President Trump has Unfettered Power to Kill with No Oversight.
The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) is acting as a rubber-stamp, giving President Trump free rein to authorise lethal force against suspected drug smugglers without due process. This is a troubling trend that threatens the very foundations of democracy and the rule of law.
Videos posted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth show vessels exploding with alarming regularity, killing nearly 60 civilians in over a dozen strikes since early September. Trump's justification for these actions has shifted constantly, with claims of executive authority, terrorism prevention, and drug interdiction offering little clarity. What is clear, however, is that the OLC is acting as a "golden shield" of immunity, insulating executive officials from future liability.
This is not an isolated incident. The Justice Department's history on extrajudicial killings and surveillance is marked by questionable interpretations of executive authority. The Bush administration's "Torture Memos" are a prime example, while President Obama's "just trust us" doctrine was widely criticised for its lack of transparency and accountability.
The Trump administration has taken this trend to new heights, with the OLC issuing a secret memo justifying summary executions of suspected drug traffickers. This is a chilling development that undermines the principles of due process and the rule of law.
As one former OLC lawyer noted, "OLC is supposed to be a check on overzealousness... The reason why you have OLC is to say, 'Here we draw the line.'" But in Trump's hands, the office seems to be being used to bless extrajudicial conduct, rather than block it.
The consequences of this lack of oversight are far-reaching and devastating. Civilian casualties are mounting, while the legal system is struggling to keep up with the administration's actions. It's a situation that cries out for scrutiny and accountability, and one that demands that we take a closer look at the role of the Justice Department in enforcing executive authority.
As a society, we need to be vigilant in protecting our rights and liberties from those in power. The Trump administration's abuse of executive authority is a clear reminder of this imperative.
The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) is acting as a rubber-stamp, giving President Trump free rein to authorise lethal force against suspected drug smugglers without due process. This is a troubling trend that threatens the very foundations of democracy and the rule of law.
Videos posted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth show vessels exploding with alarming regularity, killing nearly 60 civilians in over a dozen strikes since early September. Trump's justification for these actions has shifted constantly, with claims of executive authority, terrorism prevention, and drug interdiction offering little clarity. What is clear, however, is that the OLC is acting as a "golden shield" of immunity, insulating executive officials from future liability.
This is not an isolated incident. The Justice Department's history on extrajudicial killings and surveillance is marked by questionable interpretations of executive authority. The Bush administration's "Torture Memos" are a prime example, while President Obama's "just trust us" doctrine was widely criticised for its lack of transparency and accountability.
The Trump administration has taken this trend to new heights, with the OLC issuing a secret memo justifying summary executions of suspected drug traffickers. This is a chilling development that undermines the principles of due process and the rule of law.
As one former OLC lawyer noted, "OLC is supposed to be a check on overzealousness... The reason why you have OLC is to say, 'Here we draw the line.'" But in Trump's hands, the office seems to be being used to bless extrajudicial conduct, rather than block it.
The consequences of this lack of oversight are far-reaching and devastating. Civilian casualties are mounting, while the legal system is struggling to keep up with the administration's actions. It's a situation that cries out for scrutiny and accountability, and one that demands that we take a closer look at the role of the Justice Department in enforcing executive authority.
As a society, we need to be vigilant in protecting our rights and liberties from those in power. The Trump administration's abuse of executive authority is a clear reminder of this imperative.
The fact that the OLC is acting like a rubber-stamp and giving President Trump free rein to kill civilians without due process is just so crazy! Interesting 
how this trend started under previous administrations, but it's getting way out of hand now. We need to be super careful about who's in charge and making sure they're not abusing their power. 
I think he's just trying to keep America safe, you know? Those videos showing explosions are super scary and I can see why he'd want to take action. The fact that the Justice Department is giving him more power doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing... maybe it's just about streamlining things? 
And yeah, I've heard of those "Torture Memos" from the Bush admin, but I don't think they're directly comparable to this situation. Trump's not using torture or anything like that, he's just dealing with suspected drug traffickers who might be a threat to national security. We need to consider all the facts before jumping to conclusions, right? 
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which is literally not how democracy works at all we need to stay vigilant and make sure our rights aren't being trampled on by people in power this is getting way too out of control
... it's like something out of a dystopian novel or a bad action movie 
... how can we trust our government when they're basically just making up rules as they go along? 
... we need to do something about this ASAP, like, seriously... we can't just sit back and watch our democracy get stripped away 
...
it's like they're above the law 
and it's terrifying to think about all those innocent civilians getting killed in these drone strikes 
we need some serious oversight ASAP 
and someone needs to hold trump accountable for this mess 