Well, as a theoretical matter, it's hard to say what would happen if Biden were to try to knock off Trump. I can't in my wildest dreams imagine that killing a political opponent would be considered to be an official act of the president. As a practical matter? No chance he would do more than fantasize about it, because I believe he is an honorable man (for a politician) who cares about his legacy. What a legacy that would be. But ignoring all that, if he *did* do it, just remember which side (left or right) has the guns. And boy oh boy do they have guns. It would at a minimum result in an armed, violent insurrection, and I even wonder if the military would support him or the insurrectionists. I certainly consider this type of action to be treasonous.
On Wed, Jul 17, 2024 at 4:04 PM Russ Abbott <russ.abb...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Don't want to drag this out forever, but ... The immunity decision is > extraordinarily dangerous precisely because it allows a President to break > the law and to ignore traditional safeguards and then to claim immunity if > charges are brought against him. > > -- Russ Abbott > Professor Emeritus, Computer Science > California State University, Los Angeles > > > On Wed, Jul 17, 2024 at 7:19 AM glen <geprope...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Well, OK. It seems pretty clear that there are laws protecting citizens >> (that don't protect non-citizens). Situations like arresting a citizen and >> holding them for a very long time before charging them are the in-between >> wiggle room. And we have things like opening investigations into them, etc. >> And it would be pretty easy to "disappear" a nobody like me. I think it's >> not so easy to disappear Trump. Anyway, there are some pretty hard >> constraints like due process, posse comitatus, and such. The only way the >> President could make an assassination of a citizen plausible is to deem them >> an enemy of the state, revoke their citizenship, present some flimsy >> justification for that revocation, etc. And even then, as long as they're on >> US soil, (again, to be legitimate) you'd want to use the ATF, FBI, ICE, or >> something, not the Navy or CIA. >> >> IDK. This scenario just feels like spy novel fantasy to me. It was a good >> quip in the SCOTUS hearing. But there are too many holes in the mechanics to >> do it with the appearance of legitimacy. (This says nothing of doing it >> Nixon- or Hoover- style, of course.) >> >> I am kinda on pins and needles to see what Chutkan makes of some of this, >> though. >> >> >> On 7/16/24 19:34, Russ Abbott wrote: >> > I think it's an official act if it involves the use of powers designated >> > by the Constitution as Presidential. As I understand the SCOTUS ruling, >> > the motivation for that use is not relevant. That's one of the things >> > that's so terrible about the immunity decision. Seal Team 6 and all that. >> > >> > -- Russ >> > >> > On Tue, Jul 16, 2024, 11:17 AM glen <geprope...@gmail.com >> > <mailto:geprope...@gmail.com>> wrote: >> > >> > It's pretty hard for me to see how that would stand up in court. If >> > assassination of citizens, much less a fully cleared and daily int-briefed >> > President-elect, is ultimately ruled an "official" action, we've already >> > lost the Republic and committing the actual deed would be futile. No need >> > to worry about losing the Republic if the Republic is already lost. >> > >> > On 7/16/24 10:47, Russ Abbott wrote: >> > > Why has no one pointed out the possibility that if Trump wins, >> > Biden could take advantage of his newly declared immunity and have him >> > assassinated? >> > > >> > > -- Russ >> > > >> > > On Tue, Jul 16, 2024, 6:24 AM glen <geprope...@gmail.com >> > <mailto:geprope...@gmail.com> <mailto:geprope...@gmail.com >> > <mailto:geprope...@gmail.com>>> wrote: >> > > >> > > Yeah. It's one thing to wish it or want it. It's another to >> > think more in Marcus' terms and come up with a more complex strategy not >> > involving stupid 20 year olds and no violence at all. I still hold out >> > hope for my own personal conspiracy theory. Biden becomes the nominee. >> > After the convention fades, the Admnistration announces Biden has gone to >> > the hospital for bone spur surgery. Kamala takes over temporarily and >> > campaigns furiously for Biden-Harris. Biden is re-elected. Biden recovers >> > and gets through the Oath (fingers crossed). Then he goes back to the >> > hospital with some minor thing like a dizzy spell. Kamala takes over >> > again. Biden's condition worsens. First Female President. Biden recovers >> > and becomes America's Grandpa. >> > > >> > > Come on Deep State. Make it happen. 8^D >> > > >> > > On 7/15/24 17:30, Russ Abbott wrote: >> > > > I wonder what Scott's response would have been to those of >> > us who, in response to the shooting, thought: better luck next time. >> > > > On 7/15/24 17:28, Marcus Daniels wrote: >> > > >> It ignores the option of doing things quietly and >> > indirectly. >> > > >> On 7/15/24 16:46, glen wrote: >> > > >>> [Scott's] Prayer >> > > >>> https://scottaaronson.blog/?p=8117 >> > <https://scottaaronson.blog/?p=8117> <https://scottaaronson.blog/?p=8117 >> > <https://scottaaronson.blog/?p=8117>> >> > > >>> >> > > >>> I'm currently surrounded by people who believe intolerance >> > is properly not tolerated. Scott's message, here, seems extraordinary >> > Christian, to me. (Real Christian, not the Christianism displayed in >> > things like megachurches and whatnot cf >> > https://raymondsmullyan.com/books/who-knows/ >> > <https://raymondsmullyan.com/books/who-knows/> >> > <https://raymondsmullyan.com/books/who-knows/ >> > <https://raymondsmullyan.com/books/who-knows/>>). This faith that "going >> > high" will, in the long run, win out, seems naive to me. The temptation to >> > "hoist the black flag and start slitting throats" isn't merely a >> > thresholded reaction, it's an intuitive grasp of the iterated prisoner's >> > dilemma, tit-for-tat style strategies, and Ashby's LoRV. But I'm open to >> > changing my mind on that. Maybe I'm just too low-brow? >> > > >>> >> >> >> -- >> ꙮ Mɥǝu ǝlǝdɥɐuʇs ɟᴉƃɥʇ' ʇɥǝ ƃɹɐss snɟɟǝɹs˙ ꙮ >> >> -. --- - / ...- .- .-.. .. -.. / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom >> https://bit.ly/virtualfriam >> to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com >> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ >> archives: 5/2017 thru present >> https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ >> 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ > > -. --- - / ...- .- .-.. .. -.. / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom > https://bit.ly/virtualfriam > to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ > archives: 5/2017 thru present > https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ > 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ -. --- - / ...- .- .-.. .. -.. / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom https://bit.ly/virtualfriam to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ archives: 5/2017 thru present https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/
