In His Final Days, Obama Quietly Expands War Powers Before Handing Them Off To Trump

from the hey-that's-a-big-deal dept

Wed, Nov 30th 2016 6:26am — Mike Masnick

While we knew it was impossible for President Obama to truly rein in the massive executive powers that he helped expand (following on the massive expansions from previous administrations) concerning national surveillance and war -- we had still hoped that maybe his concern about a President Trump would let him do a few small things to limit some of the most egregious powers. Instead, it appears that President Obama is doing the opposite, and expanding his war powers, just as he's about to hand them to someone that he, himself, has loudly criticized as being unfit for the Presidency.

For years now, we've written about how the Obama administration has regularly rewritten the dictionary in order to pretend that the Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) hastily granted by Congress in the wake of 9/11 enabled him to go to war with basically anyone. If you don't recall, the AUMF granted the President the power to use "all necessary and appropriate force" to go after those who "planned, authorized, committed or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001." That's already fairly broad, but over the years basically our entire government has pretended that (1) the AUMF included the ability to also target "associated forces" (even though it does not) and (2) it allowed the President to simply lump in anyone he wanted as an "associated force" allowing him to bomb them without any Congressional authorization. This is how you get a war without end, in which the explicit authorization to go after Al Qaeda is now being used on a surprisingly long list of groups that didn't even exist in 2001.

And, just a few days ago, President Obama expanded the list yet again, allowing himself to go after yet another group: Shabab. Now, no one is trying to claim that Shabab, or ISIS or any other group that has been added to the list aren't out to do serious harm to the US. But, this seems to go way beyond the basic functions of the office of the President and the simple Constitutional requirement for Congress to declare war. As Trevor Timm notes at the Guardian, this is a big deal:

Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Micah Zenko didn’t mince words in the Times when describing what the Obama administration is doing: “It’s crazy,” he said of the administration’s redefining the law out of existence. “This administration leaves the Trump administration with tremendously expanded capabilities and authorities.”

Make no mistake: Trump will have a free hand to use the law meant for the perpetrators of 9/11 to wage war around the world, fashioning it to different enemies at his command, and he will be able to point to precedent set by the Obama administration as he does it.

Per usual, all the White House’s decisions are being made under the veil of official secrecy. The only reason we know about it is not because the administration announced it, but because the New York Times reported it after unnamed officials leaked it to them.

And that's not all. The Obama administration has also given more powers to the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) -- the organization that helped find and kill Osama bin Laden. And, again, people are raising concerns about how this power will be used by the next President. As Timm notes:

Trump is now coming into office with ever expanding war powers, and they’re being served to him on a silver platter by the same people who told the American public two months ago that Trump was so unstable and thin-skinned that he couldn’t be trusted with the nuclear codes.

This isn't about which President or which party you support. It seems like we should all be concerned with the ever growing power of the executive branch in general, and especially its willingness to grant itself more powers to go around and kill people.

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Filed Under: aumf, donald trump, executive power, president obama, surveillance, war

94 Comments

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rw (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 6:23am

Welcome to the beginning of the dictatorship where even the police have the ability to go to war.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 6:40am

This is irresponsible and reckless for Obama.....
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 6:49am

Thanks, Obama.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 6:49am

No surprise.
Obama is all about say one thing, do another. Always has been, and this move is right in character for him.
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I.T. Guy, 30 Nov 2016 @ 6:53am

You didn't think The President formally known as Barry Soetoro was really going to enact change did you?

WTF... are you guys new?
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I.T. Guy, 30 Nov 2016 @ 6:54am

Re:
No it's not. It is right on par with the last 8 years.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 7:03am

i think this signals that obama is concerned for his legacy.

what this does is virtually guarantee that future generations who speak of the excesses of our time that damned this nation forever will never get to obama's name.
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I.T. Guy, 30 Nov 2016 @ 7:05am

And WTF... AlCIAduh... ISIS... Shishkabob... anyone notice the game of whack-a-terrorist here?

As the 911 report stated, it was not our "freedumbs" that made them hate us it was our intervention in the affairs of the middle east that caused it. So WTF do we do... interfere more.

