Thread by @ThyConsigliori

12 April 2020 - #MAGAAnalysis #Coronavirus

#HappyEaster

#BuonaPasqua

Good Easter Morning, Everyone. Before we dive into today's analysis, do allow me to share that my name comes from the Italian word for Easter. That basically makes me the Easter Boy. How about that?

2) And as you can see, I have a wonderful pot of freshly roasted coffee, and we can take our time to work through some difficult factors in this ongoing #Coronavirus crisis we're suffering under. Our first place to linger is a small discussion of theory itself.

3) I've shared the story of how I gave up my radical libertarianism - I am naturally both a radical and the worst of idealists - to embrace Candidate Trump's pragmatic realism. No ideology with him, we truly do know that. The Art of the Deal is what drives everything he does.

4) Here's a single for instance. During the years of my beloved, idealistic, pure Bastiat-worshipping libertarianism, I truly believed that taxes were theft. I opposed every one of them, and dreamed to return to a type of Jeffersonian, no taxman's shadow at the citizen's door.

5) But, sadly for me at the time, as I listened to Candidate Trump map out his coming policies, and studied his thinking and past positions, I realized that I could no longer hold to my ideals and honestly support @realDonaldTrump. Trump uses tax as policy, pragmatically.

6) There are many other examples I might share, but we have to move forward rapidly. Oh, and what does this have to do with theory? Upon surrendering my idealism, and embracing Trump-pragmatism in its place, a brand new theory popped into my mind and heart.

7) In the months of the 2016 campaign, there were many times when I was either tempted, or actually did believe that Trump was wrong about this or that. I decided, however, that with so many always saying Trump was wrong about everything, there was no value to that position.

8) So, whereas there were a few cases that, in deep private, I offered a contrary opinion in my analyses, they really were rare, and I didn't then and won't now share those disagreements in public. Trump has very powerful enemies. He doesn't need much opposition from his friends.

9) Believe it or not, I'm no sycophant. I see Trump as a man, human in the extreme with all our foibles indeed. I just see no benefit in me ever joining the perpetual pile on, that's all. So, I came up with a name for my theory, back then. Simply: Maybe Trump Was Right.

10) That theory unlocked so many factors over the months leading up to the election, I was constantly stunned. I began to see a pattern, so obvious, I couldn't believe others didn't see it too. Here's the pattern. Trump seeks out all the oncoming attacks, early. He steps forward.

11) He makes bold statements that everyone instantly disagrees with, and collects all the vicious attacks he can, long before those attacks have had the chance to mature, or for true facts to emerge. He always traps his opponents into more than just losing positions.

12) He traps them into making themselves look like blithering idiots. Again, and again, and again. What I found with my theory is that Trump is an absolute master of real facts. He worships, I believe, on the altar of real truth. All the liars, the scheming liars never see this.

13) After the election, I saw this many times through the coming months and years of this, his first term. Here's one of my favorite examples of that. Obama stated that you'd need a magic wand to bring exported jobs back to America. Trump said he'd do it. He had the wand, eh?

14) We now know that the Trump Economy 1.0 was the greatest economy in the history of our nation. What's more, and more important, is that it led to salary rises for the middle and lower class working people. The Trump Economy served ALL America, exactly as he said it would.

15) During that time, suffering a kind of opposition from both parties the likes of which has never occured in American history before, his strategies and methods succeeded. It simply stunned me at how little the media recognized these hard facts. Maybe Trump Was Right.

16) Although I confess that sometimes Hannity bores me with his perpetual list of accomplishments, I pretty much always listen anyway. He's essentially the only TV man literally spouting the truth of Trump's successes. I believe Hannity is on board with Maybe Trump Was Right.

17) And that brings us up to today. We'll rapidly turn to the question of Federalism, and the Constitutional questions of Shelter In Place orders, and their police enforcement, and of course, the shutting down of the greatest economy in the world. Before that, check this out...

