Below is my column in USA Today on the disturbing comments of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn in favor of a military coup. He later insisted that he was misquoted but the videotape confirms that he was for a military coup before he was against it last week. It is certainly positive to see Flynn deny support for a military coup, but the incident is the latest example of our growing addiction to rage — and the loss of our common constitutional faith.
Here is the column:
Gen. Michael Flynn appears to be man adrift. Flynn was pummeled by prosecutors to the point of bankruptcy and subjected to serious errors in prosecutorial and judicial misconduct for years. Despite my criticism of his prosecution, however, some of us noticed a rise of unhinged and undemocratic rhetoric from the former national security adviser.
Now Flynn appears to be endorsing an actual military coup after comments at an event held in Dallas. When prompted by an audience member, Flynn declared that we should have a military coup in this country like the one in Myanmar. The comment was a disgrace to all of the men or women who served with Flynn. It is particularly disgusting on the Memorial Day weekend when we honor all those who gave their lives for our country. He later effectively retracted his statement but the damage was done.
Military can threaten constitutional governance
During a question-and-answer session on Sunday, an audience member asked Flynn, while mispronouncing the Southeast Asian nation’s name: “I want to know why what happened in Myanmar can’t happen here?”
Flynn responded, “No reason, I mean, it should happen here. No reason. That’s right.” It was stated without a hint of sarcasm or poor humor. It was a matter-of-fact declaration that severed any connections of Flynn to our Constitution values or traditions.
As a retired Army lieutenant general, Flynn once took an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” I have always noted that the oath is to the Constitution itself, not a general reference to the country. This country is defined by our Constitution, including both its representative democratic process and its civilian leadership.
Myanmar is a vivid and brutal example of the costs of living in a nation without a faithful and loyal military dedicated to a constitutional process. Hundreds were killed and President Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi were arrested. Thousands of citizens have taken to the streets to protest and resist the military rule.
The Founding Fathers were so distrustful of military interference with civilian rule that many opposed a standing army. Even James Madison raised the concern of how a military can a threat to a constitutional system of governance:
“In time of actual war, great discretionary powers are constantly given to the Executive Magistrate. Constant apprehension of War, has the same tendency to render the head too large for the body. A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive, will not long be safe companions to liberty. The means of defense against foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war, whenever a revolt was apprehended. Throughout all Europe, the armies kept up under the pretext of defending, have enslaved the people.”
As discussed in my prior writings on the United States military and its history, the initially partisan military leadership after the revolution soon adopted a core adherence to a professional, apolitical tradition that continues to this day.
Relatively few military officers questioned or challenged civilian authority in our history. Those who did, like General Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War, were quickly and correctly sent into ignoble retirement.
Flynn later backtracked and declared “Let me be VERY CLEAR – There is NO reason whatsoever for any coup in America, and I do not and have not at any time called for any action of that sort.” He then appears to be blaming the media for “manipulating” his words as a “lively conference.” That is not true. I watched the video and he matter-of-factly endorses the idea of a coup.
Rage and faith in the Constitution
For those who love our Constitution and our country, the statement of Gen. Flynn could not be more offensive or grotesque. We have our flaws and our imperfections. However, the thing that has sustained up for over two centuries is our Constitution. Despite wars and every type of national trauma, we are still here. Our political differences have never become so great as to shake our common article of faith in our Constitution. Of course, it takes a leap of faith by every citizen to remain constitutionally loyal even when you have not prevailed politically. Flynn previously appeared to call for martial law to keep Trump in office. Even with his later backtracking on the call for a coup, Flynn has clearly lost the article of faith that binds us to each other. Instead, he appears adrift in the type of floating rage of the QAnon realm.
I have long opposed the use of sedition laws to punish figures like Flynn for making such statements (including recent efforts to return to sedition prosecutions). As a free speech advocate, I oppose such criminalization of viewpoints. However, we should all (including former President Donald Trump) condemn Flynn for this public statement even if we disagreed with elements of his prosecution. He is a man who lost that constitutional faith, regardless of his later effort to retract his statement. It is like expressing approval of infanticide before reaffirming your love for babies. The initial comment reflects something truly unnerving. I truly pity him for that loss. It leaves him with little but rage, which can become its own type of faith. Indeed, we live at a time when people are addicted to rage. Flynn is now is the face of that addiction.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and a member of USA TODAY’s Board of Contributors. Follow him on Twitter: @JonathanTurley
Nazi officers perceived themselves as patriotic and loved their country. Same for every foreign enemy of the USA. What makes America really great is that our government officials – from local police to FBI to the military to intel officials – swear supreme loyalty to a “constitutional rule of law” system that protects individual rights and liberties.
Flynn is brave, patriotic and loves his country but misguided in his where supreme loyalty is given (Article VI). The U.S. Constitution is a wartime governing charter with emergency clauses already built in. The premise of the American system is that the “ends” never justify unconstitutional means. Flynn is brave and patriotic but got it backwards.
‘The People’ do not exist at the pleasure of nor to serve government. Rather, government is a creation of ‘The People’, and exists only to the extent it serves ‘The People’. Tyrants attempting to abuse government authority to impose unreasonable restraints upon the God-given rights and freedoms of the governed are responsible for jeopardizing the Union that binds states together under a central government. Any such government bonds instituted by The People can be dissolved by the People. One need only review the historical record to realize that when The People no longer consent, they can dissolve their present governance and re-institute one that best serves their safety and happiness. Those who think otherwise should consider the words in the Declaration of Independence. Were they true only at that time or are they true still?
