Lynch One, Intimidate All

I’m working on a more cerebral article, but just can’t stop myself from objecting, yelling out “STOP!”, and posting this now. I’m tired of the Trump regime’s cruelty, their singling out of individuals and institutions to make a point, to intimidate, to display power.¹

They pick on Harvard, to intimidate all universities.

They leave Kilmar Ábrego García in a Salvadoran hell-hole and send eight people to war-torn South Sudan, to intimidate all immigrants.

They abduct Rümeysa Öztürk, to intimidate all those expressing opinions.

They target five law firms, to intimidate all attorneys.

I object to Trump regime’s extortion, the obtaining of something through threats and force.

You know who else uses threats and force to get what they want? Mafias. Drug cartels. Dictators. Facists.

I’m also reminded of the history of the American South, where a black person would be singled-out for a lynching as a warning to all other black people.

As I’ve stated on multiple occasions, I accept that Trump won a free and fair election and he can govern the country within his Constitutional authority and the rule of law. Tens of millions voted for him to try to govern private universities accepting federal funding, deport illegal aliens, restrict anti-semitic speech and curtail political litigation. I might disagree, but that’s the way the democracy cookie crumbles.

But I draw a moral line in the sand. When my government executes a policy, I expect it to be done so with adequate notice, with due process, and as fairly and, yes, as kindly as practical.

The Trump regime could implement policy within this moral framework:

All universities could be put on notice and funding withdrawn, after due process, if they don’t comply within reasonable time limits.

All illegal aliens could be arrested and, with due process, deported.

All foreign visa holders could be informed of a prohibition against expressing anti-semitic ideas and, with due process, deported if in violation.

All law firms could be put on notice against representing clients in political or policy matters and sanctioned, after due process, if they did not comply.

Policy stated clearly, applied to all equally and any accused of violation afforded due process under the law.

You know why the Trump regime doesn’t do it this way? Because 1) they believe they are above the law, 2) their actions often stand on weak legal ground, 3) they want to and can only move fast and break things (and people), are incapable of doing things well and building something better.

The Trump regime suffers from hubris, incompetence and a complete lack of ethics.

At the end of the day, I’m confident that the courts and the American electorate will reject the Trump regime’s tyrannical extortion. But in the meantime, as an American I am disgusted to be associated with it and, as a human, feel compassion towards the institutions and individuals hurt by it. I want it to STOP!

1. The image for this post comes from the British Museum, a satirical cartoon from the 1740’s. Virtue is saying "Justice for God's sake". Vice is saying "Don't mind him my Lord, he has no friends". The gentlemen whispering into the lord’s ear: "Don't fear my Lord I have secur'd his Money and Rennie has nothing to Lose", on the man on the right says "Your Lordships will is the Parliament. Let him feel the weight of your hand"; the lord says "I doubt heel carry it to parliament/ There is good Weight however". The hangman on a ladder holding the noose says, "And here's a good Halter however".