18) Here's an amazing segment from the so-nonplussed Anderson Cooper show:

https://twitter.com/hrtablaze/status/1249191485020479493?s=20

19) Phenomenal. Gavin Newsom starts out explaining he's involved in 68 suits against the Trump administration. But then, pragmatism over ideology, Newsom simply cannot praise Trump enough. It's almost as if Newsom just discovered that, well...Maybe Trump Was Right.

20) In the rest of today's analysis, we'll obviously be employing the same theory from #Coronavirus perspectives. Let's turn now to the question of Constitutionality. Here, I'll just speak from my own personal historical point of view. We're in a war. Actually and really.

21) And, in wartimes, Constitutional protections are always abridged. I think it's actually very simple. Our most fundamental rights are, again:

1) Life
2) Liberty
3) The Pursuit of Happiness
4) Property

The logic is unbreakable. We sacrifice lower rights for higher ones.

22) In time of war, we always give up freedoms for life itself. It has always been this way. We'll go fast. Consider Lincoln. He broke every single Constitutional Right in prosecution of the Civil War. Chief Justice Rehnquist wrote about this, powerfully.

amazon.com/dp/B000XUBFRE/…

23) It may have been evil. History has not judged FDR positively over it. But, he completely obliterated every Constitutional Right of Japanese Americans during WWII. We always talk about the Greatest Generation, and how do you challenge FDR's leadership? You can't.

24) Don't get me wrong. I'm no FDR fan, at all. But, there's no way to make the case that WWII was unnecessary, or that his wartime leadership lands him in the category of America's greatest wartime leaders. And yet, there are those Japanese internment camps. Tough stuff.

25) I hate doing it, my ideals do still exist in there, deep inside, but I have to make the small, weak case, that maybe FDR was right. Here's the small, likely totally wrong case. What if he hadn't? And, what if Japanese Americans sided with Japan, supporting an invasion?

26) It is very difficult to force our minds to do the hypothetical scenario, the counterfactual history where we lost WWII and lost it from our West Coast via a successful Japanese invasion. But, when FDR was making his decisions, he did not, as we do, know how the war would end.

27) What I can't argue is that we did the right thing after the war was over. We didn't. Period. The Constitutional Rights of our wonderful Japanese citizens, their loss of those rights NEEDED to be remedied. There, we failed as we so often do. We have to dive into the law, here.

28) The purpose of criminal law is NOT to prevent crime. Where we can prevent crime, we wish to do so, as long as we do NOT breach the purported criminal's Constitutional Rights. The purpose of criminal law is to redress those wrongs that were perpetrated, after they were.

29) Obviously, there was no Constitutional Constabulary there to protect the Japanese from having their every right trampled and destroyed. But, there was a court system there where, after the war, the Japanese should have had standing to sue and win, and win big.

30) It is there where we failed most of all. We never redressed the wrong. Why didn't we? What is wrong with us as a Constitutional people? This is a profound question, and at the heart of Making America Great Again. When will we turn to the redressing of Constitutional wrongs?

31) Back to today. @realDonaldTrump may, in fact, be right, right now. He has to my eye breached NO Constitutional rights. But, what about all these shelter in place commands, enforced by police all across our land? Trump is asked about this constantly, and here's how he answers.

32) He does an instantaneous, tiny little civics lesson. He explains that we have this thing called Federalism. The States have rights, and he is happy to leave the decisions about these matters to the Governors who are, he tells us, doing a great job.

33) Talk about threading the needle! What if all these mandates completely breach our Constitutional rights? If so, it will NOT have been Trump who commanded them. Do you see? He is a Constitutionalist through and through. It is, and no doubt, a brilliant solution for the moment.

34) Let's come back to the governors and the constitutionality of their mandates in a moment. First, we must turn to two people Trump employs, and that huge swaths our the good souls in the MAGA Movement simply detest. Dr.s Fauci and Birx. Oh my. Tough stuff.