“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” “…when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”
Professor Turley likes to pretend that the US Constitution prohibits a fraudulent Presidential election from being overturned and corrected. And, consequently, he likes to attack genuine patriots, like Gen. Michael Flynn (whom Prof. Turley refers to as “Micheal” Flynn, unconsciously admitting that General Flynn is associated with healing the nation). Prof. Turley knows, but will not tell you, that the Constitution provides a way forward to correct a fraudulent Presidential election, as occurred in 2020. Article II of the Constitution has a provision to put the election of the President in hands of the U.S. House of Representatives — the people’s house — with each state getting one vote, with that vote being decided by the weighting of Party representation in each state. And, as a result of the November 3, 2020 election, with 27 states now having more Republican than Democratic Congressmen, and 20 states having more Democratic than Republican Congressmen, and three states being evenly split, the Presidential election, when the fraud is reversed, would be called for Donald J. Trump.
“However, we should all … condemn Flynn for this public statement even if we disagreed with elements of his prosecution. He is a man who lost that constitutional faith, regardless of his later effort to retract his statement. It is like expressing approval of infanticide before reaffirming your love for babies.”
What Flynn said was wrong, but was it the wording or what he believes and continues to believe? Professor Turley doesn’t know, and neither do I. Flynn shortly after clarified his words, and Trump did not follow what people thought Flynn meant. Therefore, I think other than advice to be careful with one’s words, I don’t believe Professor Turley should feel as strongly as he does in the way he does.
We live in a world of rage, but the rage and actions are almost exclusively from the left or crazies. Who supported numerous riots with looting, arson, and destruction? The left. Yet, according to the left, those were peaceful acts.
The actions at the Supreme Court were peaceful, yet those at the capitol on Jan 6 were considered violent where there was only one death, that of a Trump supporter. Why hasn’t all the information been released, including everything about the death? That raises the suspicion of murder. We already know the supposed right-wing group included left-wing activists who encouraged violence.
The left has much more to answer than Mike Flynn, who quickly corrected his prior statement. But, unfortunately, the left has not fixed any of their errors. Instead, they have hidden them with lies and intimidation. The left caused violence and the loss of the rights of American citizens.
S. Meyer,
“ What Flynn said was wrong, but was it the wording or what he believes and continues to believe?”
He believes it. He has called for the overthrow of our government before when he called in Trump to declare martial law in order to overturn the election results.
“ He could order the, within the swing states, if he wanted to, he could take military capabilities, and he could place those in states and basically rerun an election in each of those states,” Flynn told Newsmax. “I mean, it’s not unprecedented. These people are out there talking about martial law like it’s something that we’ve never done. Martial law has been instituted 64 times.”
https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-flynn-trump-military-martial-law-overturn-election-2020-12?amp
Flynn has a clear pattern of encouraging overturning our government by force.
Any claim of “walking back” his claims are pure hogwash. He WANTS and BELIEVES exactly what he has said.
“He believes it. “
Svelaz, you don’t know what you believe. That is why every time there is a discussion you look it up and spout someone else’s nonsense.
S. Meyer, Flynn has made it pretty clear what he believes. The direct quote from Flynn himself stating Trump should declare martial law to overturn the election leaves no doubt about it.
You have not exactly denied what he said is true.
Providing direct quotes is more than “spouting”. Can you say it isn’t true Flynn has in more than one occasion supported the idea of overthrowing our government?
Svelaz, why don’t you get a storefront and start reading tea leaves?
Anonymous 8:18,
Why don’t you actually delve in reality instead of willfully denying what’s in front of you. Flynn literally stated that the president should declare martial law in order to retain his presidency.
Then he agrees with a questioner at a Qanon rally that what happened with in Myanmar which was a military coup, SHOULD happen here. That’s the second time he’s stated military intervention and overthrowing our own government.
Obviously you seem to support authoritarianism and rule by decree from Trump.
Svelaz, do a better job reading your tea leaves, and start to think. Whatever Flynn might have said or meant, Trump didn’t follow. That is very clear.
If you are concerned with totalitarian rule, then you should be concerned with the Democrat Party now run by the left that is actually accomplishing its goals of pushing America into an elitist fascist oligarchical state.
You don’t concern yourself with that either because you are a fan of totalitarianism or cannot understand what is happening around you.
S. Meyer,
“ Whatever Flynn might have said or meant, Trump didn’t follow. That is very clear.”
Obviously it’s clear trump didn’t follow. It’s also very clear Flynn meant and believes what he said. It’s what Flynn said that matters because it is his belief.
It doesn’t matter whether trump didn’t follow that or not. What does matter is what Flynn said. What you are desperately trying to ignore is Flynn’s actual belief that trump should overthrow our own government so he can remain president.
You keep saying what Flynn “might have said” after being shown to your very eyes that he DID say that. The very fact that you are deliberately not wanting to admit Flynn’s comments ARE true gives everyone the impression that you agree with him.
You rant and rail about communism and Marxism and Biden’s “authoritarianism”
while embracing Trump’s own authoritarian wishes.