And WTF did we think would happen there? Did we think that being occupied by US forces for a lifetime would make them love us? (And to some Iraqis it has been a lifetime.)

Cheney warned in 1994 that going in alone would end up like this, and when in power did exactly that. They knew damn well going in it would be endless.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 7:26am

Way to preserve your legacy Obama. History will remember you as the man who had a golden opportunity to end the wars and get America back on-track but instead you kept things going business as usual.

You will be defined by the motto: "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 7:33am

Re: Re:
You're forgetting the Bush era.
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Anonymous1, 30 Nov 2016 @ 7:34am

Since 9/11 America is more a global Policeman than ever. I am glad that you criticize it but it is not an Obama legacy. He is just the Reflection of the powers. And the world is not safe anymore!
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 7:44am

So how long into his new presidency will Trump make all of his properties consulates (and charge the US rent of course) so they can then get free security and military protection around the world?

Then his kids get to tout the Trump name not only as the safest buildings in the world, but also as official govt. offices should the person there want to do "business" while they are staying.

Gotta love legal corruption.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 7:49am

We don't always agree...
But when we do, you are the one's getting fucked!

Yours Truly,

Democrats and Republicans
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 7:51am

Re:
New? No, just simply the same stupid people they have been the past few elections.
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Ninja (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 7:54am

Sad but expected from Obama given the rest of his term. Reminds me of an article I read a while ago highlighting that the US is on 'war mode' with expanded and much less limited powers for the executive (in detriment of the legislative) for decades now. Never ending war indeed.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 7:58am

Re: Re: Re:
Okay, so right on par for the last 16 years?
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Oninoshiko (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:02am

Can he use this to go after the
damn telemarketers who keep calling me?

(that's only half a joke...)
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:08am

They declared war on concepts
Now Terror and Drugs will forever be known as the enemy of freedom. Destroying the universe as we know it is a small price to pay when you think of it in those terms.
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nasch (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:09am

Republicans
For all their talk of how much they hate Obama and won't go along with anything he does, this kind of thing would seem like a prime candidate for somewhere to take a stand. No Mr. President, you cannot decide for us what our use of force authorization means and if you keep doing it we will hold impeachment hearings.

I guess they're afraid of being painted as "soft on terrorism"?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:11am

Re:
He campaigned on stopping the abuses of the previous administration and instead turned around and expanded them as if the administration was no longer the one calling the shots.... Almost as if he were being blackmailed into his entire position based on information gathered under the previous administration......
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:12am

Do you guys remember when people screamed for Obama back in 2008? "OBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMA", like he was people's savior. Worst president ever.
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That One Guy (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:21am

Re:
'Beginning'?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:23am

Re: Can he use this to go after the
Nah he will just exempt all telemarketers calling for Trump timeshare properties from the Do Not Call laws.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:23am

Before President Obama was elected into the presidency of our country, I had always voted for Democrats, never supported any Republican politician. Because of this, there is no way in HELL I will EVER
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:24am

Before President Obama was elected into the presidency of our country, I had always voted for Democrats, never supported any Republican politician. Because of this, there is no way in HELL I will EVER, EVER vote for another Democrat as long as I live.

Barrack Obama never once fought for the American people. This is a president who cared more about sending money to Haiti then worrying about the very Americans he's supposed to fight for and protect, of which there are still as many Americans out of work (more than 20 million) right now as there were when he came into office.

I'm glad that Obamacare is being repealed, I'm glad that there will be no more health care mandates and I'm glad we don't have another Democrat as president. I said it before and I'll say it again, black people do not know how to live on a budget. Obama, as President, made Kwame Kilpatrick (former mayor of Detroit and corrupt politician, forcing Detroit into a financial disaster) look like a girl scout. This was a man who added over 10 trillion dollars to our national debt, a feat that no Republican has ever done.

