Foreseen, Predictable, Unfolding Disaster

Many Americans, over half, including the Democratic Congress, foresaw a weak administration, lacking experience in top positions, a cadre of loyal tv celebrities, chosen by the President to go along with his authoritarian style. The results would be chaos from not following the rule of law and deviating from Constitutional norms, unchecked by the Republican majority. The hour is upon the nation where Trump holds the cards and the lives of 40,000 soldiers in his command as he ponders striking Iran’s core nuclear facility because Israel cannot do the job. 

Well, maybe they can, though it will take longer. Maybe Israel alone can knock off the Ayatollah. Then what. Iran will not be leaderless in chaos, as the Iranians would cope with producing new ones. In a nation state in which people have been deprived of autonomy for a long time, regime change will not be automatic. In a war-torn nation with many terrorist proxies at large, there is no knock-out punch. 

Supporting Israel’s efforts to degrade and destroy Iran’s nuclear capability is in the cards. The question is, does the Trump government have the capability to guide and lead the process?

New York Magazine

Follow Me!

 Tomorrow, June 14, I will celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the US Army, to which I once belonged. Probably, soldiers would prefer to have the day off, except their commander-in-chief wants to exploit the event to celebrate his birthday.

Since authoritarian Trump has absconded with our freedom and right to protest, we will remind him that We the People do not want him as our King. We would like him to do his work humbly, though that is impossible. 

Rejoice as we reject a king and embrace the US Army. Follow Me!

The Proper Way to Enforce Immigration Law

(I wrote the Management Approach for Securing America for ManTech International and Homeland Security’s first Director, Tom Ridge.)

“U.S. immigration law, governed primarily by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), sets the framework for legal immigration, encompassing family reunification, skills-based immigration, humanitarian protections, and diversity. The INA allows for the issuance of up to 675,000 immigrant visas annually, with no limit on family members of U.S. citizens. Refugees and those seeking other forms of immigration must also navigate specific processes and visa categories.”

https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/how-united-states-immigration-system-works

“DHS's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) duties are carried out through more than 400 federal statutes and focus on smart immigration enforcement, humane detention, preventing terrorism, and combating the illegal movement of people and goods.” 

https://www.dhs.gov/topics/immigration-and-customs-enforcement#:~:text=DHS's%20Immigration%20and%20Customs%20Enforcement,movement%20of%20people%20and%20goods.

The Problem:

“There are an estimated 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, according to The Center for Migration Studies of New York. This represents about 3.3% of the total US population, according to the American Immigration Council. Estimates vary slightly, but the general consensus is around 11 million to 11.7 million.”

https://cmsny.org/us-undocumented-population-increased-in-july-2023-warren-090624/#:~:text=Total%20Undocumented%20Population%20In%202023,%2D2001%20(Figure%202).

The Management Approach:

1. 'Stop the bleeding
   
   Secure the border: Congress must appropriate sufficient resources to stop or reduce the flow of illegal immigrants.

“Key Points:

• Increased Flow: Encounters with unauthorized immigrants along the US southern border have significantly increased in recent years.
• Labor Market Influence: The increase in illegal immigration across the US southern border appears to be largely driven by labor market demand in the US economy.
• Spikes and Declines: While border crossings spiked at the end of 2023, they have seen a dramatic decline in early 2025, reaching some of the lowest levels in decades.
• Shifting Origins: While Mexico traditionally accounted for the largest share of unauthorized immigrants, there has been a noticeable diversification of origins in recent years. There are now increases in unauthorized populations from Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia.
• Factors Influencing Declines: The recent decrease in border crossings may be attributed to new restrictions implemented by the US administration and increased enforcement efforts by Mexican officials.
• Total Undocumented Population: The total undocumented population in the US saw an increase in 2023, reaching about 11.7 million. This estimate is still below the peak of 12 million reached in 2008. The undocumented population had steadily declined between 2008 and 2020 before increasing again in 2022 and 2023.”

