Wednesday, October 31, 2018

That possible executive order


Trump insists that he can revoke birthright citizenship through an executive order. This is the most bizarre and chilling thing I've ever heard a president say.

The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to everyone born on US soil as long as they are born to parents who are subject to US jurisdiction. Being subject to US jurisdiction means you can be arrested and put on trial if you break the law. Of course this includes US citizens, but it also includes tourists, business travelers, foreign exchange students, and illegal aliens. Yes, illegal aliens are subject to US jurisdiction. If they weren't subject to US jurisdiction, then nothing they do would be illegal. Foreign diplomats and visiting heads of state are NOT subject to US jurisdiction. So if the next Queen of England were to give birth in New York, that British prince would still not be a US citizen.

Anything this president can do, the next president will try it too. If President Trump is allowed to override the Constitution with a executive order in 2018, then in 2025, President Pinko McGungrabber will also be able to do the same thing after he takes the oath of office with his hand on a copy of Mao's little red book.

Revoking birthright citizenship will have drawbacks. A child born in the US might not be eligible for citizenship in the country that his parents are from. This creates a stateless person, someone who owes no allegiance to any country. For such a person to be deported, another country would have to be willing to accept them. Stateless people can pose quite a security risk. Osama Bin Laden was a stateless person after he was exiled from Saudi Arabia. Citizenship must begin at birth and end at death.

The primary benefit of birthright citizenship is that as long as you are born here, you are a citizen and that cannot be revoked. You can never be deported. Any foreign-born woman who loves America so much that she is willing go through labor or undergo a C-section has forever earned the right to stay.

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Trump and Saudi Arabia


So Saudi Arabia is alleged to have murdered a journalist. Jamal Khashoggi was seen entering a Saudi consulate in Turkey, and was never seen leaving. Trump says that there will be “severe punishment”. But he wants to continue to sell Saudi Arabia weapons! Because jobs!

1. Maybe we shouldn't sell weapons to assholes? If you were running a gun store, and an MS-13 member walked in, would you sell him a gun? Maybe he'll get a gun anyway, but does it have to come from you? Yes, I get that there are lots of jobs in the defense industry. This is mainly because the Pentagon overpays for everything. But if we stop selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, so what if Boeing and Lockheed have to lay some people off. Are all those STEM majors going to have a hard time finding a job in the best economy in 20 years? Really?

2. If you HAVE to sell a country weapons, how do you safely “severely punish” them? Wouldn't you want to stay on friendly terms so that your merchandise doesn't get used on you or your friends?