35) Here's a guy I love: @va_shiva. I just learned about him due to this Fauci/Birx issue. And here's a single source from which you can learn all about his position on the #Coronavirus challenge.

outragedpatriot.com/what-are-bill-…

36) Dr. Shiva makes his case with force and integrity, and he may well be 100% right. My problem, obvious by now I hope, is the challenge of the Maybe Trump Was Right theory in this case. If Dr. Shiva is right, then Trump is wrong to employ Fauci and Birx. Period.

37) What's more, we can look at many of Trump's hires since his election, and question them, even perhaps breaking the Maybe Trump Was Right theory. I tried to be a fan of Rex Tillerson, and simply couldn't. Then, when he attacked Trump over Charlottesville, that was it for me.

38) There's no way to not like General Mattis, Mad Dog and all, and never entering a building without a plan to kill everyone in it. And a student of history. He's fantastic. But, he believed his leadership was more righteous than Trump's so he had to go.

39) While we could multiply the list, obviously, the only other name required right now is Michael Cohen. Perhaps he was a decent attack dog, junk yard style attorney before the days of real pressure came. But, a man with no loyalty? We can't argue Trump was right in hiring him.

40) With that list indicated, it's the easiest thing in the world to place both Fauci and Birx in the same camp. In coming days we'll very possibly learn how wrong Trump was to hire them, use them, follow their guidance, and manage this Coronavirus crisis wrongly thereby.

41) Many of my dear friends tell me precisely that right now. Many of my dear friends argue that they should be fired, and that Trump must lead our nation in a different manner than he is. Please understand, I respect these friends, and fear they're right and I'm wrong.

42) But, being that guy, the one who always goes where angels dare not tread, my case is, and you can anticipate me here: Maybe Trump Was Right. Let me go slowly over that possibility. America, before this crisis, became energy independent. Tillerson was the CEO of Exxon.

43) That Tillerson was not up to the mission, due to weaknesses of character and vastness of ego, does not mean that Trump was wrong to hire him. He had very good reasons, some of which worked out. But, Trump is ALWAYS ready to say...YOU'RE FIRED.

44) Trump works with flawed people, being a flawed man himself, and yet gets his goals hit in spite of all that. Mattis was absolutely the right man to turn our great military back around from the Obama surrender to the Trump rebuild. Again, weak character, vast ego.

45) Stick with me on Mattis. He didn't have a weak character as a military man. He was essentially flawless as a military leader. But, Secretary of Defense is not, believe it or not, a military position. It is a civilian position and most of all, it is a cabinet position.

46) Mattis' weakness of character showed up when he believed his knowledge and methods were right and the President's wrong. Mattis showed his weak character by his inability to employ the theory that Maybe Trump Was Right. Rather, he determined Trump wrong, himself right.

47) Mattis failed at the moment when he enjoyed the greatest opportunity of his life, the thing his life had earned him. It was weak character unbounded by humble ego that did him in. This is SO understandable. And before that, he did a great job. Maybe Trump Was Right.

48) And even Cohen, coward and traitor that he became. The only real failure I can attack Trump of here was the failure to be certain he would be elected President, at the moment he first hired him. How many years ago was that? How long before his decision to run for President?

49) There can be little doubt that Cohen was perfectly suited to handle Trump's affairs while NOT under the pressure of being Counsel to the President of the United States. Who among us can claim to know our own future to that extent? Not even Trump can pull that off.

50) So here's my take on Fauci and Birx. First, as I recently stated during my interview with the incredible @annvandersteel, I see their data as solid. Ann disagreed, and strongly! So, I stated that if their data is malarkey, it's at least GOOD malarkey!

51) I believe that our great @POTUS selected them to head up his data operation, his pandemic methodology for outstanding reasons. And, no matter how much you may disagree with his choice, you should admit that they show well on TV. They are calming, and very strong.