That’s what cognitive dissonance is. I bet if you were slapped across the face by trump you wouldn’t admit he did.
“It doesn’t matter whether Trump didn’t follow that or not. ”
Of course, it does, Svelaz. Trump was President, and Flynn wasn’t an official. Is there something wrong with your head that you cannot recognize that even the best advisors can sometimes say the wrong things or even give bad advice? What is wrong with you?
I don’t know what Flynn would be willing to carry out, and neither do you. Trump did what he was supposed to do, but you wish to attack Trump anyway. That is TDS unbridled.
Trump demonstrated transparency, the rule of law, the ability to keep a promise, and intelligent leadership. Unfortunately, Biden has shown none of those things, as proven on this blog time and time again.
Stop using big words that you overheard and don’t even understand.
“That’s what cognitive dissonance is. I bet if you were slapped across the face by Trump you wouldn’t admit he did.”
Go ahead, Svelaz. Tell us all the awful things Trump did as President having to do with his duties of the Presidency. I’ll defend them or state I don’t see it his way. Biden has been involved with loads of things that have been brought to the forefront, and you can’t and won’t do the same.
You are ignorant, and you demonstrate your ignorance every time you reply.
S. Meyer, you’re hilarious. You’re making it about Trump in order to deflect from what Flynn said.
Flynn was Trump’s National security advisor. He was prosecuted for lying to the vp, the court and conspiring with the Russians. Now he’s telling everybody what he believes by stating TWICE that Trump’s presidency should have been retained thru military force. That’s treasonous to the oath he once took.
Trump is not the issue. Flynn is. Turley spent considerable effort defending him only to find out he is not as innocent as he claimed he was.
Svelaz, stop persisting in acting like a dummy. You said: “You’re making it about Trump in order to deflect from what Flynn said.” I already told you what I thought about Flynn’s statements in each response, but you are attempting to draw Trump into the discussion. Trump acted correctly in those instances, so the focus is on Flynn’s statements.
What statements about Flynn did your little mind not understand? Suddenly, you bring in new things that do not pertain to the discussion and are not an accurate portrayal of past events. That is what Stupid people do when they can’t seem to admit they are acting stupid.
S. Meyer,
“ Svelaz, stop persisting in acting like a dummy. You said: “You’re making it about Trump in order to deflect from what Flynn said.”
You’re the only one who brought up trump. Not I.
You stated Flynn was wrong, “BUT was it wording or what he believes? “
Question if he really believes it is putting doubt that what he said was not really what he meant. I pointed out that he has made claims about overthrowing our government before and his coordination with known Russian intelligence. He believed in such notions even during his time as Trump’s national security advisor. It’s what got him fired from the obama administration.
“You’re the only one who brought up Trump. Not I.”
Technically yes, but the only reason you brought him up was that he was Trump’s choice for NSA. Otherwise, you would not have made any such comment. A lot of people make comments and later correct them, but no one cares.
“It’s what got him fired from the obama administration.”
That is not so. Obama hated him with reason. Flynn could understand when Obama was weaponizing the intelligence agencies. He was a political threat to Obama, and Obama misused his office to take him out.
SM
Read the quote he used again. There is not mention of overthrowing the government unless the poster believes rerunning and election is an overthrow.
“He could order the, within the swing states, if he wanted to, he could take military capabilities, and he could place those in states and basically rerun an election in each of those states,” Flynn told Newsmax.”
Last I heard an election rerun is constitutional.
Bengalmomma, You are absolutely correct. One has to watch these guys carefully. They misquote, quote out of context, and they do everything they can to deceive. The press deceives the public by repeating lies which makes it difficult to demonstrate the truth. However, with Svelaz, most of the times it is less about deception and more about his intellectual deficits.
Thank you for providing the entire quote. I always take note of how they use secondary and tertiary information so they can use that type of quote instead of the accurate quote that says something entirely different.
What in the heck is President Tali-Biden doing? Almost 80 executive orders by him in 8 months, and his own words in a video while campaigning, “only a dictator rules by executive order,” He said he would represent all Americans yet his executive orders are against over 80 million people! Trump signed 4 executive orders in 4 years, you are confused about who rules by decree! Trump will be back and he will save this country from Tali-Biden and the rest of the progressive left!!!
Then you quote accurately. ” He could order the, within the swing states, if he wanted to, he could take military capabilities, and he could place those in states and basically rerun an election in each of those states,” Flynn told Newsmax.
Re-running an election is not overthrowing the government.
“Then you quote accurately. “
Svelaz seldom quotes anything accurately. He also likes to use his own dictionary so that he can change meanings. He likes to lie. Add the stupid component to that and one sees that Svelaz is a complete mess, or as others say a complete moron.
Is there a reason for rage?
—–
Because They Got Away with Russiagate
Thaddeus G. McCotterJune 4, 2021
Having previously been exposed without being held to account, the Left is now emboldened.
The Left’s ideology actively promotes and preys upon paranoia, envy, and dependence. Parroted by its mockingbird media, it crafts and inculcates an alternate reality in which the Left accepts its own lies as articles of its secular faith.
Moreover, the Left projects its paranoia, envy, and dependence upon the rest of the country, all in its lust to attain the power to compel and coerce its fellow citizens. But to believe its calumnies, one must abandon reason.