Now, with increased deportations of illegal immigrants and bringing America back to the greatness it once was, we'll finally have a president who isn't afraid to put boot to ass and kick everyone's ass when they act against our own interests.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:26am

Re:
Worst since the last, better than the next. It will continue to swing that way until something finally breaks.
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That One Guy (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:27am

Just couldn't help himself
Given I doubt he's going to put the powers to use himself in the time he has remaining I can only assume that he just couldn't resist screwing over the public one last time(I hope it's the last time anyway) before leaving office, because why not?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:34am

Re:
Bless your heart.
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nasch (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 8:36am

Re:

I said it before and I'll say it again, black people do not know how to live on a budget.

You probably also find yourself saying "but I'm not racist" a lot.
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Paul Clark, 30 Nov 2016 @ 9:01am

Should the CNN amd NYTimes Be Worried
I wonder if the staff of CNN and NY Times are worried?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 9:50am

Re: Re:
Someone finally used the "racist" word to accurately point out a racist, instead of using it to bash someone with a different point of view. Good for you nasch.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 9:54am

Obama shares quite a bit of ideals with the Right IMO. Hell, I've wondered if the Republicans would have been semi-ok with ACA if the damn thing was designed to actually work.
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nasch (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 10:09am

Re:

Hell, I've wondered if the Republicans would have been semi-ok with ACA if the damn thing was designed to actually work.

The main idea of the ACA originated from conservatives (specifically the Heritage Foundation). If it had been proposed under a Republican president presumably the Republicans would have been all over it. Literally the reason the Republicans hate it so much is because it was put forward by Democrats.

http://www.cheatsheet.com/stocks/the-irony-of-obamacare-republicans-thought-of-it-first.h tml/?a=viewall
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 10:11am

Re:
of which there are still as many Americans out of work (more than 20 million) right now as there were when he came into office.

Perhaps they should get off their lazy asses and get a job?

Or maybe learn to live on the budget that unemployment gives them?

You know, like black people should do. Fucking jerk.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 10:14am

The only reason we know about it is not because the administration announced it, but because the New York Times reported it after unnamed officials leaked it to them.

Well, I've heard that the MSM are liars so much in the last few weeks that I refuse to believe this.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 10:55am

Love this article
Yet again, something Obama is doing is being used to bash Trump. Maybe he is working with Trump? Maybe your focus on Trump distracted you from what Obama is doing?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 10:57am

Re:
Add to it that he has created a race war, gender war and class war and he will be noted as the most warring president ever.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:00am

Re: Re:
If the Republicans had done it, it would have worked. As it is, it is designed to fail.
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nasch (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:04am

Re: Re:

Add to it that he has created a race war, gender war and class war and he will be noted as the most warring president ever.

Yeah, we didn't have any problems in those areas before 2009. Thanks Obama.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:28am

Re: Re: Re:
Oh, we had some of that, thanks to the Dems. The Republicans don't actually look at any of those things in hiring, firing, appointments, etc. The Dems lie about it as a scare tactic to help them maintain power. Obama was in a unique position to calm things but instead made them worse.
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Roger Strong (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:28am

Re: Re: Re:
You probably also find yourself saying "but it's just a different point of view" a lot.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:31am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Name calling and labeling is causing the Dems to lose elections. Keep it up and keep losing. Or come to the table ready to talk policy.

Name calling is the tactic used by someone on the losing end of an argument. It is no wonder the Dems use it so incessantly. Their policies are indefensible.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:31am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
The Dems lie about it as a scare tactic to help them maintain power.

Obama was in a unique position to calm things but instead made them worse.

I see.

Question - if it's just a lie, then why would there be a need to calm anything?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:34am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Because the left has been using that tactic for many, many years now. So it is no wonder Obama kept it up.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:35am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Don't forget the long, sad history of the Democratic party when it comes to civil rights. Now they use economic policy and fear to oppress.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:41am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
A seemingly exasperated Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, “I’m so tired of this politically correct crap,” telling a crowd of South Carolina business leaders that he’s still the straight-talking, shoot-from-the-hip kind of guy that surged to the top of the polls this summer. Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2015/09/trump-so-tired-of-this-politically-correct-c-p/#ouQELDLqv8XXwk3B.99

Now you're concerned about name calling?

