Why Thomas Paine would shoot Donald Trump if he were alive today (Part 1 of 3)

Written by Igor Goldkind

Yes, indeed that’s a provocative title; but this ain’t click-bait my friends. This is the real deal. If Thomas Paine was alive today, he’d be in the nation’s capital with a pistol waiting for the #FakePresident. Of course, he’d be waiting a long time considering as far as he knew the capital of these United States was in Philadelphia. I have a vision of old globalist Thomas standing outside Ben Franklin’s door, knocking as hard as he could, shouting “Benjamin!  Benjamin! Come out, our nation’s in trouble and it's much worse than the British.” Kind of like the scene in “Street Car Named Desire” where Marlon Brando is standing outside Stella’s window in the pouring rain in his soaked white T-Shirt.

Marlon Brando would have made a good Thomas Paine in the film, the graphic novel and the computer game but this doesn't answer the question embedded in the title of this diatribe. Why would Thomas Paine if he were alive today, track down Donald Trump and put a bullet in the back of his head? In principle this would require Donald to be on his knees, facing away from Thomas with his tiny hands wrapped around the back of his head. I suppose you, dear reader, are ‘en-titled’ to an answer as to the why and the wherefore; but stay with me as we savor the moment. The ultimate retribution of history: to be shot in the back of  the head by one of the Founders of this revolutionary nation, ironically with a pistol no less. One that Thomas didn’t have to register or submit to a background check to acquire from the antique pistols and muskets booth at the gun show a couple blocks away.

So before Thomas pulls the trigger and the tiny lead ball propels from the pistol’s mouth through his dense skull and lodges somewhere in the soft tissue that Donald referred to as his “brain,” let’s pause and assess the situation. Let’s skip over the time travel details as to how Thomas Paine got from the late 18th century to the early 21st. We’ll leave it to the graphic novel to explain that bit; him jumping a little over two centuries in time. Although we really don’t have to figure out anything at all. Thomas Paine’s words, his ideas and his rebel spirit not only jumped but survived intact for more than two centuries within the soul of our national sovereignty. So if Thomas Paine were brought back from the dead by some mysterious force, it could only be due to his words, his ideas and the nation he fought for being under threat.

And that, my reader, is precisely the point being made by my title and the words you are reading now.  Today, not even two decades into the 21st century, the essential values that built this nation, this American experiment by a motley crew of post-enlightenment landowners, orators, tradesmen and inventors is at risk of being destroyed. Not by Trump himself, you realize. But by Us, by We the People in our impotent complacency to stop him. We are not revolutionaries, we are the revolution Thomas and his friends dreamt, drew the blueprints for, and built on top of the hot blood that soaked the green countryside of Virginia, Pennsylvania, Carolina, whose names are only possible because of the stubborn bravery of these idealists, these socialists, these men of vision that had the hubris to build a nation founded not by the right of kings or church or even the wealthy, but by the enlightenment values of liberty, justice and freedom. 

These values of course aren’t just American, although they are the foundation stones of our democracy.  Thomas Paine author of “Common Sense,” “The Age of Reason” and “The Rights of Man” whose titles alone reveal the nature of his philosophy: to build a nation on reason not religious superstition. It’s not that Thomas Paine didn’t believe in the divine, he just believed in reason more: “It is by the exercise of reason that man can discover God. Take away that reason, and he would be incapable of understanding anything.”

Later, as a member of the French Senate, Paine would lend his hand to writing the Jean-Jacques Rousseau version of the Declaration of the Rights of Man in 1789, along with Thomas Jefferson. Rousseau’s Rights of Man became the basis of the UN Human Rights Charter as well as the EU Human Rights initiative. So next time you hear some jackass complaining about liberals going on and on about Human Rights you might want to mention that they’re disrespecting the  Founding Fathers, two of whom (Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine) contributed to the declaration.

In fact, Universal Human Rights is the soul not only of our Constitution, but the Declaration of Independence, the UN Charter and the adopted law of all members of the European Union. Human Rights is the one thing that Donald Trump can’t abide because he has dedicated his life to the accruement of power for its own sake. Trump really isn’t that bothered by actual money in spite of his public persona. What he is dedicated to is what money buys: people, power and governance; and this is exactly where we have gone astray from the origins of our nation. We have handed our own governance over to banks, corporate interests and the uber-affluent who can afford to buy a congressman or a president.   

