Emergency! No really...well...maybe
When everything is an emergency then nothing is an emergency
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The Russians are Coming!
While the Russians really are coming, I am actually referring to the 1966 comedy movie starring Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Jonathan Winters, and Alan Arkin in his first major film role, among other icons of the day. The film depicts the chaos following the grounding of the Soviet submarine Спрут ("octopus") off a small New England island during the Cold War.
Even though I was only a baby when it came out it was one of my Dad’s favorite movies so I grew up with it along with other great films of the time like ‘It’s a Mad Mad Mad World’ and so many outlandish ensemble movies.
I always remember one iconic scene as the men on the submarine attempt to get their boat back off shore again and not get captured by the Americans. They deploy sailors to clear the streets of the town with the carefully prepared announcement, “Emergency! Everyone to get from street” leading to this classic scene.
Everyone of a certain age remembers that refrain. I mention it now because I am thinking of it it now as Donald Trump makes everything a national security threat and a national emergency.
Literally everything.
Last night it was the deadly onslaught of films made overseas!
It appears this bizarre rant was set off by none of other than trade expert Jon Voight and opens yet another can of worms for Americans to deal with since the law says that “services” can’t be tariffed but we know Trump will find a way. Which leads us to the National Emergencies Act that gives him that room.
The law is supposed to have checks and guardrails but we all know that little things like laws, the Constitution, or Congress aren’t getting in the way of Trump and his evil munchkins plans.
It’s another thing we can laugh off as ridiculous but is actually a deeply insidious effort that is rooted in an out of date law, a Congress that refuses to do its job, and an Executive Branch hellbent on dismantling our government.
The actual emergency is this assault on our freedom but unlike the movie above, we do need to take to the streets for this one and it works.
National Emergencies for everyone
This was always the plan. If you read even a little bit of Project 2025 you would know that exploiting the National Emergencies Act was a foundation to the entire endeavor. The law has so many loopholes in it that neither party has closed it was the easiest path to bulldozing whatever laws they don’t like and rules that impede them.
His latest ridiculous one came in April. “President Donald J. Trump Declares National Emergency to Increase our Competitive Edge, Protect our Sovereignty, and Strengthen our National and Economic Security” Yes, a national economic emergency so he could set “emergency tariffs” without Congress.
On day one we had the National Emergency around energy which came right out of the Project 2025 playbook so they can drill in national reserves and unleash their billionaire friends to make more money on public lands. Maybe some extra pollution too!
All legal. All without even a whimper from his little lap dogs in the Republican Congress. Who needs Article I when Daddy tells you how to think?
All because no one could be bothered to fix the broken National Emergencies Act. In theory Congress is supposed to review and renew national emergencies every year. A sacred duty they have done like zero times ever.
What could go wrong?
He’s not done yet
They know now that the checks and balances aren’t going to stop them so they are going to make everything an emergency or a “national security” threat. Like…the movies. Tomorrow it will be something ridiculous like bagels. Whatever floats into Trump’s mushy brain will be what he tries to institute.
The most egregious part of all of this is that there are actual emergencies and these clowns have no idea what they are doing. Trump has been turning down states requests for Federal disaster relief and canceling programs for disaster preparation. When we have an actual emergency I have no faith these buffoons will handle it any better than the complete circus of COVID.
The good news is that we can push back and win. If you recall, he decided to try and turn Veterans Day into “Victory for World War I” day and declare May 8th “Victory for World War II” day…even though that wasn’t until August.
The outcry was immediate and thorough from veterans groups. I am still treasuring this very succinct statement from Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
The outcry was immediate, loud, and across party lines. Now they have backed off.
So, our voices work. Our anger works. Our protests work. It takes courage and coordination but together when we raise our voices, Trump’s worst ideas are defeated and he’s brought back to being the most overpaid golfer on Earth again.
Therein lies the lesson. We can win. We can beat them back. We can work together and sing in unison. They will wilt.
It just takes courage.
Do you have it?
I know I’m in.
Well ironically, I was just under 10 when that came out. My parents could not get a ‘sitter’ so we three kids piled into the back of the station wagon with our sleeping bags and pillows. We were told ‘GO TO SLEEP’. By the middle of the movie there were 5 pairs of eyes watching…never will I forget that film.
The sequel is playing out now as we now have a Russian asset in the WH