A little nugget for you to chew on - it's not name calling if it's accurate. Dumbass.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:41am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Really Roger? I was trying to commend nasch for his correct use of the word and then this? Were you trying to be witty and just failed or are you legitimately being an asshole?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:42am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Got a citation for that there, Skippy?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:48am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
I don't mean to get into the middle of this, but I don't get your point. Trump saying he's tired of the "politically correct crap" is name calling? If you read the link you posted he was referring to the infighting in the Republican party no? What's that got to do with anything?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:48am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Then keep losing.

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/jan/25/cokie-roberts/have-democrats-lost -900-seats-state-legislatures-o/
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:48am

Re: Love this article
The only reason we know about it is not because the administration announced it, but because the New York Times reported it after unnamed officials leaked it to them.

MSM is a bunch of liars - that's what we've been hearing from the right for months now.

So as far as I'm concerned, Obama didn't do anything of the sort.

See how this works?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:54am

Re: Re: Love this article
No I don't. Don't even see the point you think you are making. Obama does something bad in the 11th hour, yet people are pointing to Trump because of it. Your hatred of the right blinds you to what the left is doing. If Obama is doing something wrong, call him on it. To pivot it to bash Trump is absolutely crazy.
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nasch (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:54am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

Name calling and labeling is causing the Dems to lose elections. Keep it up and keep losing. Or come to the table ready to talk policy.

So it was Clinton that was doing the name calling, and Trump talking policy? Which universe are you from?

It seems to me name calling worked a lot better this time around.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:54am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
"Name calling and labeling is causing the Dems to lose elections. Keep it up and keep losing. Or come to the table ready to talk policy."

Give it up. If over 900 state seats lost, both houses of congress, the presidency, 1 for sure but possibly up too 3 SCOTUS appointments, and countless governorship's haven't opened their eyes, nothing will.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 11:59am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
On the one hand I hope their eyes never open but realistically, we will never have domestic peace until they do. We will have to listen to FUD in the meantime.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 12:00pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
I don't think he was talking about political opponents calling each other names, as regrettable as that is, it's somewhat standard practice. Perhaps he means calling half of Americans “Basket of Deplorables?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/10/hillary-clinton-trump-supporters--bigote d-deplorables
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 12:01pm

Re: Re: Re: Love this article
What I'm saying is that what's in the article is bullshit.

I didn't see an announcement from Obama.

The mainstream media are liars, especially the NY Times - all this is well-known, and well documented on Trump's Twitter feed.

If they're such liars, why should anyone believe this?

How about now? See where I'm going now?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 12:01pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Along with every "ist" and "phobe" there is.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 12:02pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Makes you wonder - after 8 years of doing absolutely nothing, do you guys even know the job anymore?
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nasch (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 12:23pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
To be fair, she called half of Trump's supporters deplorable, not half of Americans. Still a very dumb thing to do but we should be accurate about it.
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geddy2112 (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 12:24pm

Bi polar electorate.....
.....makes it easy for the powers that be to press on with their agenda. Divide, conquer...then stay the course....we all make it way too easy for them...just keep getting your news in your favorite flavor and ignore the guy behind the curtain.....
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Beautiful American, 30 Nov 2016 @ 12:55pm

Re:
> our "freedumbs" that made them hate us

The hate because we're so free.
And so beautiful.
(They left out "beautiful")
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Beautiful American, 30 Nov 2016 @ 12:57pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
> Got a citation for that there, Skippy?

I reject your reality and substitute my own!
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Beautiful American, 30 Nov 2016 @ 12:59pm

Re: Re:
> He campaigned on stopping the abuses of the previous administration and instead turned around and expanded them

But, but, he just couldn't help himself!
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 1:06pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
I stand corrected sir. You are correct it was indeed half of Trump supporters.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 1:49pm

Re: Re: Re:
Now, just today, some leftist is saying the Republicans are declaring war on the elderly. There is one real war though, and that is a war on the unborn.
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Uriel-238 (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 1:56pm

Basket of deplorables
So Clinton's basket of deplorables commentwas referring to 32 million voters, now that we have the results. That compares to the:

42 million black Americans that Trump generalized as all being in ghettos on welfare and have nothing to lose. He calls them the blacks and seeks to facilitate the system that channels them into prisons and graves. I believe he imagines the blacks will be Miss Housekeeping once we expatriate all the Latins.