Mueller’s investigation will very shortly reveal the origins of the money that bought Trump his presidency. We know already that the NRA contributed 30 million dollars early in his campaign. Do you remember that lie about how Trump said he was incorruptible because he could afford to fund his own campaign? I know, I know, it’s hard to remember all the lies Trump has spouted.

Do you know why the Truth is better than a lie?

Because it’s easier to remember.

Continue reading:  Part 2 of 3.

Check out more writing from the author here:
https://igorgoldkind.wordpress.com/

Trump tax scam thwarts long-term U.S. economic growth for self-serving, short-term political gains

Donald Trump would have the American people believe that the recent GOP tax bill will provide a spark to the U.S. economy while benefiting mostly the middle-class. This would obviously be all well and good, except for the inconvenient detail of it being an outright lie. In reality the GOP tax bill is a duplicitous scam that will limit the potential of the American economy at the cost of everyday people in the United States.

Tax cuts for everyday Americans will disappear, corporate tax looting permanent

Trump and the GOP are banking on the positive effects of the tax bill to be felt in the pocketbooks of the average American voter in time to help Republicans in the upcoming elections in 2018 and 2020. Although most Americans will receive a tax cut, those benefits are only short-term and transitory and will also come at a steep price. Meanwhile the massive tax cuts corporate donors receive from the tax bill will remain permanent, leaving future generations to deal with a more than $1 trillion deficit increase as a result.

Corporate donors carry water for Trump and GOP

Upon passage of the GOP tax bill some corporations who stand to profit handsomely from the new policy attempted to assuage the public's strong disapproval of the tax scheme by literally throwing money at them. Wells Fargo and AT&T were the first corporations to rush to announce bonuses and wage increases which they claim are a result of the tax bill. However, it is likely their intentions are more self-serving than anything else.

These two corporations just happen to be facing scrutiny from the Trump administration over various regulatory issues. Trump targeted Wells Fargo in a recent Twitter tantrum, threatening to levy heavy fines against the bank for past wrongdoings. AT&T has also been under recent scrutiny regarding its proposed merger with Time-Warner. In falling over themselves to announce the worker bonuses these corporations are likely hoping that their strategically timed announcements regarding worker bonuses will stroke Trump's pathetic and fragile ego. Additionally, with a tight labor market and unemployment at historic lows, it would make sense for corporations to already be thinking of raising wages due to increased competition to attract qualified workers, regardless of the GOP tax scam.

Missed opportunity for real economic growth in renewable energy

If Republicans really wanted to revamp the U.S. economy there are numerous better options than to gift loads of tax giveaways to corporate donors. One thing the GOP and Trump could do is drop their regressive energy polices aimed at propping up a dying coal industry while at the same time attacking the renewable energy sector. The solar and wind energy industry are among the fastest growing industries in the world today. Renewable energy has the potential to create millions of new jobs, however, instead, the Trump administration is aggressively looking to take actions which would dampen this potential growth.

Coal is a losing bet for America

Propping up the coal industry at the expense of renewable energy is a losing economic strategy for the long-term. It is obvious that the future trajectory of coal energy is downwards towards obsolescence, making the potential for job growth from coal quite limited. If anything there will be limited job gains in coal in 2018, which Trump will try to use as a political talking point when stumping for GOP candidates in the 2018 midterms. However, in the long-term, coal is a losing bet for the American economy and will cede the booming global renewable energy market to rivals such as China.

Trump immigration stance leaves money on the table

Another way which Trump is dampening future U.S. economic power is through his immigration policies. The administration's xenophobic and racist anti-immigration stance is depriving America of the necessary labor, skills and entrepreneurship which could release the untapped potential of the U.S. economy.

Threats of deportation and harassment of immigrant communities, particularly those from Mexico and Central America, has resulted in the worsening of an already-existent labor shortage for home builders. This keeps real estate supply too low to meet demand, which results in skyrocketing housing prices, keeping housing unaffordable for the everyday American consumer. Also, Trump is currently using DACA as a bargaining chip for his promised massive southern border wall. This causes more fear in the immigrant community which in turn keeps many immigrants out of the labor market and discourages others from immigrating to the U.S., further depriving home builders and other employers of much needed cheap labor. Additionally, immigrant entrepreneurs have historically played a critical role in creating jobs in America and therefore policies making it easier for immigrants to come to America should be promoted.

