take its side.

3. Beware the one-party state. The parties that remade states and suppressed rivals were not omnipotent from the start. They exploited a historic moment to make political life impossible for their opponents. So support the multiple-party system and defend the rules of democratic elections. Vote in local and state elections while you can. Consider running for office.

4. Take responsibility for the face of the world. The symbols of today enable the reality of tomorrow. Notice the swastikas and the other signs of hate. Do not look away, and do not get used to them. Remove them yourself and set an example for others to do so.

5. Remember professional ethics. When political leaders set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become more important. It is hard to subvert a rule-of-law state without lawyers, or to hold show trials without judges. Authoritarians need obedient civil servants, and concentration camp directors seek businessmen interested in cheap labor.

6. Be wary of paramilitaries. When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching with torches and pictures of a leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the end has come.

7. Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, may God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no.

8. Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. Remember Rosa Parks. The moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.

9. Be kind to our language. Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. Make an effort to separate yourself from the internet. Read books.

10. Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.

11. Investigate. Figure things out for yourself. Spend more time with long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by subscribing to print media. Realize that some of what is on the internet is there to harm you. Learn about sites that investigate propaganda campaigns (some of which come from abroad). Take responsibility for what you communicate with others.

12. Make eye contact and small talk. This is not just polite. It is part of being a citizen and a responsible member of society. It is also a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down social barriers, and understand whom you should and should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know the psychological landscape of your daily life.

13. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.

14. Establish a private life. Nastier rulers will use what they know about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of malware on a regular basis. Remember that email is skywriting. Consider using alternative forms of the internet, or simply using it less. Have personal exchanges in person. For the same reason, resolve any legal trouble. Tyrants seek the hook on which to hang you. Try not to have hooks.

15. Contribute to good causes. Be active in organizations, political or not, that express your own view of life. Pick a charity or two and set up autopay. Then you will have made a free choice that supports civil society and helps others to do good.

16. Learn from peers in other countries. Keep up your friendships abroad, or make new friends in other countries. The present difficulties in the United States are an element of a larger trend. And no country is going to find a solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports.

17. Listen for dangerous words. Be alert to use of the words "extremism" and "terrorism." Be alive to the fatal notions of "emergency" and "exception." Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary.

18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives. Modern tyranny is terror management. When the terrorist attack comes, remember that authoritarians exploit such events in order to consolidate power. The sudden disaster that requires the end of checks and balances, the dissolution of opposition parties, the suspension of freedom of expression, the right to a fair trial, and so on, is the oldest trick in the Hitlerian book. Do not fall for it.

19. Be a patriot. Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it.

20. Be as courageous as you can. If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny.

https://snyder.substack.com/p/twenty-lessons-on-tyranny?
.