The Left believes there are more than 50 genders, but that it is you who live in an alternate reality. The Left believes “climate change” will destroy the planet in nine years unless we adopt socialism, but it’s you who live in an alternate reality. The Left adamantly denied and censored reports COVID-19 may have escaped from a Wuhan laboratory, but it’s you who live in an alternate reality. The 2020 election was a perfectly pristine election despite elected Democratic Party officials (with the complicity of corporate robber barons) exceeding their powers to alter voting laws to tilt the field in the party’s favor (they would say “fortified”), but it’s you who live in an alternate reality. The Left claims it loves America so much it wants to transform everything about it, but it’s you who live in an alternate reality.
The full list is long and growing, for the Left’s delusions abound with cognitive dissonance (in the guise of moral relativism) its favored weapon against facts; and its regressive ideology an ultimate guard against reality. Like people who have exposed themselves to radiation. …
Cont: https://amgreatness.com/2021/06/04/because-they-got-away-with-russiagate/
A fundamental question needs to be asked before any rational discussion of this subject ensues: That question is:
“Is there NO possibility of a political condition being established in the United States that would justify an insurrection by its citizens or a coup by Constitutional defenders in our military?”
No truthful person will say “No – that can never happen.”
If you read Federalist 46 by James Madison, he SPECIFICALLY mentions that a tyrannical government intent on using the military to oppress the people, could never prevail against an armed citizenry intent on protecting their liberties. Clearly Madison felt such a situation was indeed possible, that the citizenry have the power to effect such change, and the Constitution should guarantee them the means to do so. The corollary question is: “What defines that situation?”
The Declaration of Independence defines that as “ That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,”
It is the role of government to secure and protect our Constitutionally guaranteed liberties. When the government instead actively seeks to restrict or eliminate those rights……. Furthermore:
“ But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government,”
Follow on question: “What constitutes utter despotism?”
Does a criminalization of freedom of speech constitute utter despotism?
Does seizing the rights and power of parents to control the education of their children constitute an abuse of the freedom of thought so egregious that it constitutes despotism?
Does the seizing of one’s labor and redistributing that wealth without the express consent (not implied consent) of the citizenry constitute despotism?
Does a government employing the technological power of its security agencies to spy on the press and its citizenry constitute despotism?
Does a judicial system increasingly hostile to citizen demands for government transparency, the enforcement of the rule of law with due process and increasingly adverse to protecting the plain language of the Bill of Rights constitute despotism?
When you scrutinize the issues of the day, the recent history of government overreach under Democrat administrations, and the corruption of our Congress on both sides of the aisle through this lens, you begin to realize that maybe Michael Flynn sees a trend we don’t.
Each citizen will have to decide for themselves when they have had enough of their Constitutional rights being infringed. Maybe that coup won’t be military coup or in the form of past coups but more in line of the “coup” that tore down the Berlin wall.
Brian Wilson asks: “What constitutes utter despotism?”
Trumpism. A president who brags about grabbing a woman’s genitalia against her consent would not hesitate to seize despotic powers without the consent of the governed.
Jeff, sometimes you sound actually rational, this time you don’t.
Now you are a psychiatrist? That is a pretty big leap. While a bit vile that comment is basically a metaphor that most heterosexual men have thought of. I have news for you. Not every badly worded comment that came out of Trump’s mouth can be construed as authoritarian. But I have to give you credit. At least this anti Trump accusation is at least true. Unlike Russia hoax, bounties on our troops, cowards and suckers, injecting bleach and the selectively edited” very fine people “. All total lies still being promoted by the left wing media.
I will also give you credit again. While not totally cured, you did manage to post something on Turley’s blog without referring to Fox News. As they say in A A , one day at a time. And while sexist, I prefer Trump’s locker room talk to the many examples of Biden’s virtual pedophilia touching and commenting of young girls throughout the years.
you are so far left that your eyes have to be brown because of being so full of you know what…Clinton, who murdered people and raped women was elected twice and proved in court oral sex is not sex…I hope you have a daughter who has to deal with that at school, starting at, probably 13-17 years old….hey Jeff did you vote for him?…and Biden also raped Tara Reid…but you voted for him too?
Lieutenant General Michael Thomas Flynn, served with honor in the United States Army from 1981 until 2014, and was honored with numerous medals, badges and awards. If after the assault(s) on his character by the Obama administration he wonders if the United States of America is in need of some correction(s) then I have to ponder maybe he is correct in his feelings but used inappropriate wording. We have seen and continue to see the disregard for our Constitution and the laws of these United States, perpetrated by the swamp dwellers in Washington DC, elected, appointed or employed. —— Lieutenant General Michael Thomas Flynn’s honorific’s: Master Parachutist Badge / Defense Superior Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf cluster / Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster / Bronze Star Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters / Meritorious Service Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster / Joint Service Commendation Medal / Army Commendation Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters / Army Achievement Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster / National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal / Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award / Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster / National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star / Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with four bronze service stars / Afghanistan Campaign Medal / Iraq Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars / Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal / Global War on Terrorism Service Medal / Humanitarian Service Medal / Army Service Ribbon / Overseas Service Ribbon / NATO Medal / Ranger tab.
You omitted that the despotic murderous Pres. of Turkey Erdogan hired Flynn to locate and bring to Turkey to be tortured and killed one of Erdogan’s political enemies living in the US at the time.