Trump racism will punish the American economy

Instead of breaking up immigrant families, Republicans and Trump could find a way to make America more welcoming for immigrants who will perform the needed work Americans are not willing to do. This increase in economic activity would even go towards funding the more than $1 trillion deficit the GOP tax scam is expected to leave for future generations. However, this would not be politically tenable for Trump who ran his presidential campaign on stoking racism and hatred among his mostly white base.

GOP tax scam reflects Trump narcissism and duplicity

Ultimately, the Trump tax policy is a perfect reflection of Trump as the narcissistic, self-serving liar that he is. The GOP corporate tax giveaway is essentially attempting to bribe the American voters with minimal economic gains which will eventually be paid back in the form of cuts to important social safety nets such as social security or Medicare. Meanwhile, the tax cuts for big corporations will remain permanent at the expense of the American middle class and impoverished communities.

Senate bill holds ground against Trump environment assault

The fossil fuel industry has had serious influence over American politicians for decades. This has not changed with the Trump Administration. In fact, it seems that Trump is even more brazen in his courting of the fossil fuel industry, instead of “draining the swamp” of corporate lobbying as he had promised during his campaign. Trump has been relentlessly undoing every environmental regulation possible, pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord and has invited into his cabinet, with open arms, fossil fuel industry executives and lobbyists. However, Trump's cozying up to the fossil fuel industry and his attacks on the environment have not gone unchallenged.

Bill in Senate challenges fossil fuel industry

Trump's attacks on science and the environment prompted a massive populist response in the form of the March For Science. This worldwide event in April inspired hundreds of thousands to march against Trump's climate science-denying agenda. It also inspired the People's Climate March in late-April which saw more than 150,000 people march on Washington D.C. to protest Trump's attack on Mother Earth. It was during this march on Washington D.C. that Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA) announced the Keep It in the Ground Act of 2017 (S. 750) which Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced in the Senate.

What does the bill propose to do?

The Senate bill, a version of which was originally introduced in the House by Congressman Huffman in February 2016, would seriously slowdown Trump's anti-environment agenda by making it more difficult for the fossil fuel industry to continue exploiting nature for profits. The legislation would immediately ban any new leases of Federal lands for the purposes of extracting coal, oil, gas, oil shale and tar sands. It would also terminate any already-existent non-producing leases for fossil fuel extraction on Federal lands. Additionally, the bill would do the same for offshore drilling in the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, the Arctic and the Atlantic.

As of now only a handful of Senators have co-sponsored the Senate bill. Some of those co-sponsors include Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Despite current lack of support from lawmakers in the Senate, there is significant grassroots support for the bill, particularly coming from former-Ohio state senator Nina Turner and Our Revolution. However, it will take all of us standing together to protect the environment against Trump. You can join in on the effort by calling your Senators and demanding they take a stand for the planet and support the Keep It In the Ground Act of 2017.

The solution to right-wing fake news: college for all

The key to any successful democracy is an informed public. Democracies empower their citizens to influence their government in ways other types of societies, such as dictatorships, do not. However, with this power comes great responsibility. It is imperative that America makes education as accessible as possible to as many people as possible to ensure the public cannot be fooled by conspiracy theories and fake news which played a significant role in the election of Donald Trump.

Conspiracy theories and fake news duped Trump voters

One of the first things one learns in college is how to form logical arguments based upon facts and evidence. Another thing college teaches a person is how to discern credible sources from suspect ones. Unfortunately, the lack of these two abilities allowed many people to fall for far-fetched right-wing conspiracy theories about Hillary Clinton. It also allowed for Trump to spew his nonsense assertions without any evidence, all the while his followers believed every word he said. The problem is so serious and unprecedented that the FBI has decided to investigate possible links between far-right fake news websites, such as Breitbart, and the Trump presidential campaign.

Stop the problem at the root

Although investigating the role of fake news and disinformation in the recent election is essential, it is also important to tackle the root of the problem, which is a lack of knowledge. One bill currently in the the House and Senate aims to address the root of the problem by making sure every American has the right to attend college. The College for All Act of 2017 was first introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) in the Senate and then by fellow progressive Representative Jayapal Pramila (D-WA) in the House.

College for everybody

The bill aims to make community colleges tuition free for everybody. It would also make four-year universities free for those students who are from families earning $125,000 or less annually. Also, those who are still living with student debt would be given the ability to refinance their student loans.

