Donald Trump and maga Republicans must end murdering people on the high seas especially when the Coast Guard is trained to intercede

An echo opinion published in the New York Magazine Intelligencer

Trump Wants to ‘Kill People’ Without War By Ed Kilgore, political columnist for Intelligencer since 2015.

Pete Hegseth confirms the killing.

In response to press questions about his administration’s escalating attacks on fishing boats (without proof of cause) in the Caribbean and the Pacific that were allegedly involved in drug trafficking, Donald Trump drew a rather jarring distinction, as CNN reports:

Trump insisted that he could continue to launch strikes against alleged drug traffickers without Congress first passing an official declaration of war. “I’m not going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war,” he said. “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. Okay? We’re going to kill them, you know, they’re going to be, like, dead.”

It’s clear that Trump’s intention was to rule out any congressional interference with his constitutionally dubious use of military force in a struggle — don’t say war! — with so-called “narco-terrorists.” 

But, the line he drew between “war” and “killing” revealed a more fundamental element of his thinking. There has always been a bit of a contradiction between Trump’s horror toward “forever wars” — not to mention his aspirations as a global peacemaker — and his more general bloodlust. He wants America’s enemies and rivals to have no doubt about his willingness to unleash incredible levels of violence if he deems it necessary. He has dismissed laws of warfare that protect civilians or prohibit the torture of potential informants. He has appointed a “secretary of war” who believes “lethality” must be central to every national-security calculation. And in all sorts of contexts, he’s rejected any restraints on retribution against anyone who crosses him.

What this apparent disconnect between aversion to war and pure enjoyment of violence shows is that Trump remains a faithful disciple of the Jacksonian tradition in American foreign policy. Like Old Hickory, Trump rejects alliances, entanglements, or commitments to deploy military force, but at the same time believes use of maximum violence to eliminate any direct threat to perceived American interests is essential to maintaining the peace and deterring bad actors.

Trump wants a huge military that is so feared that it rarely needs to be used, and he hates the idea of limited “forever” wars that don’t instantly achieve their purposes. That probably includes any armed conflict that would last long enough to require congressional authorization or oversight. 

So Trump has no problems with, and in fact glories in, killing people as the best possible guarantor of an America-friendly world order based on fear rather than messy treaties and rules. Sudden strikes on fishing boats that may or may not be engaged in “narco-terrorism” are right in his wheelhouse. The message to a dangerous world is Don’t tread on me 🐍— or get yourself killed. It’s chilling but entirely in character for the 47th cruel president.

P.S. Maine Writer- Donald Trump, with maga Evangelicals like Speker Mike Johnson claim to be Christian but the Bible is very clear in the Ten Commandments, "Thou Shalt Not Kill".  The commandment "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13) is more accurately translated as "Thou shalt not murder," and it prohibits the unjust taking of a human life. The Hebrew word used, ratsach, specifically refers to wrongful homicide.

Texas Republicans scrambling like rats to find the escape hatch and avoid accountability about the July 4th deadly flash floods

Echo opinions published by the Houston Chronicle editorial board: 

Thumbs down: If you are understandably brought to tears by images of waterlogged stuffies and want to know who is to blame for the deadly Hill Country floods, the Texas Governor Greg Abbott doesn’t want to hear it. “That's the word choice of losers," Abbott said when asked by a reporter on Tuesday who was to blame for the devastation. As our governor tells it, the July 4th flood was less a preventable tragedy and more a fumbled play under the Friday night lights. 

“Know this, every football team makes mistakes,” he said. “The losing teams are the ones that try to point out who's to blame.’” So dry those eyes and rub some dirt on it. (Wanna be❓) Coach Abbott is here to focus on results — just don’t expect him to review the game tape. Clear eyes. Full Hearts. Can’t lose our patience with officials deflecting responsibility.

At least 37 children died in the July 4 Texas flash floods, primarily in Kerr County. These deaths occurred at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, and in other areas along the Guadalupe River. The flooding was a result of heavy rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry, which caused the Guadalupe River to rise rapidly.

Double Thumbs Down: Online commentary is attacking Ted Cruz...aka... "Cruz to lose" for being in Greece during the disasterous July 4th floods. Yes we roasted “Cancun Cruz” when he fled Winter Storm Uri with his family and left his dog behind. And yes, we've called on him to resign for attempting to undermine American democracy and the peaceful transfer of power.

Thumbs down: And speaking of internet trolls, right-wing podcaster Charlie Kirk 🤢saw the floodwaters and knew how he could help — by pushing partisan talking points. Amid an already heated controversy surrounding Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker — who is facing accusations of failing to promptly deploy rescue crews during the crisis — Kirk chose to glide over critiques. Instead, he bizarrely accused Baker, who is Black, of being a "DEI" hire and blamed him for flood deaths. Kirk’s comments were so extreme that even the Austin firefighter union, which is actively calling for a no-confidence vote against Baker, felt compelled to defend the decorated and experienced chief: “As a reminder” they said. “The Austin Firefighters Association firmly condemns all forms of racism, hate speech, and abusive rhetoric.”

Thumbs down: The foot-in-mouth disease went fully bipartisan this week after a Houston-area pediatrician* and a former member of the Houston Food Insecurity Board both found themselves publicly dragged — and professionally sidelined — for treating the deaths in the Hill Country floods as nothing more than a political cudgel against conservatives.😕😒 Pro tip: If you wouldn’t say it at the memorial, don’t post it to the internet.