If you don’t call that one of Flynn’s disgusting personality defects WTH do you call it? Just another legal method of employment? Patriotism?
Constance, I think you should check your facts. It was speculated that Gen. Flynn was offered 15m to kidnap Gulen and bring him to Turkey. Don’t you think that with all the crap thrown at him during the prosecution one of the offenses would have been conspiracy to kidnap (at the least).
Having served in the US Navy I can say that a military coup would lead to China style mercantilism because socialism and fascism both devolve into a dictatorship. Cult of personality. Empire because the MICC (adding Congress to the mix) needs money.
“It’s the [manifest tenor of the Constitution], stupid!”
– James Carville
_____________
The American Founders were geniuses who created the definitive parameters in the greatest document establishing self-governance in the history of man.
America need only implement and strictly adhere to the literal Constitution and Bill of Rights.
You think passing HR 1 “violates the constitution.” I don’t think that. If the Senate passes it (which it should), then any state is free to challenge it in court, and we’ll see what the courts say.
“HR 1 strips states of their constitutional power to run ALL elections.”
No, it doesn’t.
My opinions of Mike Flynn changed over time. At first I thought here’s just another war mongering scum bag whom Trump appointed, then of course it became crystal clear the Dems whom run the FBI wrongly accused, manipulated and convicted him purely for politics, which wrongly victimized Flynn, followed by my sympathy for his plight.
Guess I was right the first time. Another war mongering greedy scum bag whom likely joined the military because he likes to kill so why not get paid for it. The fact that he wanted to help Pres. Erdogan capture, torture and murder Erdogan’s political enemy living in the US just makes Flynn even worse of a scum bag. Wish he was still rotting in prison now.
Interesting misreading of a man who was and most likely still is a Democrat who like others have seen things going wrong and dared to open his mouth to those in government. They decided better to get rid of him. Mistake.
What have I misread? It’s wonderful to accept employment for money to capture one of your neighbors to be tortured and murdered by Pres. Erdogan? Warmongering is great personality trait?
That’s an unfounded claim and as another pointed out why was he not charged with attempted kidnapping? His business partner was also tried for other issues, was convicted and with new evidence that conviction was vacated. Read court cases and forget the media. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/14517570/373/united-states-v-rafiekian/
Maybe Prof Turley will one day write a 1000 articles about the Actual Coups that were run against our country, USA, by Obama, Biden’s handlers, the FBI’s Comey, MCabe, etc., the Brennan crew at CIA & other US Intel outfits, Obama, Hillary, all the old media like NYT, Wapo, CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, etc……
And in the mean time I’ll play along on the worlds smallest violin
Speaking of BS propaganda of today’s times, take a look back at some real source material regarding the Tulsa Nigerian Riots/Murders of Whites of 1921.
https://tulsaraceriot.wordpress.com/
Last night I seen a few minutes on that subject by OETA, ( state paid for educational propaganda TV), their take was what’s a black guy to do when a white gal shakes the booty in front of them.
Why should Flynn have faith in our constitutional system given the rot in the system evidenced by the abuse of the Mueller special counsel and Emmet Sullivan? I wouldn’t have faith in the system if I went through what he did. I doubt Professor Turley would either. Flynn is wrong to propose a military coup, but I wouldn’t throw stones at Flynn given what he suffered at the hands of our “constitutional system”
“It was a matter-of-fact declaration that severed any connections of Flynn to our Constitution values or traditions.”
– Professor Turley
_______________
Are you ——- kidding me?
“It was a matter-of-fact declaration that severed any connections of [the judicial branch and Supreme Court] to our Constitution values or traditions.”
The entire American welfare state is unconstitutional due to the failure of the judicial branch and Supreme Court to meet its charge and sworn duty.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Article 6, Clause 3
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
_____________________________
“…courts…must…declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void.”
“men… [will] do…what their powers do not authorize,…[and] what they forbid.”
“[A] limited Constitution … can be preserved in practice no other way than through the medium of courts of justice, whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void. Without this, all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing … To deny this would be to affirm … that men acting by virtue of powers may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid.”
– Alexander Hamilton
That was an ill-considered remark. I am glad that, upon reflection, Flynn retracted it. There is certainly reason for concern, but such rhetoric is destructive, not helpful.
Let me lay out why many conservatives have grown alarmed that the Left is in the process of creating an authoritarian state in the US:
1. The Left controls access to much of the information available online. Google algorithms heavily favor search results that are helpful to Democrats, and bury that which harms it. Voters can only base their decisions off of the information they have accessed. (https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/09/10/trump-google-youtube-search-results-biased-against-republicans-conservatives-column/1248099002/)
2. The Left controls social media – Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram. It actively censors conservative content. Social media blocked users from forwarding articles injurious to Biden, such as Hunter Biden’s laptop scandal, falsely claiming it was a Russian conspiracy. Block the information, and they can control what voters know.
3. The Left has taken control of the public education system, from K-grad school. Conservative students, including Christians, are harassed and persecuted. Students are taught Leftist ideology. Critical Race Theory, which promotes the racist premise that whites are born guilty and bad, and that blacks are born oppressed, will now be a requirement to graduate in some school districts. Gender dysphoria is promoted in elementary classes, with such tools as the Genderbread man teaching impressionable children that gender is not based on chromosomes, or genitalia, or even how one dresses, acts or speaks. It’s rather a very confusing “feeling” in which “masculine”, “feminine”, “male”, and “female” are utterly meaningless. This creates confusion among the children, which can be fostered until it leads to the “affirmation” of gender dysphoria, and the ensuing castration and sterilization of children.
