On July 5th, British journalist Jonathan Freedland published an article in The Guardian under this headline:
Donald Trump wants to be a dictator. It’s not enough just to laugh at him
The subhead read: He cages children, he holds a military parade, he muses about being president for life. Yet we fail to see him for what he is
I suppose that some of Mr. Freedland's diatribe can be excused, simply because he's British. He's probably never even read the U.S. Constitution. He's never actually lived in a dictatorship. The examples he gives for why Trump wants to be a dictator demonstrate only his desire to inflame the passions of those who share his ignorance.
First, let's take a look at how he characterizes the 4th of July Parade, which Freedland states as an "obvious fact": "in a departure from all precedent, Trump had used Independence Day to stage a military display, in which M1A2 tanks and Bradley armoured vehicles rolled into Washington, while fighter jets and helicopters filled the sky. The generals, mindful of the need to separate military and political power, had long opposed this extravaganza and, tellingly, most of the joint chiefs contrived to stay away. They understood that such a pageant is the stuff of despots, not democrats."
No, Mr. Freedland, that is not why our generals opposed it. They opposed it because staging such "extravaganzas" takes time and effort away from training for their primary mission. Having served in our military for 30 years, I can tell you that just the rehearsals for a parade remove men and equipment from their ordinary tasks for days, not to mention the fuel wasted.
But, being that you are located in Great Britain, how would you know what American generals think, anyway? The fact is, you don't. You are simply superimposing your own thoughts, expecting readers to just take your word for it. Unfortunately, all too many gullible people will do so.
Then, Mr. Freedland uses the overcrowded conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border as another example of "what dictators do":
"Another image framed this split-screen 4 July: that of the children, separated from their parents, who are caged in detention camps on America’s southern border...Breaking up families, caging children in hot, fetid, disease-ridden camps – this is what dictators do."
Again, we have a British journalist who has never even visited our southern border placing blame on Trump for conditions brought about by simply complying with the laws passed by our Congress.
Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution specifies the duties of the President. Section 3 states, quite simply and concisely, that "he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."
The Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) service and the Border Patrol are carrying out the laws enacted by Congress which, according to Article 1 of the Constitution, is the strongest of the three branches of our government. The failures of our Congress to enact and fund proper immigrant laws, procedures, and facilities is not the province of a U.S. President.
Now, Mr. Freedland, what would a real dictator do?
First, he would have assembled his own private army. Trump is certainly wealthy enough to have done so and there are thousands of mercenaries around the world who would flock to participate.
Second, he would send that army to round up the owners of all the media outlets that have been attacking him since he announced his candidacy in 2015, placing them in real concentration camps. That's what dictators do.
Since the President is charged with seeing that all laws are faithfully executed, he would then send his army to round up all local officials of sanctuary cities because their action is in direct violation of federal law, which has primacy over all state and local laws and statutes. That's what dictators do.
While all this was happening, he'd exercise his power as Commander-in-Chief to order the military to "stand down" and not interfere. That's what dictators do.
Finally, he would round up all those who oppose him politically, like Nancy Pelosi, Chuckie Shumer, AOC, and all the other congressional Democrats, as did Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini, Castro, and all the other dictators of the 20th century. He would put them in jail, without trial and without benefit of the writ of habeas corpus.
That's what dictators do, Mr. Freedland.
Donald Trump is crude and boorish. Since he took office, he's had every opportunity to do what dictators do. Frankly, there are probably a good number of Americans in his base who wish he would take some of those actions. In fact, I'm sure there are quite a number who think that it's these people ICE should be rounding up, rather than illegal immigrants.
Mr. Freedland, spare us your British arrogance and condescension. We got rid of you people in 1776 for a reason.
Donald Trump wants to be a dictator. It’s not enough just to laugh at him
The subhead read: He cages children, he holds a military parade, he muses about being president for life. Yet we fail to see him for what he is
I suppose that some of Mr. Freedland's diatribe can be excused, simply because he's British. He's probably never even read the U.S. Constitution. He's never actually lived in a dictatorship. The examples he gives for why Trump wants to be a dictator demonstrate only his desire to inflame the passions of those who share his ignorance.
First, let's take a look at how he characterizes the 4th of July Parade, which Freedland states as an "obvious fact": "in a departure from all precedent, Trump had used Independence Day to stage a military display, in which M1A2 tanks and Bradley armoured vehicles rolled into Washington, while fighter jets and helicopters filled the sky. The generals, mindful of the need to separate military and political power, had long opposed this extravaganza and, tellingly, most of the joint chiefs contrived to stay away. They understood that such a pageant is the stuff of despots, not democrats."
No, Mr. Freedland, that is not why our generals opposed it. They opposed it because staging such "extravaganzas" takes time and effort away from training for their primary mission. Having served in our military for 30 years, I can tell you that just the rehearsals for a parade remove men and equipment from their ordinary tasks for days, not to mention the fuel wasted.
But, being that you are located in Great Britain, how would you know what American generals think, anyway? The fact is, you don't. You are simply superimposing your own thoughts, expecting readers to just take your word for it. Unfortunately, all too many gullible people will do so.
Then, Mr. Freedland uses the overcrowded conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border as another example of "what dictators do":
"Another image framed this split-screen 4 July: that of the children, separated from their parents, who are caged in detention camps on America’s southern border...Breaking up families, caging children in hot, fetid, disease-ridden camps – this is what dictators do."
Again, we have a British journalist who has never even visited our southern border placing blame on Trump for conditions brought about by simply complying with the laws passed by our Congress.
Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution specifies the duties of the President. Section 3 states, quite simply and concisely, that "he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."
The Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) service and the Border Patrol are carrying out the laws enacted by Congress which, according to Article 1 of the Constitution, is the strongest of the three branches of our government. The failures of our Congress to enact and fund proper immigrant laws, procedures, and facilities is not the province of a U.S. President.
Now, Mr. Freedland, what would a real dictator do?
First, he would have assembled his own private army. Trump is certainly wealthy enough to have done so and there are thousands of mercenaries around the world who would flock to participate.
Second, he would send that army to round up the owners of all the media outlets that have been attacking him since he announced his candidacy in 2015, placing them in real concentration camps. That's what dictators do.
Since the President is charged with seeing that all laws are faithfully executed, he would then send his army to round up all local officials of sanctuary cities because their action is in direct violation of federal law, which has primacy over all state and local laws and statutes. That's what dictators do.
While all this was happening, he'd exercise his power as Commander-in-Chief to order the military to "stand down" and not interfere. That's what dictators do.
Finally, he would round up all those who oppose him politically, like Nancy Pelosi, Chuckie Shumer, AOC, and all the other congressional Democrats, as did Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini, Castro, and all the other dictators of the 20th century. He would put them in jail, without trial and without benefit of the writ of habeas corpus.
That's what dictators do, Mr. Freedland.
Donald Trump is crude and boorish. Since he took office, he's had every opportunity to do what dictators do. Frankly, there are probably a good number of Americans in his base who wish he would take some of those actions. In fact, I'm sure there are quite a number who think that it's these people ICE should be rounding up, rather than illegal immigrants.
Mr. Freedland, spare us your British arrogance and condescension. We got rid of you people in 1776 for a reason.