How would free college be funded?

Paying for college for all sounds like a challenging task financially, however it is quite doable. The bill would raise funds for the program by charging an investment tax on Wall Street which is already making record profits while everyday Americans are facing stagnant wages and an unaffordable housing market. 

Who supports college for all?

The only thing left to make college for all a reality is the political will to do so. The proposed legislation has been co-sponsored by seven Democratic Senators, including Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris. The bill has been co-sponsored by 32 Democrats in Congress including Tulsi Gabbard, Ro Khanna and Raul Grijalva. Currently no Republicans have co-sponsored.

If you want to fight against the GOP war on knowledge and right-wing fake news, then you should contact your representatives in Congress and the Senate and demand they support the College for All Act of 2017. This bill could save the American democracy experiment.

Trump immigration policy worsens U.S. housing crisis

Part of the American dream has always been to be able to leave the cycle of constantly paying rent every month through home ownership. However, lately Americans have found this increasingly more difficult to achieve due to the severe housing shortage in the U.S. which is causing real estate prices to skyrocket to price points not affordable for everyday Americans. Unfortunately, President Trump's immigration policies are making the problem worse.

Supply does not meet demand

Currently, there is strong demand for purchasing homes however the supply of homes on the market have been woefully short of meeting this demand. In July, new housing construction starts decreased by 4.8 percent to approximately 1.16 million units which is down from 1.21 million units from the month prior, according to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. June had marked 25 consecutive months that inventory had fallen annually, according to HousingWire. There is a shortage of more than 3.2 million homes in the U.S., according to statistics from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) which had been reported by Huffington Post.

As a result, in accordance with simple supply and demand economics, the lack of adequate supply to meet demand is keeping would-be home buyers from being able to own homes. Affordable homes are now routinely sold after just a few days on the market in many regions of the country, according to Huffington Post.

Trump immigration policy causes labor shortage for home builders

One main factor which home builders have cited as significantly contributing to the inability to create more housing supply is the shortage of labor required for construction projects. In a recent NAHB survey home builders cited significant labor shortages in various occupations related to home construction, according to BuilderOnline.com. Many home builders claim Trump's anti-immigration policies are keeping them from being able to obtain the necessary labor which had been previously filled by foreign immigrant workers, according to Nasdaq.com. Ric Campo, the Chairman and CEO of Camden Property Trust, one of the largest real estate investment trusts in the country, recently said in a call with investors that there is a shortage of labor in every market which is causing the cost of land to rise.

This is bad news for the everyday American who is not seeing their wages rise at the rate of overall inflation and definitely not at the rate of skyrocketing home prices. Trump's crackdown on immigration and increased deportation efforts is not only tearing apart immigrant families, but is also making the American dream of owning a home much less attainable for average people in the United States.

IMPEACH: Trump committed obstruction of justice, the evidence is clear

Obstruction of justice is just one of multiple avenues for establishing a legal basis for impeaching Donald Trump. There are several state and federal statutes which define “obstruction of justice.” The applicable federal law in this case is Title 18 U.S.C. § 1503. This federal statute lists the requirements to establish obstruction of justice by stating that any person who “corruptly or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, influences, obstructs, or impedes, or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede, the due administration of justice, shall be punished.” In other words, Trump's intent is key in deciding whether or not his actions rise to the level of obstruction of justice.

What did Trump do?

Trump committed obstruction of justice when he fired then-Director of the FBI James Comey who had been investigating the Trump presidential campaign for potential collusion with Russia to influence the recent presidential elections. Now, Trump supporters will argue that the President has the legal right to fire the FBI Director at his discretion. Although this is generally true, if Trump's intention in firing Comey constitutes an attempt to obstruct justice it is a crime and an impeachable offense.

Trump's corrupt intentions

As the applicable federal statute states, if Trump “corruptly... endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede, the due administration of justice” then his actions rise to obstruction of justice. The legal definition of corruption is the act of an official to use his or her position to evade the prohibitions of law. It is obvious Trump had intended to conceal his corrupt attempts to influence Comey when he asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions and White House Adviser Jared Kushner to leave the Oval Office in order for Trump to talk privately with Comey. Trump was evading the possibility of any witnesses to his private conversation because he knew was doing something wrong.

