Notations On Our World: On The US Political Scene w/The Latest From @RealDonaldTrump

It has been an extremely challenging 24 hours as Donald Trump called for the total and complete shutdown of Muslim Immigration.     The debate has been fierce.  What we decided to do to was to feature in its' entirety Professor Jonathan Turley of Georgetown Law School's reputation of what we view as an absurd and inhumane declaration: 

Trump Calls For “Total and Complete Shutdown” of Muslims Entering The United States

In a truly shocking and facially unconstitutional plan, Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump is calling for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the United States. The plan would violate a host of domestic and international protections, as I discussed today with the Washington Post.

Trump stated that “[i]t is obvious to anybody the hatred [among Muslims] is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why, we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.”

Trump said he would ease the ban in the case of Muslims serving in the U.S. military and allow them to return home. that is still well short of constitutional — or rational — plan. For Muslim citizens, such a plan would be grossly unconstitutional under the first and fifth amendments. The latter prohibits The depriving of individuals of “life, liberty, or property,” without due process of the law and an implicit guarantee of equal protection of the laws.

It is certainly true that the constitutional protections often turn on whether someone is consider a “person” under the United States Constitution. In Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982), the Supreme Court struck down a Texas statute denying funding for education to unauthorized immigrant children. Being present within the United States does afford protections of due process and equal protection. Outside of the country immigrants without resident status face a more difficult challenge. However, international law and conventions afford protections for travel and religion.

The law would harken back to the disgraceful period of the Chinese Exclusion laws. We have long rejected immigration limits based discriminatory classes of this kind. Indeed, the Immigration and Nationality Act protects potential refugees facing “fear of persecution” on account of their “religion.” Yet under President Trump we would now formally impose such a discriminatory element, a move that would make the United States a pariah around the world and immediately extinguish our relations with Islamic countries.

Immigration policy has cleared resonated as a draw for Trump. However, this proposal would openly embrace raw prejudice and blind rage as motivating factors for governmental policy. It would clearly fail in deny reentry for citizens or residents. As for non-citizens abroad, they are accorded protections under international law. Under Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, people have the right to leave or enter a country and that “everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.” There is no doubt murky aspects to such rights and a long-standing question of their enforceability. However, this proposal rests on flagrant religious discrimination against one group. It seeks to “protect” the United States by denying the very essence of who we are as a nation.

For us,the final statement said it all as he underscored the unconstitutional nature of it all.  But, he came out and noted that , "I don't care".       There was a concern as to whether to call this outright fascism--but in fact it is.   Someone on Facebook released this very chilling comparsion:

As we went to press, we received reports that The House of Representatives is about the fast track passage of HR158 that according to NIAC Action, "..revises the Visa Waiver Program – the program that enables citizens to travel within 38 countries including the U.S., Europe, Japan, and South Korea, without a visa. Under the bill, dual-nationals from Iran, Syria, Iraq, and Sudan or anyone who has travelled to those countries in the past five years would be barred from the program...."       We will be following these on-going developments over the ensuing days with this final thought which all must take note of:

As a New Week Dawns.....

Our team wanted to begin on a positive note here throughout the #Outsider Network.     What +Jonathan Huie sent out was every so timely in light of the profound challenges before us--enough said as we wish all a fabulous week:

Everyone should carefully observe
which way his heart draws him,
and then choose that way with all his strength.
- Hasidic Proverb

To know what you prefer
instead of humbly saying Amen
to what the world tells you you ought to prefer,
is to have kept your soul alive.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

Prevail over adversity.
Persevere in the midst of turmoil.
Passionately act upon your convictions.
Purposely walk into the day.
- Mary Anne Radmacher 

Notations On Our World (W-End Edition): On The Middle East

The Saban Forum was on in Washington that featured a number of leading lights in the diplomatic and political space.    This was also a week that saw the IAEA come out underscoring that Iran prior to 2009 was on a weaponization track that in turn prompted the Israeli Prime Minister to come out to call for a vigorous inspection regime to be enforced.

As we have been assessing the Middle East this week, what we found quite striking was a column by Ahmad Melhm that was published in Al Monitor where he noted that, "...Tony Blair's Chance to play a political role in the Palestinian issue is slipping away....'.     His role was Non-Existent to begin with in our view and we understand that he has resigned anway.        Blair has also profited handsomely as a result of his forays into the Middle East.

Beyond Blair, the speech by the US Secretary of State was quite noteworthy.   John Kerry  noted the predicament at the Saban Forum where he noted that the reality of the One State Solution is ever more evident now--and to consider the perils.       Although as we went to press, the Israeli Prime Minister noted that the solution is not one state, but a demilitraized Palestinian State--being what we view as implicity dismissive of the Secretary of State's criticism.         What was critical was this that was published in a Full Page New York Times Ad which underscored what John Kerry noted: 

It was of note that Mr. Lepid, the Former FInance Minister and one of the key opposition leaders noted at the Same forum that the Palestinian Problem has to be solved.     IF the Palestinian Authority collapses and people turn to even more radical means, the Israeli Political Establishment seems not to have an answer--as the daily attacks continue.     Beyond Israel, though, there is Lebanon.   Lebanon may finally have a new President--who happens to be friends with Bashar Assad which may signal a return of the former Prime Minister Said Harriri who is now in self-imposed exile in France.         As we also went to press, we wanted to note and share this latest development  that finally there were some arrests in Israel in regards to the Palestinian Family arson murder case.    We will continue to monitor this case here in #Outsiders.   This was also of note courtesy of the "Forward" which we wanted to report on: OPINION 5 Signs That Bibi's Split With Generals Is Now a Crisis J.J. Goldberg    Escalating disputes between Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s security chiefs point to a collapsing national consensus. J.J. Goldberg calls it an existential battle for the future of the Jewish state.