Illegal Immigration WIKI

2. Clear the backlog: Congress must appropriate sufficient resources to process illegal cases to categorize those who are qualified to stay, and to determine who should be forgiven, such as “dreamers,” and who should be returned to their place of origin based on an assessment of danger to them. That is a process governed by laws and regulations and cannot be short-circuited by illegal presidential directives.

Here is where we are, now

 What do citizens do in a failed democratic republic?

“In a failed democratic republic, citizens face a significant erosion of their rights and freedoms, potentially leading to a state of near-anarchy or authoritarian rule. They may experience a decline in basic services, increased violence and instability, and limited opportunities for meaningful civic participation. Some may be forced to serve in militias or engage in criminal activities, while others might seek to maintain essential services at the local level.” AI Overview

Here is where we are today, in America.

Our only option is to support the court and the political party that resists authoritarian leadership. We are reliant on the free media. If the media isn’t free and the regime interferes with the rule of law, civil disturbance is the last option. 

Let’s discuss.

Recap of Trump's UK Big Deal Meeting

Today's Cabinet Meeting

Today, I watched the President’s cabinet meeting from start to finish. Seeing this live meeting was an extraordinary experience, with the caveat that the department heads and associates' reports were highly orchestrated. I started watching on MSNBC, however, I switched channels because MSNBC chose to leave the audio portion of the meeting and to comment over the news.

Why did MSNBC do that? Likely, they observed the commentary as being Trump propaganda and, in many instances, making claims in the absence of fact. MSNBC stayed plugged into the meeting though chose to deny The White House the opportunity for undeserved air time, they must have believed.

I switched to CNN because I wanted to hear every word each participant had to say. I wanted to hear everything the President said. I wanted to hear answers to the questions asked by the authorized press.

Without providing copious analysis of the scripts, I observed the continuation of propaganda and unsubstantiated claims, and deplorable actions pertaining to immgrants. 

What I found most interesting was the repeated explanation by Trump about his use of tariffs to offset the imbalances in the trade situation that leaves America in perpetual deficit that he claims is unsustainable.

I agree that the trade deficit is intolerable and applaud his attention to it. I think thoughtful and deliberate negotiations with all trading partners are long overdue. About the problem and the outcome, I do not disagree. So, what is the problem?

The Trump brand of problem-solving is brute force and combative, often disrespectful of people, whether they be immigrants or citizens. His cabinet members were chosen based on loyalty and their possessing Trump-like arrogant qualities. We can debate that later if you wish.

Because Trump wants immediate results, he has no patience for how things get done via laws and regulations. He wants a shorter path and is willing to disregard the Constitution and professional means of getting things done. The consequence is a high risk of failure and little assurance of results accompanied by injuring innocent people and other unintended consequences. 

What must be confusing to those who catch snippets of the news is hearing Trump say things that sort of make sense, followed by brash noise that undermines his credibility. For this viewer, since Trump’s foundation is lies, I can’t believe a word they say.

Image Credit: C-Span

Just Wondering

President Trump persists in running up against the rule of law. His “flood the zone” strategy is to clog the courts to prevent timely action to stop him from committing illegal acts through executive orders and outright commands and actions by his subordinates. “Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers.[1] Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties may be suspended for as long as martial law continues.[2][1] Most often, martial law is declared in times of war or emergencies such as civil unrest and natural disasters.[3] Alternatively, martial law may be declared in instances of military coups d'état.[4” Wik

Congress has the rightful power to stop him, such as imposing tariffs without its permission or rounding up people and denying them due process protection.

What can be done about a derelict Republican-controlled Congress? What if Trump persists in pursuing such actions as imposing martial law?

As one who was trained as a commissioned Army officer during the Vietnam War era, we discussed the possibility of recieving unlawful orders. 

“In the U.S. military, service members are obligated to obey lawful orders, but they are not bound to obey unlawful ones, and can face consequences for disobeying lawful orders but also for obeying unlawful ones.” Uniform Code of Military Justice

President Trump is paranoid about an insurrection like the one he instigated. What if people continue to protest in mass against his illegalities and extremes? What if he attempts to invoke martial law? 

I believe that a majority of military officers will not comply with the order. What do you think?

Image: Military Times