Trump's last 'hope'

Trump apologists may argue that Trump's own words, according to Comey's written statement and testimony, show that he was not giving Comey a directive, but rather, a suggestion because he used the word “hope.” According to Comey's written statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Trump said, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go.” Trump was requesting that Comey terminate the FBI investigation of Michael Flynn.

However, it is important to understand the context of the situation to properly determine whether or not Comey should have reasonably interpreted Trump's statement as a directive to a subordinate or merely a suggestion. In this case, Trump has the legal authority to fire Comey at his discretion. Therefore, it is reasonable to infer that there is an aspect of the Trump-Comey relationship that is similar to an employer-employee relationship. This is also a familiar role for Trump to play, considering Trump's background in the corporate business world.

It is more than likely that in Trump's mind he was intentionally giving Comey a directive similar to how a boss would speak to his employee, saying that he “hopes” the employee would take some specific action. Despite the operative verb being “hope,” most people would reasonably infer from the employer's power to terminate the employee from his job that the boss's statement was essentially an order within the employer-employee context. Although the relationship between the President of the United States and the FBI Director is more complicated, the dynamic of a “superior” being able to terminate a “subordinate” from a position of employment still exists and was likely the context within which Trump was operating when he requested Comey drop the Flynn investigation.

Flynn, Trump and Russia

On the other hand, many Trump apologists may try to mitigate Trump requesting Comey drop the Flynn investigation by arguing that this had nothing to do with the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Comey's statement says that Comey himself did not interpret Trump's request to go beyond the Flynn investigation. However, Comey's own interpretation of Trump's words is not a legal basis of proving Trump's actual intent when making the request.

Trump knew he was doing something wrong as shown by his request for Sessions and Kushner to leave the Oval Office for Trump's private conversation with Comey. Therefore, Trump's state of mind would be that of deception. Hence, it is likely Trump was not being completely forthcoming regarding his true intentions when speaking privately with Comey. Also, this is not out of character for Trump whose penchant for lying has been widely reported and documented by numerous media sources as well as in a post published by this blog. Additionally, Trump's own words, in an interview with Lester Holt, confirms that Trump's reason for firing Comey was to stop the investigation into connections between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Evidence is clear

The body of publicly known evidence, as of now, already proves that Trump's intent and actions rise to the level of obstruction of justice. In this context, it would be considered a "high crime" which forms a legal basis for impeaching Trump. However, the final decision whether or not to impeach Trump lies in the hands of the House and the Senate. Therefore, it is essential to continue to apply political pressure on lawmakers to support impeachment proceedings.

IMPEACH: Legal basis for removing Donald Trump from the White House

Ever since the beginning of Donald Trump's White House Administration there has been talk of impeachment. However, it is important to understand the legal machinations involved in the impeachment process. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the sole ability of impeaching a sitting President via Article II Section 4 which states, “The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors” However, the statute is vague and lends itself to various interpretations of what is necessary to impeach Trump, according to FindLaw.

Impeachment requires a criminal offense

In terms of legal requirements to impeach Trump the key phrase is “treason, bribery or other high crimes.” The phrase implies that some type of criminal offense needs to have been committed in order to legally impeach a sitting President. Other sections in the Constitution seems to support this interpretation.

For instance, Article III Section 2 states that “the trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury.” This implies that the legal process of impeachment is connected with a criminal offense. Additionally, Article II Section 2 of the Constitution empowers the President to grant pardons “for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.” This implies the criminal nature of the actions necessary to legally bring forth impeachment. One may argue that Trump is guilty of obstruction of justice, a criminal offense, when he fired FBI Director James Comey.

Misdemeanors and official presidential duties

On the other hand, there are other interpretations of the legal basis for impeachment which does not require a criminal act by President Trump. One interpretation focuses more on the word “misdemeanors” which did not specifically carry criminal connotation when the U.S. Constitution was ratified. Another interpretation is based upon an action, not necessarily criminal in nature, taken by the President specifically related to his official duties. One example may be if Trump is indeed found to have violated the Emoluments Clause through financial conflicts of interests via his investments connected to Russia or other foreign powers. 

Matter of political will

However, ultimately Congress has the sole power to decide whether or not Trump has committed an impeachable act. After an impeachment via Congress it is the Senate which must convict Trump before actually removing him from office. This is why impeachment is more a political question than a legal inquiry. Therefore, those who are looking to remove Trump from power would do well to pressure their congressional representatives and senators to do the right thing.