55 million Latin Americans that Trump regards as criminal and illegal Americans, even saying they're rapists. Considering that there's no required documentation to be an American (yet) it'll be interesting to see if he errs on evicting two many illegals or too few.

3 million Muslim Americans that Trump is considering registering or even interning. I wonder how long it's going to be before we decide it's too expensive sustaining all these Muslims, and we have a Muslim Problem

125 women in the United states (which shares cross section with the groups above) that Trump feels it is acceptable to sexually assault and harass, even when they are underage.

Considering the policies and staff selections by Trump, these attitudes do not appear to have changed since after the election.

Anonymous Coward if, in order for a party to win an election in the United States, they need to offer demagogues and monsters as candidates who imply permission to the rest of us to forgo civilization for our baser (more tribal) natures, I'd regard the United States as a failure, and would rather keep losing and instead retain my personal integrity.

But that's just me. I understand that for Trump losing is so terrible a prospect that he will lie, cheat and even murder in order to say he's won.

PS: I, too, cringed at Clinton's basket of deplorables line too, but as with many matters, there seems to be an abundance of eagerness to look at Clinton's scandals and not compare them or contrast them to the cornucopia of scandals and problems that surround Trump.

It's like Trump gets special exceptions in the minds of those who've decided he's the new hero of the United States.

And that, to me is more troubling than Trump himself. Are we really that gullible? That manipulable? Is it really that hard to see his authoratariansim? His complete lack of morality? His psychopathia?
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Padpaw (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 1:59pm

This sort of thing that makes me see Obama as a puppet. Someone is making him set this up for trump to use. This is a long term strategy here.
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Padpaw (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 2:03pm

Re:
Obama has started about 7-8 new wars since he took office if i recall.

Though he has justified it by claiming it's not a war if he bombs countries and they can't fight back.
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Padpaw (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 2:18pm

Re:
Most people I know view america as a warmonger than the world police
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nasch (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 2:22pm

Re: Re:

Obama has started about 7-8 new wars since he took office if i recall.

Depending on what you call a war, and how you decide who started it, I can think of maybe Yemen and Libya. What 7 or 8 are you thinking of?
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Padpaw (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 2:24pm

Re:
They made a cult out of him.

Some people even had american flags with his image superimposed over it
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Padpaw (profile), 30 Nov 2016 @ 2:27pm

Re: Basket of deplorables
I may be Canadian but I am pretty certain you have to pass a citizenship test to be called american legally. Unless you are born there.

"Considering that there's no required documentation to be an American"

That statement is false as far as I understand
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Rekrul, 30 Nov 2016 @ 2:53pm

We all know that Trump's term in office is going to be a disaster, the only question is whether or not he'll peacefully leave office when his time is up (either at the next election or in 8 years when he's reached his maximum term limit) or whether he'll try for a coup.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Nov 2016 @ 3:57pm

One needs to look behind any such expansion
and see if there is other factors at work. If BO has expanded the range of his current rule in ways that are not appropriate, one needs to look at what the flow on effects are for him personally.

There is still time for him to have a very profound influence on the future of the USA and one must wonder what he is actually trying to achieve.

Don't forget that DT is only the President Elect, not yet the President and as such there is no guarantee that he will in fact take office. Tin foil hat comment though that may be, until he does take office, he has no power.

A lot can happen in six weeks, a lot can happen in six days. We just have to wait to see what the future of these two men are.
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Dec 2016 @ 5:06am

Re:
"...our intervention in the affairs of the middle east..."

All very true, but it is where your oil is coming from.
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Dec 2016 @ 5:07am

Re: Re:
Agreed.
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Dec 2016 @ 5:10am

Re: One needs to look behind any such expansion
B.O.