4. The Left has taken over sports, in which biological males are allowed to blow their physiologically disadvantaged biological female competitors out of the water in their own sports division.
5. The Left has taken over most of the media, which has devolved to Pravda. Again, control what information voters access, and you control the vote.
6. After years of multiple investigations, lawsuits, hearings, and impeachment rhetoric costing taxpayers millions of dollars, to look into the allegations of fake opposition research into Donald Trump, Democrats have blocked investigations into voter fraud. Original ballots were destroyed. Myriad signed affidavits and even video evidence of wrongdoing were dismissed. Sadly, lawsuits were dismissed for lack of standing, rather than lack of evidence. Democrats suing, and investigating, every single presidential election Republicans won is patriotic, but Republicans questioning the 2020 election is sedition.
7. Democrats oppose any effort to audit voter rolls, require photo ID, and any other attempt to prevent voter fraud. They parrot the racist idea that out of all the races that make up our American melting pot, black people, alone, cannot figure out how to get a photo ID. This means they can’t attend a Democrat primary, drive a car, enter a federal building or courthouse, cash a check, buy cough syrup, get a document notarized, open a bank account, or do any other of the myriad activities requiring proof of identity. Why do these activities require ID? Because of fraud and abuse. Miraculously, we are all to believe that no one would ever be so rude as to commit voter fraud. And it would be beyond the pale to remind anyone that it’s a crime. Probably racist, too.
8. Democrats stormed the Capitol Building and the Senate Offices during the Kavanaugh hearings. They rioted, looted, committed arson, assaulted people, assaulted and even murdered police officers, burned down a police precinct, seized entire city blocks in “autonomous zones”, attacked federal buildings, flipped police cars, drove businesses permanently into insolvency, cost cities millions of dollars during a pandemic, and committed crimes that will drive jobs and businesses out of those communities for decades. Democrats like Nancy Pelosi excused and encouraged them. “People will do what they do.” Many top Democrats, including Biden/Harris’ team, bailed these criminal, destructive rioters out of jail. BLM was on record threatening to burn down cities unless the Chauvin verdict came out guilty on all charges. Maxine Waters threatened the country for same. This is clear crime and sedition. CHOP, for example, was an attempt to overthrow the local government. Many of these criminals were never prosecuted. Compare and contrast to the treatment of some Trump supporters, along with people identified to have participated in BLM and Antifa rallies. They stormed the Capitol, broke some windows, and posed in Nancy Pelosi’s office. It turns out that the story that they beat a police officer to death with a fire extinguisher was patently false. These people have been in jail since January, for trespassing and minor property damage. Democrats stand in front of cities they burned, and they call the entire Republican party seditionist. Yet the overwhelming majority of Republicans denounced this break in.
9. Leftism has infiltrated the CIA and the military. See their recruiting ads which are entirely based on identity politics, rather than the ferocity and effectiveness of our military and intelligence. Who would you want to protect you from murderous terrorists, the woman who had two moms whose fighting acumen you know nothing about, or the burly, fierce warrior who could bench press you for light exercise?
10. Leftists have infiltrated the government alphabet soup. For example, the IRS discriminated against conservatives during Obama’s election, in order to influence the results.
11. Democrats are working to make their hold on power permanent. They are trying to repeal the Electoral College, or render it meaningless by trying to force each state to cast EC votes reflective of the popular vote of the entire country. They have fought against any effort to prevent voter fraud. They seek to make mail in ballots nationwide, which is rife for fraud. They are trying to make DC and Puerto Rico states, in order to gain more Democrat representatives in Congress. They are trying to expand the Supreme Court in a court packing scheme. If they succeed in adding more far Left ideologies to SCOTUS, then their power grab might be allowed to pass.
There are many more examples, but this list is long enough.
There is a slow coup that’s been grinding on for years. It’s driven by Marxism, fanned by Russia and China who would love to see our economy tank as it does in every socialist country. This has led to the normalization of anti-capitalism, which is absurd. Anyone with a high school education should understand that capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty than any other economic system, and that socialism inevitably impoverishes and abuses its people. However, as the Left has control of our education system, too many graduates are utterly ignorant of these facts. But Marxism requires pitting one class against another. There has to be a crisis for one to need a savior. Socioeconomic class warfare won’t take root here. There are too many self made millionaires. Too many people come here with nothing and become middle class within a decade. The activists fixed upon racism as the crisis. The US rejected racism. Racism against blacks is socially unacceptable. The KKK has devolved into a fringe lunatic group. However, since the Left controls Hollywood, the media, the education system, the government alphabet soup, social media, and internet search algorithms, they set to work in coordination. From every angle it was taught that the US was founded on slavery. That the only reason why it was colonized and formed a country was for slavery. The only possible reason for a black man to be poor and a white man to be middle class must be racism. Poor academic performance and attendance must be due to racism. The list went on. Every disparity was given the cause of racism, not personal behavior or responsibility. The indisputable facts of single motherhood, and its rise linked to Democrat policies, was thoroughly ignored. Even to question it is racist. In fact, to question anything Democrat is racist. This has caught fire in our country. In the rush to prove they are not racist, well meaning naive people buy into racist propaganda.
if we don’t check this, it will be too late.
