For those who ask even rhetorically "What do we do if Trump issues an Executive Order

[no_hypocrisy]

that puts the citizenship question back on the Census?", here's my question:

If you/we do NOTHING, what happens when Trump decides to issue an Executive Order that suspends The Constitution in toto? That means (among other things) no free speech, free press, right to habeas corpus, right to a speedy trial, due process, protection from government, right to vote, free elections, even slavery.

Like it or not, this is our time of reckoning.

[dewsgirl]

1. I think about this every single day.

[watoos]

2. Keep our powder dry until after the election.

[Grasswire2]

19. I assume this is sarcasm? nt

[Runningdawg]

7. This 100% AND the internet is not the place to organize, it needs to be old school

The census hill is not the hill I am prepared to die on. But the other things mentioned....Yes, we have to fight but don't forget they have had 160 years to plan for civil war 2.0, this IS what they elected him to do. EXACTLY.

[Runningdawg]

39. I'm not talking about civil war over the census question

But if gets a 2nd term, or refuses to leave office after the first or he starts executing concentration camp kids or journalists???? You can count on it! I live in OK, I KNOW people in militias chomping at the bit. I have family that would pick up a gun and shoot me tomorrow if they knew they could get away with it. YEAH civil war. Those "walking wounded rejects"? They can still shoot and they want payback for the last 160 years. Dying as a martyr for "their" country is their life's greatest ambition.

[dalton99a]

4. "What are you going to do about it? All the people with guns work for ME!"

"How many cops does the Supreme Court have? How many cops does Congress have?"

"I have the FBI, the CIA, all the law enforcement. I have all the soldiers. All the generals."

[Cirque du So-What]

6. Who said that?

Nicolas II?

[lapislzi]

43. The more apt comparison is Kaiser Wilhelm II

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/what-happens-when-a-bad-tempered-distractible-doofus-runs-an-empire

Read it. Scary.

[Cirque du So-What]

45. At one time I joked that tRump was the reincarnation of Mussolini

Of course, I realize that despots share quite a few characteristics, so it shouldn't come as a surprise when some shitheel reminds us of historical tyrants and the comparisons are valid, whether it's Nero, Kaiser Willie, or tRump.

[Bettie]

5. I think about it all the time

and I see it coming.

Heck, human trafficking, child rape, and concentration camps are A-OK with a large segment of our population.

Congresspersons who speak out against these things are told by their leadership to shut up. What reason is there for hope?

[Timewas]

8. Suspending the constitution

It is called "Marshal Law" and do not be really surprised if it happens at which time all civil rights are suspended... If anyone thinks he won't try that at some point you have not been paying attention..

[SoCalNative]

9. Actually

it's Martial Law

[MineralMan]

10. Indeed it is.

Might Trump declare a National Emergency and declare Martial Law? He might, but it will be against all advice from everyone. I believe that would finally trigger impeachment. Nothing less will, though.

It's relatively easy to declare Martial Law. Making it function, on the other hand, would be very, very difficult.

[leftieNanner]

20. I agree with you MM

But it is frightening to see how many law enforcement officers and military are right wingers. My friend's son was a Marine and they had Rush Limbaugh on the radio every day. He's now a Trump supporter. He's out of the Marines, but he's a county sheriff. They do have ways to control the populace with their weapons and equipment.

Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

[ancianita]

22. What if, under martial law, he shuts down Congress so that there can be no legal remedy.

Would the Pentagon stop him in order to save their paymasters. I'd bet on it.

[Runningdawg]

40. Martial law is logisitcally NOT possible unless...

You kill off 1/2 the population first.

[qazplm135]

27. Have you talked to Marshall about that?

He's adamant it's his law!

[Timewas]

37. OK

Thank you ..now maybe you might have something to add to the conversation besides a spelling critique???????????????????????

[videohead5]

11. An executive order

Can't override the supreme court. As soon as Trump does it he will be taken to court.

[davsand]

16. Seems like no amount of court decisions will influence the orange anus.

He's doing what he wants, whenever he wants to. There is zero respect thee for the rule of law. I joke about scofflaws, but in his case it's a very real thing. It's becoming a cliché, but it's true.





Laura

[ancianita]

24. Who is going to make him.

[C_U_L8R]

28. Can a President be charged with contempt of court?

It seems like everyone else who carries out the executive orders may also be in contempt, no?