*snigger*
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Wendy Cockcroft, 1 Dec 2016 @ 5:44am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
This is why we need to call out partisanship, folks. It's a stupid game in which the sheep are obliged to choose between two wolves on the understanding that "their" wolf won't devour them.
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Wendy Cockcroft, 1 Dec 2016 @ 5:46am

Re: Re:
All the more reason to invest in green tech. It's amazing how quiet the climate change deniers go when I mention that buying petroleum from the Middle East pays for terrorism.
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Wendy Cockcroft, 1 Dec 2016 @ 5:48am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
If I had a gin and tonic for every time some prat insisted that Dem = lib'rul soshulists and always have been, I'd be permanently drunk.

Do you know that Southern Strategy denial is a thing?
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Wendy Cockcroft, 1 Dec 2016 @ 5:51am

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Where "leftist" = not champing at the bit to shut down those tax-funded programs the elderly rely on.

It's funny how the pro-lifers lose interest in the kid after it is born. It's as if the act of being born contaminates it and strips it of its innate value. I mean, the government is all over it while it's in the womb but afterwards? Meh!
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Wendy Cockcroft, 1 Dec 2016 @ 5:52am

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[Sad but True]
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Wendy Cockcroft, 1 Dec 2016 @ 5:55am

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You typed that without a trace of irony, Padpaw.

Dear me. The cult of personality over the Glorious Leader of $team is a logical extension of partisanship and the culture wars. Sheep... wolves... "not my wolf!"
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Wendy Cockcroft, 1 Dec 2016 @ 5:56am

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I see the same thing on t'other side, where the term "leftist" is cast about with gleeful abandon.
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Wendy Cockcroft, 1 Dec 2016 @ 5:59am

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Oh, dear...
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Wendy Cockcroft, 1 Dec 2016 @ 6:01am

Re: Re: Re: Love this article
"The Right" is currently the alt-right. Anyone with moderate conservative views is immediately lumped with the "left" and described in the most horrible terms. The only possible outcome of this is even more hysteria and even mor division.

America needs a middle ground and it needs it now.
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Wendy Cockcroft, 1 Dec 2016 @ 6:02am

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I submit that he's a neocon who occasionally throws red meat to the liberal/progressive base. If I'm right this isn't wildly out of character, it's about right.
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Wendy Cockcroft, 1 Dec 2016 @ 6:04am

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He's got court cases pending so might not even take office. If he does, you've got two years till the mid-terms when you can vote half of the current crop of representatives out. After that, two more years of lame-ducking his way through the presidency till he limps out of office.

All he has to do to avoid this is either keep his promises... or break every last one of them and do business as usual. If people think he's doing a good job they'll keep his people in office.
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nasch (profile), 1 Dec 2016 @ 6:40am

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If he does, you've got two years till the mid-terms when you can vote half of the current crop of representatives out.

Every representative is up for election every two years, as well as one third of the Senate. Unless you meant vote the Republican "half" out of office.
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Dec 2016 @ 8:08am

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7-8?

I'd love to hear the list of countries we're at war with. By my recollection, Congress declares war. Are you telling me that Congress actually did something over the last 8 years?

And bombing countries that can't fight back?

Irony certainly isn't lost with you guys. But then again, you're probably lumping Afghanistan and Iraq into that 7-8 number.
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Uriel-238 (profile), 1 Dec 2016 @ 8:25pm

The amazing disappearing Americans.
There isn't supposed to be any requirement for US citizens to carry ID while in the United States. I suspect this doesn't stop overenthusiastic law enforcement officers from deporting people who look too Latin. I also bet it's difficult to track how many Americans get deported.

But considering that American citizens got Gitmo'd (or Extraordinarily Rendered) to get tortured and detained indefinitely without due process, I suspect that, yes, a proportionate number of Americans are regularly deported to nations where they are not citizens. And few people bother to try to track them down.
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mb (profile), 2 Dec 2016 @ 7:36am

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More like global school-yard bully. There's not actually a lot of policing going on. Really though, it all just a way to justify transferring trillions of dollars into the pockets of their biggest campaign supporters via grossly inflated military procurement contracts.
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Aaron T (profile), 2 Dec 2016 @ 8:51am

Wish I could...
see the looks of the faces of the Nobel Peace Prize board as they read this post.
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