But the way to do so is not as Burma/Myanmar did. The military there claimed election fraud, but unless they prove it to the world, they will forever be seen as just another junta. A military dictatorship is not a republic.
One day the military might intervene. If the present trend continues, the Democrat hegemony might achieve an authoritarian state right here in the US. Look at what the Democrats already do to political dissenters. They even hurl racist slurs against black conservatives. One day, the Left might give the order to starve capitalists, as in the Holodomor. There is already talk of “reeducation camps.” There is talk of reparations, including forcing people to give their homes and businesses too minorities. There are active efforts to impoverish those who disagree. The military must refuse any unlawful order. Its duty is to uphold the Constitution, not play politics.
Choice words for Karen to consider: Editing; Cliff Notes.
Karen says: “if we don’t check this, it will be too late.”
It is too late. My fervent wish is that all the hopes and dreams you have for this great country go unfulfilled.
wrote an extensive reply to Karen which was, of course, deleted. Karen is a dedicated alt-right media disciple. She has been systematically taught to believe every lie they tell her, and to regurgitate it here, especially her irrational hatred of Democrats and “The Left”, a phrase that came directly from Fox News. Nothing she says is factually accurate.
What is the definition of the shady “Left’? Those who oppose Trump? Well, that’s most Americans, including a sizeable number of Republicans. What is a “conservative”? Certainly not Trump. Just ask real conservatives, like George F. Will, Rick Wilson, George Conway, and the founders of The Lincoln Project. The evil “Left” do not “control” media either, because if they did, Karen wouldn’t have her alt-right source of devotion to turn to every day. But, that’s another alt-right talking point: don’t trust mainstream media. It’s part of the indoctrination, Karen, and you fell for it.
As for the education system, under Betsy DeVos, an unprecedented amount of money was diverted from public schools to voucher schools, almost all of which are religiously -based, and almost all of which do a much poorer job of educating children on the basics, like reading and math. Their teachers often don’t have masters’ degrees, or much experience, either. “Christians” are not under attack, either. In fact, their dogma is shoved down the throats of kids at the voucher schools. Families of children of poorer families are misled into believing they will get a better education at voucher schools. Mostly, that’s not true.
As to gender dysmorphia, no one chooses to have this condition, and those who do have it suffer, primarily because of scorn from uninformed people like you, Karen and people like Marjorie Taylor Green. You are insensitive and uneducated, and you think that it’s a bad thing for school children to be taught that some people are different and that they are just as deserving of respect as anyone else, including being referred to by the pronoun that matches their gender identity. Children aren’t as confused as you think. You are the one who is confused, but attacking people with gender dysmorphia is another alt-right talking point you fell for.
Democrats have never organized or endorsed any riots, either. There was no riot at the Kavanaugh hearing, either. 25 witnesses begged to come forward to support Dr. Ford, but Republicans denied them the opportunity to testify because it was more proof that he was not right for the SCOTUS. There is no comparison between the Trump Insurrection and the opposition to Kavanaugh.
There was no widespread voter fraud in 2020, and the Republican-led efforts to “correct” a problem that never existed is just an effort to try to make it harder for minorities and people of color to vote. It is voter suppression, pure and simple, and trying to turn these efforts against Democrats is disingenuous.
But, hey, Karen got to use her big word “hegemony” again, and she proves, once again, that she’s not as sophisticated or knowledgeable as she pretends to be.
Benedict Arnold and General Flynn have a lot in common. Their rage is understandable, and explains Arnold’s literal choice to betray his country, and Flynn’s rhetorical betrayal. However, explaining does not mean excusing.
Jonathan: Ret. General Michael Flynn has definitely gone off the reservation in his call for a coup to overturn the 2020 elections to keep Trump in power. But Flynn is just the tip of the iceberg among those who want to overturn the Constitution. “Support and defend” the Constitution is not part of their vocabulary. Trump turned his back on the Constitution when he incited an insurrection on Jan. 6 to stop the constitutionally required certification of the 2020 election results. And the majority of the GOP still supports Trump’s spurious claims about massive election “fraud”. Now Trump delusions continue. He thinks he will be “reinstated” as president sometime this summer. He wants to accomplish this by getting the GOP in states like Arizona to conduct a vote re-count charade in the hope they can actually find evidence of election “fraud”. It’s a fool errand. Now you would think Trump would also condemn Michael Flynn for his call for a coup. Nope. Trump is willing to go to any lengths to get back into power. Sound like Belarus or some other authoritarian state. You betcha. Trump understands that his path back into power probably does not run through a free and fair election. So he supports efforts in GOP controlled states to pass more restrictive voter suppression laws to make it more difficult for Blacks, other minorities and young people to exercise their right to vote. And Trump is highly popular with only 25% of GOP voters. Last year millions of GOP voters switched and voted for Biden because they rejected Trump’s authoritarian lies and antics. Trump’s electoral future does not look promising. In New Mexico’s special election on Tuesday Democratic candidate Melanie Stansbury .easily defeated the GOP candidate capturing 60% of the vote.