[videohead5]

32. The courts can order

Them to stop printing the census until this goes back to the supreme court. I was just watching MSNBC and they said the printing would be delayed for some time while it goes through the courts again.

[Gamecock Lefty]

12. I live in a red state.

They can ask whatever they want. My census is going in my shredder!

[homegirl]

17. I live in a blue state

if the citizenship question is on the census form I will leave it blank. Everyone I know intends to do the same!

[leftieNanner]

21. Can't you just leave the citizenship question blank?

nt

[kentuck]

13. Perhaps a little hyperbolic?

But not much?

Somebody needs to challenge the dictator?

[BlueJac]

14. He becomes our first Dictator!

[KPN]

15. He is increasingly emboldened by our acquiescence. The GOP as a

whole has learned that they can take a foot every time we give an inch. Frankly, this administration and the current GOP are running roughshod over the Constitution and democracy. They have outright stolen several presidential elections, dozens of House seats and continue to press for permanent advantage/power.

If we let tRump get away with this, we will be done for. Not impeaching, not protesting over Kavanaugh and Barr only exposed our weakness and emboldened them.

[ancianita]

18. It is. Battalions of lawyers must get out in front of executive order abuse.

[dobleremolque]

23. Impeachment? Well, Article II Section 4 is

in "The Constitution." Article II Section 4 sets up and provides for the process of impeachment.

So... if the Constitution is "suspended", does that mean that the House's ability to impeach and the Senate's ability to conduct the trial is is also suspended?

[ancianita]

25. If Congress were to ignore his suspension and proceed, he couldn't stop it. Even under martial

law, the military could refuse his orders, remove him and the complicit VP, and let the House Speaker take over. After all, Congress are the military's paymasters. I think.

[Grasswire2]

26. today is a good day to donate to the ACLU

....as they prepare to challenge any executive order regarding the census.

www.aclu.org

[LanternWaste]

31. This sentiments surfaces in my circle of friends...

with every new Republican president.

Like it or not, the sky is falling. Again.

Chicken Little was a disciplined philosopher, a statesman of broad views, and a great neo-progressive as he told us (again and again) that this is our time of reckoning... so get your umbrellas ready.

[jmowreader]

35. Donnie the Tyrant has a unique problem

If he suspends all the parts of the Constitution he likes, he also suspends the part that says the Commanding general of III Corps can’t round up the whole administration, fly them to Fort Hood and use them as targets in an All-Army Artillery Competition.

[world wide wally]

36. My question is this:

How was the stupid buffoon able to conquer the USA so easily?

[Runningdawg]

41. Apathy

[Caliman73]

42. There is an inherent weakness in liberalism in dealing with extremism.

We have tended to deal well with external threats, but not with internal ones. People need to realize that the focus for internal security has always been to oppose demands for change from the left. Socialism, Communism, and other egalitarian economic philosophies have been the "enemy" because they oppose the entire order of capitalism. They would challenge the ownership of the means of production and the concentration of wealth into the hands of the currently powerful.

While right wing extremism (White Nationalism, Neo-Nazis, KKK, Sovereign Citizens, etc...) have been seen as morally and aesthetically wrong, they actually support the current system with some obvious tweaks. Capitalists would continue to keep their wealth and wield power with some exceptions.

Liberalism with its focus on free speech, equal access, and a belief in the capitalism/democracy paradigm has difficulty fighting against right wing extremism because those right wing extremists use the tools of liberalism while seeking very illiberal ends. If you kick them off a website they cry about "free speech" and "censorship". The media, not wanting to seem biased, does not call them out for their end goals, which is basically to subjugate or exterminate anyone that does not fit into their idea of what the hierarchy should be.

Trump, who while not a dedicated White Supremacist, understood and surrounded himself with enough of them to take advantage of this weakness.

[0rganism]

44. this is the last battleground where we have a real chance to fight back

in this battle, the law is on our side. the Constitution is on our side. crucially, the supreme court is on our side.

if we can't or don't stop this, we will not stop anything. end of the line for democracy. totalitarian Trump can and will rule by absolute edict, and we can and will all move on to living in an imperial dictatorship. it's not like empires and dictatorships are uncommon forms of social organization, historically speaking. i guess we had our chance to do things differently, but it seems to be slipping away.