Vigilante Justice

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Last edited Sun Apr 9, 2017, 01:40 AM - Edit history (2)

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Trump showed us he's willing to unilaterally launch massive military attacks across sovereign borders, against nations which don't pose a clear or immediate threat to our national security, and launch them at a moment's notice.

His Syrian bombing 'attack' was waged to avenge for the chemical attack, not for any imminent threat, or, as the War Powers Act states, 'pursuant to a declaration of war, specific statutory authorization from Congress, or a national emergency created by an attack upon the United States.'

Trump's attack wasn't waged to halt or eliminate the threat from chemical weapons, rather, it was deliberately limited in its severity and scope to merely send a message to the Syrian regime.

His unilateral attack was prosecuted with little investigation, and all of the determination and judgment resting in the administration's lap. The attack was lawless and dangerous - oblivious to the consequences, reprisals, or effects. It was vigilante justice, pure and simple.

Trump needs to be reigned in.

[Kablooie]

1. Basically he's saying that seeing poisoned kids on TV annoys him.

It's an attack based on his personal feelings, not any kind of national security issue.
He really is like Billy Mumy on the Twilight Zone.
Everyone has to keep him personally happy or he will send you to the corn field.

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2. that's the cover story

...it's more opportunism than altruism.

Trump hasn't shown he cares about the well-being of anyone outside of his family and himself, except, perhaps, Putin.

[Vinca]

3. There have been chemical attacks and horrible pictures before. This attack had little to do with

Syria and a whole lot to do with Don's Russia problems. See the pretty bird . . . over here . . . no, over here. The country's media is now following the pretty bird.

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6. the attack was certainly opportunistic

...to whatever Trump believed it would achieve.

Like most of what Trump does, motive for his attack on Syria is subject to whatever can be projected on it. There's no firm guide in his own rhetoric, much of it directly contradictory to his present statements and actions. His personal and administration policy is like a shifting montage of inkblots to decipher.

We can see how eager the media is to embrace any normalcy, probably like much of the public, even the appearance of normalcy. Trouble for that hope is that tomorrow is another day in which Trump is hell-bent or obsessively disposed to contradict himself once again.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

4. Not even that. We'd be lucky if this was vigilante justice.

This was just kabuki theater with the Russians and an attempt at political cover for Trump.

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5. I don't know about 'lucky'

...but if this is going to be portrayed and defended as altruism or heroic, it needs to be pointed out how aberrant this attack was from our constitution, our own war-making doctrine, and international law.

If Trump had gone to Congress and solicited the support of our allies, he would be presented with measures short of military conflict. The unilateral militarism he opted for was/is framed as a response to the chemical attacks. It's little more than vigilantism, no matter how insincere the effort was.