You say “it takes a leap of faith by every citizen to remain constitutionally loyal when you have not prevailed politically”. I don’t think it requires a “leap of faith” to recognize Trump, his followers in and outside the GOP, and Michael Flynn were and remain a threat to our democracy and the Constitution. It simply requires a commitment to our democratic institutions and rejection of Trump’s appeals to our darker side.
On the Democrat riots that raged for about a year, burning, looting, murder of police officers:
Nancy Pelos: “People do what they do.” “I don’t know why there aren’t uprisings. Maybe there will be.”
Kamala Harris: “Beware, because they will continue, and they should continue.”
Maxine Waters: “Go out, make a crowd. Make sure they don’t know they aren’t welcome anywhere anymore!” “We’re looking for a guilty verdict and we’re looking to see if all of the talk that took place and has been taking place after they saw what happened to George Floyd. If nothing does not happen, then we know that we got to not only stay in the street, but we have got to fight for justice. We got to stay on the street. And we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational. We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business. I don’t think anything about curfew. Curfew means I want you all to stop talking. I want you to stop meeting. I want you to stop gathering. I don’t agree with that.”
https://thefederalist.com/2021/01/08/10-times-democrats-urged-violence-against-trump-and-his-supporters/
Compare and contrast to what Trump actually said. Not what CNN thinks he really meant. What he said:
On Jan 6 at his rally:
“I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard…”Today we will see whether Republicans stand strong for [the] integrity of our elections, but whether or not they stand strong for our country, our country. Our country has been under siege for a long time, far longer than this four-year period.”
Upon hearing that protestors broke into the Capitol Building:
“Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!”
Now, consider the Democrat rhetoric after Trump won in 2016. They called him a Russian spy. Called for riots and protests. There were people publicly urging the military to “take him out.” Johnny Depp said “it’s been an awful long time since an actor assassinated a president.” Madonna said she fantasized about blowing up the White House. The rhetoric was main streamed by politicians, pundits, news anchors…it was plastered across screens 24/7.
Flynn should be punished because he was so unaware to not understand no matter what he said would be twisted against him? That’s on him.
Flynn is military, not politician. Politicians learn from being in local politics, county, state, on to DC, how to respond to stupid questions. The simple response is to always, 100% of the time, refuse to entertain hypotheticals.
Pelosi and Dems get a pass for actually using their power to violate the constitution. HR 1 strips states of their constitutional power to run ALL elections. How is that not an more egregious violation, than inartful wordsmithing surrounding a stupid hypothetical?
You think passing HR 1 “violates the constitution.” I don’t think that. If the Senate passes it (which it should), then any state is free to challenge it in court, and we’ll see what the courts say.
“HR 1 strips states of their constitutional power to run ALL elections.”
No it doesn’t.
Karen: there were NO “Democrat riots”. That is a lie. No Democrat ever instigated, encouraged, or approved of a riot, unlike Trump who went on “Stop the Steal” campaigns after his recounts, re-recounts, signature matches and dozens of lawsuits didn’t work. He instigated a riot because his ego won’t allow him to accept the fact that most Americans didn’t vote for him, never approved of him and wanted him gone. He continues to spread The Big Lie.
What did your hero say at the taxayer-funded “Stop the Steal” rallies? “FIGHT LIKE HELL OR YOU’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A COUNTRY ANYMORE”. He promised it would be “wild”. He lied to his followers by telling them he was marching with them. His one offhand remark about “peaceful protest” does not mitigate the riot he instigated, nor does it justify The Big Lie, that he keeps promoting. Now, he’s telling the faithful that Biden will get kicked out of the White House and he, and 2 Republican Senators who lost their elections will be “reinstated”. That is another lie. Even Turley agrees, but he never commented about the outrageousness of a losing Presidential candidate acting like this, continuing to lie.
What did your hero do while the riot he instigated was happening? According to eyewitnesses, he sat, transfixed, at the television, watching the visual proof that he was loved, he was powerful, that he could get regular citizens to do his bidding. Did he call off the riot right away? No, he didn’t. He told these criminals, White Supremacists, Neo-Nazis and misfits that they were “patriots” and that he loved them. AND THAT’S one of the reasons he got booted off of social media.
No, Karen, after Trump’s cheating came to light, he wasn’t called a “spy”. He’s not bright enough to be a spy, but he did brag to Russians about things that disclosed classified information, much to the horror of the intelligence community. He’s not smart enough to pay attention to things are are and are not subject to disclosure. He was showing off for the Russians. He did side with Putin and contradicted the opinions of American Intelligence that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. That cannot be denied.
Johnnie Depp and Madonna do not speak for the Democratic Party. And…the Federalist is ultra right wing. Still, the “comparisons” are false. There is no equivalency between protests turning violent and Trump’s inciting a riot because his mental health won’t allow him to admit that he lost the election fair and square. No matter how many times you try to claim that Democrats sparked riots in various cities, you are not being truthful.
Reading the above was a giant waste of time. The only positive thing the above response provides is another good reason to end posting by anonymous individuals.
“It was a matter-of-fact declaration that severed any connections of Flynn to our Constitution values or traditions.”
– Professor Turley
______________
Are you ——- kidding me?
“It was a matter-of-fact declaration that severed any connections of (the American Founding Fathers) to our [fully voided and nullified] Constitution values or traditions.”
To wit,
“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
– Declaration of Independence, 1776