Daily outrage

So, POTUS47 just went on TV with a war criminal and declared that he wants the United States to occupy the Gaza strip in perpetuity. What was it Vizzini said in The Princess Bride? "You fell victim to one of the classic blunders—the most famous of which is 'never get involved in a land war in Asia,' but only slightly less well-known is this: 'Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!'" OK, one could argue (incorrectly) that Israel and Gaza aren't in Asia, and yes, neither Netanyahu or Hamas or the PLO or anyone like that is Sicilian. But here's 47 going all in on both of those "classic blunders." (I'm realizing as I type this that Vizzini dies right after he says that line, so maybe this isn't the best reference. Still.)

It's just another day in the USA under POTUS47. Outrageous behavior from the executive branch of government? Check. Illegal acts committed and/or proposed? Check.

But despite all that happened today, the thing I keep going back to is the language in the memos. I refer to the memos from Unelected Elon to the entire Federal workforce, one to Inspectors General, and one gutting the FBI.

The first one, the "Fork in the Road" memo that cribbed much of its language from an email Elon used to fire employees at Twitter, says that POTUS47 has "reformed the federal hiring process to focus on merit," which is a line that should precede the loudest and longest laugh track ever recorded. More importantly, it also says that "employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward," while leaving to the reader's imagination what is and is not "suitable" and what conduct fits what standard. It's the line that puts the lie to the prior one about merit-based hiring: Going forward, "merit" is equated with the "enhanced standards of suitability and conduct," which will not relate to competence or productivity in civil service work. That was the old, not-enhanced standard. The new, enhanced standards relate to toadyism and willingness to commit crimes and one's level of resistance to inflicting harm.

Next, the IG memo, which attempts to illegally fire Inspectors General "due to changing priorities." The Office of Inspector General was established to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in the executive branch. That is their only job. Therefore, firing them "due to changing priorities" is an admission that this new regime is in favor of waste, fraud, and abuse.

Then the decapitation if law enforcement. Department of Justice prosecutors were fired because, according to the memo, "the leadership of the Department [cannot] trust you to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully." Well, guess what, that is not the job of anyone in the Department of Justice. The DOJ and the FBI are supposed to be apolitical, independent agencies. They are wholly unconcerned with implementing the agenda of any president. The memo here admits in broad daylight that this regime is opposed to law. Boiled down, this memo says quite plainly that the agenda they wish to implement is against the law, therefore these people that enforce the law must be fired.

It boggles the mind that we haven't heard from any elected officials that the 47 regime has declared out in the open that they intend to crime all day long for every day they're in power.

Yes, some have been quite properly expressed outrage over the specifics of these firings and other illegal actions. Adam Schiff has been awesome, a number of Congresspeople have stepped up. But someone needs to get on a less granual messaging campaign highlighting the fact that the regime has overtly declared itself to be  unlawful, criminal, and tyrannical.

And charges need to be brought. Articles of impeachment need to be drawn up. Will they succeed? Likely not, but that doesn't mean you don't act. This isn't frivolous, this isn't petty, this isn't the sort of made-up bullshit grievance whining that Republicans have engaged in since Gingrich. This is real, and Democrats need to stand up to the bullies across the aisle and not be cowed by Republican hypocrisy and gaslighting.