Author: coastcontact

I am a somewhat cranky but mostly optimistic 65 plus who refuses to give up on this maddening world. The purpose of this BLOG is to express my feelings, thoughts.

The TACO

The TACO meme is so perfect. Because Trump, as all bullies do, does chicken out. A lot! And not just to China and the tariffs.

The latest news on tariffs is Trump’s threat on Russia. Trump announced Russia will face 100% “secondary” tariffs if there isn’t a ceasefire deal between the country and Ukraine in 50 days. “We want to see it end, and I’m disappointed in President Putin because I thought we would’ve had a deal two months ago but it doesn’t seem to get there.” 

Other recent threats include a 50% tariff on Brazil for the trial against its former president. Mr. Trump’s pledge to place tariffs on imports from Brazil is partly in retaliation for what he considers a “witch hunt” against his political ally, the former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing trial for attempting a coup.

It should be obvious that Trump sees tariffs as his best way to influence world order. He doesn’t see his method as chickening out. He sees his threats of getting his way as success.

Trump’s Border Czar Sparks Firestorm of Anger By Telling Fox News ICE Can Detain Based on ‘Physical Appearance’

As reported on Fox News

President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, sparked a wave of angry reactions on Friday after he told Fox News that border patrol doesn’t need probable cause to detain suspected illegal migrants.

“I’ve got to get your reaction to this Biden-appointed federal judge out in Los Angeles, apparently expected today to issue a temporary restraining order, halting your lawful operations. She says, ‘I think it’s important for the court not to burden otherwise lawful law enforcement activities.’ Your reaction there,” asked Fox’s Griff Jenkins.

“Look, people need to understand, ICE officers and border patrol, they don’t need probable cause to walk up to somebody, briefly detain them, and question them. They just need this: totality of the circumstances, right? They just got through the observation, you know, get articulable facts based on the location, the occupation, their physical appearance, their actions,” Homan replied, adding:

Like a uniformed border patrol officer walks up to them at, for instance, a Home Depot. And they got all these articulable facts, plus the person walks away or runs away. Agents are trained on what they need to detain somebody temporarily and question them. It’s not probable cause, it’s reasonable suspicion. We’re trained on that.

Every agent, every six months, gets Fourth Amendment training over and over again. These officers are really good at what they do, and if the judge makes a decision that’s against what these officers are trained and what the law is based upon, then they’re going to shut down the operation. I think that’s their endgame. They want ICE to stop doing this, but if they base it on the rule of law, they’re going to find out border patrol and ICE is doing exactly what they’re going to do in accordance with law.

ICE has been accused of racial profiling in recent weeks, leading to DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin to put out a statement this week, saying, “Any claims that individuals have been ‘targeted’ by law enforcement because of their skin color are disgusting and categorically FALSE.”

California Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) replied, “And there you have it. Under the Trump Administration, ICE and Border Patrol are being empowered to stop and question you based solely on how you look. No probable cause. No real reason. Just your “physical appearance.” That’s not justice—it’s profiling.”

So today it is brown skinned people from south of the US border but tomorrow it could be Chinese, or it could be Jews.

Is History Repeating itself?

In March 1933, the Enabling Act became law in Germany, granting the chief executive the power to enact laws without legislative oversight, effectively dismantling the system of checks and balances.

This pivotal legislation marked the transition from a democratic republic to a totalitarian dictatorship.

By September of that year, Germany had become a one-party state, consolidating the power of the Nazi regime and eliminating political opposition.

During the liquidation of the ghettos starting in 1942, trains were used to transport the condemned populations to death camps. To implement the “Final Solution”, the Nazis made the Deutsche Reichsbahn an indispensable element of the mass extermination machine, wrote historian Raul Hilberg.

Today masked immigration agents are taking unwanted immigrants to detention facilities.

Does any of that history remind anyone of what is happening in the United States today?

During the liquidation of the ghettos starting in 1942, trains were used to transport the condemned populations to death camps. To implement the “Final Solution”, the Nazis made the Deutsche Reichsbahn an indispensable element of the mass extermination machine, wrote historian Raul Hilberg.

Today masked immigration agents are taking unwanted immigrants to detention facilities.