Thumbs down: Before Texas puts the Ten Commandments in classrooms, maybe the Office of the Attorney General could use a moral tablet or two. On Thursday, Ken Paxton’s wife posted on social media she was filing for divorce “on biblical grounds.” We’re left guessing as to which exact sin has been revealed❓ to state Sen. Angela Paxton since Ken’s impeachment trial. We already knew about the allegations that Texas’ top lawman coveted his neighbor’s wife — not to mention his $1,000 Montblanc pen. (Is Paxton a hypocrite, ya'think❓)

*Houston pediatrician fired over flood victims comment issues apology. "I take full responsibility for a social media comment I made..." (This pediatrician should lose his medical license❗)

Vice President Pence and the Republican golden calf

Disgusting loyalty oaths and idolatress praise demanded by Donald Trump from the people he controls, like the United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, is led by the disciple he has in Vice President Mike Pence.  

Obviously Mike Pence has forgotten the pre-amble to The Ten Commencements

"Thou shalt not have strange gods before me"

Following the strictly partisan Republican vote to provide tax cuts for the rich, in the GOP greedy bill, the Donald Trump cult followers led by the Senate President Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan held a loyalty rally to shower idolatrous praise on the strange god before them.

Republicans appear as though they prefer to worship the proverbial "golden calf" rather than adhere to The Ten Commandments.

"The Sin of the Calf". It is first mentioned in Exodus 32:4.

Here's the fact.  The Senate vote that was hailed as some sort of monumental accomplishment would never have happened if Senator Mitch McConnell had seated the Alabama Senator Elect Doug Jones. In fact, Senator Elect Jones is the Alabama Democrat who won a fair election against the Republican extremist opponent. One vote by Jones, if he had been justly seated in the Senate, would have defeated the Republican tax cuts for the rich.

It's disgusting to watch the Republicans line up behind Vice President Pence to worship the false god in Donald Trump.

Now Nikki Haley has also fallen victim to the idolatry. She issued a threat to the UN, rather than just defend the stupid ruling by Donald Trump to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Isreal...just let it go....she issued a threat.  It was a Tony Soprano (as described on Morning Joe by Dick Stengel) approach to United Nations diplomacy:  

Nikki Haley Threatens U.N. With Defunding Over Resolution Condemning U.S. Jerusalem Decision

UN Ambassador Nikki Haley weighs in on the General Assembly's debate about whether or not to condemn the U.S. for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

In a major diplomatic blow to Israel and U.S. President Donald Trump, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution rejecting the American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, with 128 member states voting in favor of the resolution and a mere nine voting against it.
Following the worship of the the false god Donald Trump, Vice President Pence traveled to Afghanistan where he wished the American military, who are lonesome while far from home, a Merry Christmas. It was a shallow greeting from the disciple of a false god.  The Ten Commandments is clear.  

Vice President Pence should spend some time thinking about the hypocrisy of who he is worshiping and reference the Bible.

Sean Spicer needs assertiveness training

Spicer's debut- Poitico (by Matthew Nussbaum)- Sean Spicer lacks the guts or integrity to refuse orders to go out and lie. He is a failure in this job on his first full day,” Brian Fallon wrote on Twitter.

It's a Sin To Tell a Lie- Patti Page (1927-2013)

Christians voted for Donald Trump because he claimed to be anti-abortion (I believe he lied when - and even "if" he added "I'm pro-life").  Nevertheless, the same Christian voters never bothered to consider how Donald Trump intended to violate several of the 10 Commandments given to Moses.  Obviously, telling lies didn't disqualify Donald Trump in the self righteous voters' minds.

Now, this is a fine lying mess he's gotten him and the White House into via the newly hired press secretary, Sean Spicer:

WASHINGTON DC- Sean Spicer’s Saturday (January 21) performance — in which the White House press secretary lambasted the media for their inauguration coverage and delivered a number of outright falsehoods on crowd size — elicited puzzlement from some former press secretaries and scorn from others.

“This is called a statement you’re told to make by the President. And you know the President is watching,” George W. Bush’s former press secretary Ari Fleischer wrote on Twitter.

Jay Carney, who was former President Barack Obama’s press secretary from 2011 to 2014, fired back: “Wrong. The President I worked for never told me to lie. Ever. And I doubt Pres. Bush ever told @AriFleischer to lie. Today was not normal.”

Fleischer later wrote that Spicer’s statements did leave him “uncomfortable and concerned,” but suggested that the outrage was disproportionate to the media’s reaction to initially misleading reports about the cause of the attacks on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi in 2012.

Brian Fallon, who was Hillary Clinton’s press secretary on the campaign trail and was widely expected to get the White House post if she won, had his own take.

“Sean Spicer lacks the guts or integrity to refuse orders to go out and lie. He is a failure in this job on his first full day,” Fallon wrote on Twitter.

Spicer strode to the White House briefing room podium Saturday evening and accused the press of “deliberately false reporting.”

In pushback on reporting about the size of inauguration crowds, he made a series of inaccurate statements about Metro ridership numbers, security measures and even the use of grass coverings on the National Mall.

He said photos showing a larger crowd at Obama’s 2009 inauguration were presented in such a way as to downplay the size of the crowd at Trump’s. He declared that “this was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period,” but offered no evidence to back up the claim. Considerable evidence indicates that in-person and televised viewing were far higher in 2009.

Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to Trump, told NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning that Spicer was offering “alternative facts.”

“Alternative facts are not facts,” Todd responded. “They’re falsehoods.”  

The Ten Commandments: Exodus 20:1–17, and then at Deuteronomy 5:6–21. Both versions state that God inscribed them on two stone tablets, which he gave to Moses, on Mount Sinai.

Christians voters- any "Trump-grets" yet?