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I never thought people would’ve supported this kind of government. He’s crossing the Rubicon, can’t you see?

Good lord, you know it's bad when that's how the DRUDGE REPORT frames it. Cam, you were in the military for quite a while, I believe. I'd be fascinated to hear your thoughts about today's cluster F.

Molok wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 30, 2025 7:48 pm

Good lord, you know it's bad when that's how the DRUDGE REPORT frames it. Cam, you were in the military for quite a while, I believe. I'd be fascinated to hear your thoughts about today's cluster F.

Both Pete and Orange Mussolini received deadass silence from those career Officers. Read into that what you will. Trump will most likely start firing the Top Brass, and install traitors in the vein of Flynn. As far as what I think, well, I’ve made it pretty clear. At this point DJT, his cabinet, and abettors should be arrested and tried for violation of the Bill of Rights. You also, literally because of the Posse Comitatus Act, cannot turn the troops loose on Americans. The President can only do what he’s doing if Congress allows it for very obvious and legal reasons. And he didn’t bother to get that. That’s unconstitutional.

The US is very, very close to becoming a dictatorship. And half the country is clapping like maniacal fools for it. It’s insanity.

- Doc

In case there are any American readers of this board as ignorant as I am of the Posse Comitatus Act and its implications, Wikipedia has a very good review, beginning as follows:


Legislation

The original provision was enacted as Section 15 of chapter 263, of the Acts of the 2nd session of the 45th Congress.

Sec. 15. From and after the passage of this act it shall not be lawful to employ any part of the Army of the United States, as a posse comitatus, or otherwise, for the purpose of executing the laws, except in such cases and under such circumstances as such employment of said force may be expressly authorized by the Constitution or by act of Congress; and no money appropriated by this act shall be used to pay any of the expenses incurred in the employment of any troops in violation of this section and any person willfully violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof shall be punished by fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars or imprisonment not exceeding two years or by both such fine and imprisonment.[17]
The text of the relevant legislation is as follows:

18 U.S.C. § 1385. Use of Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force as posse comitatus: Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the Air Force, or the Space Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
Also notable is the following provision within Title 10 of the United States Code (which concerns generally the organization and regulation of the armed forces and Department of Defense):

10 U.S.C. § 275. Restriction on direct participation by military personnel The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to ensure that any activity (including the provision of any equipment or facility or the assignment or detail of any personnel) under this chapter does not include or permit direct participation by a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps in a search, seizure, arrest, or other similar activity unless participation in such activity by such member is otherwise authorized by law.

The bolded passage is crucial, or so it seems to me.

This is yet another step right out of the authoritarian playbook. If Trump and his cronies don’t want to be called fascists, They should stop doing fascist things.

Last week, Trump issued a national security memo that focuses our entire anti-terrorist security apparatus on pro-democracy organizations and citizen protests. It equates things like extreme gender ideology as terrorism. And, the Trump regime considers allowing transgender men and women to access gender affirming medical and surgical to be extreme gender ideology. The memo’s language is broad enough to make my daughter a terrorist for being transgender and me a terrorist for advocating for the right of transgender men and women to simply exist.

Today, Trump told the military that its focus will now shift to fighting the enemy within. He’s made very clear who he means: the political left. Both he and Hegseth told the attendees point blank: If they aren’t on board, get out. Trump said after the meeting that he would sitting down personally with many of these military leaders and, essentially, firing them if he got bad vibes. This is very reminiscent of his infamous private meeting where he presided Comey to pledge his loyalty to Trump.

This is the part of autocratic takeover where the aspiring dictator corrupts the military — changing it from an organization loyal to the constitution to one loyal to the autocrat. Trump chats up field commanders about loyalty, then fires ones that don’t communicate loyalty to him personally. We can expect loyalty tests — pushing military leaders to act politically in ways that would have been anathema in the past. Eventually we can expect to see active duty troops breaking up protests, armed with live amno. Think Kent State, but with active duty troops.

As Trump ramps the pressure up, the risk of provoking a non-peaceful response increases. Any such incident will be used as a pretext to clamp down harder. Trump has been itching to invoke the insurrection act and institute martial law. That’s where this is headed if there is no strong opposition to his attempt to bend the armed forces to his will.

I hope the military’s commitment to serve the constitution and not a politician is as strong as I’ve heard it described. But every other institution has failed to restrain Trump's blitzkreig attack. People who write about autocratic takeover of democracies say that institutions will not save you. I hope they are wrong about our military.

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 30, 2025 10:35 pm

You also, literally because of the Posse Comitatus Act, cannot turn the troops loose on Americans. The President can only do what he’s doing if Congress allows it for very obvious and legal reasons. And he didn’t bother to get that. That’s unconstitutional.

The President also cannot turn the troops loose on non-Americans. The President can only do that if Congress declares war. And every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt didn't bother to get that, thus rendering every "hot" military action since 1945 unconstitutional.

Are you similarly outraged?

Turning the US into a fascist dictatorship requires seizing the military and subverting its purpose.

Dr. Shades wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 01, 2025 6:45 am

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 30, 2025 10:35 pm

You also, literally because of the Posse Comitatus Act, cannot turn the troops loose on Americans. The President can only do what he’s doing if Congress allows it for very obvious and legal reasons. And he didn’t bother to get that. That’s unconstitutional.

The President also cannot turn the troops loose on non-Americans. The President can only do that if Congress declares war. And every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt didn't bother to get that, thus rendering every "hot" military action since 1945 unconstitutional.

Are you similarly outraged?

Wasn’t it “not a crook” Nixon the President that first voiced the notion that when a President does something illegal, by definition it’s not illegal because the President did it?

Do Magadonians think Trump is pro democracy? Do they care? They want a North Korean type regime because they think (I use the term loosely here) it benefits and legitimises them and their views about race and gender. At least the tariffs, and the deportations are working, and Trump ended the war within 24 hours, like he promised.

Did I read right that Trump’s solution for Gaza is for him and Tony Blair to run things over there?

Dr. Shades wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 01, 2025 6:45 am

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 30, 2025 10:35 pm

You also, literally because of the Posse Comitatus Act, cannot turn the troops loose on Americans. The President can only do what he’s doing if Congress allows it for very obvious and legal reasons. And he didn’t bother to get that. That’s unconstitutional.

The President also cannot turn the troops loose on non-Americans. The President can only do that if Congress declares war. And every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt didn't bother to get that, thus rendering every "hot" military action since 1945 unconstitutional.

Are you similarly outraged?

Of course, once I pulled my head out of my ass. War powers, smartly, aren’t invested in one man and his cabinet. I think it’s in Article 1 somewhere if I recall correctly, that Congress must approve war, and somehow it changed to the President giving Congress a 48 hour notice if they get us into military action, SO THAT Congress can decide whether or not they want to authorize further action.

It’s bananas.

https://youtu.be/ckJns65ormI?si=bfa-LJPRxzt1KpIH

A milblogger shares his thoughts on this disturbing direction Orangeman is trying to take us. It’s worth five minutes.

- Doc