52) Another point I made with Ann is this. Trump always leaves an avenue of negotiation open to the other side. Consider the stimulus package. You may agree or disagree with it - you know I'm most likely to agree because of my theory - but in any case, he got it through.

53) I put forward that having Fauci and Birx on the daily briefings is a part of how Trump is pulling together his Whole of Government approach. Consider further, the CDC and NIH and the entire medical/scientific apparatus of the Federal Government has to be involved.

54) But what about shutting down of our entire economy as we all suffer through the basic imprisonment of being home with no place to go? As by now you know I will, I return to the question of war, and wartime powers. Allow me to reiterate my analysis of China's plan of attack.

55) What I have posted repeatedly, since January, is that China has executed a biological first strike against us. Yes, it will absolutely devastate much of China, itself. But, I see that China has no need to protect its own people, and happily sacrifices them with no qualms.

56) The stages of this attack were, as I divined them:

1) Biological
2) Economic
3) Social
4) Military

I say again, we are at war. This is a real war, not a quasi-war, and for me, there is NO question about this.

57) I believe that Trump saw this from day one. I believe he knew that war had commenced and that it is this war itself that drives his every decision and action. And, I believe he is demonstrating his true greatness as our leader, if possible, even more so than before.

58) Let's turn back to the governors. My first question about all these mandates of theirs is, are they legal? That is, do governors enjoy wartime powers to abridge State Constitutions, let alone breach our Federal Constitutional rights? Myself, I do not know. Do you?

59) Here's what I do know. There is a way to find out. We can read our own State Constitutions. We can determine where we stand, and if our governors have breached them, there MUST be legal remedy available. If not, we must change things. Seriously.

60) Trump explains that we are a Federal Nation, where States have powers. Well, we must all learn what the civics structures are within our States. But at a far more important level in the end, we must take our time and carefully determine our National Constitutional status.

61) Many of my friends are great supporters of what is called The Convention of States, convened to redress the failures in our Constitutional Amendments. If you have another link, please share it.

conventionofstates.com

62) I am neither a supporter of, nor an opponent of this project. I celebrate its intention. I am not yet sure of the means and am somewhat fearful of its outcomes not matching its goals. I also question its practical feasibility. But there is something wonderful here no matter.

63) As we fight and eventually completely win this #CoronavirusWar, it will soon be time to return to our Constitution in a far more serious manner than we yet have as a people. My great friend @JonStancik forced me to read this book:

amazon.com/dp/B00CO4IP5M/…

64) I wasn't not completely sold, but I still loved the book anyway. And, the great Levin's earlier title - also forced upon me by @JonStancik - is one I recommend with all my heart and soul. Please buy and read this book:

amazon.com/dp/B000X16Q5O/…

65) We all know that Rule of Law is fundamental to Making America Great Again. Yet, I fear few of us have truly done our homework. Again, as we fight and win this current war, much will be done wrong. Wars do that to us. But, on the other side our opportunity will be great.

66) Go back with me to my Libertarian, anti-tax ideals. Perhaps we really did get 16th amendment wrong and should repeal it. Perhaps, further, we weakened our Republic with the 17th Amendment and must repeal it too. Could such a thing happen?

67) I say yes, absolutely yes. And I'll close out today's long meditation restating my theory. Maybe Trump is prosecuting the greatest war we'll ever fight, a war like no other in our history. And maybe he's prosecuting it in exactly the best possible way.

68) I am studying China's history, recent maneuvers, its methods and global positioning assiduously. I say that China offers us the very worst, most severe and serious existential threat we have ever faced as a nation. I mean that. Ever. And I say again, this is war, real war.

69) And as I always love to do, allow me just one example of complete victory to come. Consider China's power over our medical supply chain. This will be obliterated. We shall never suffer such a vulnerability, such a sheer stupidity of policy, ever again.

70) That victory will be just one of the vast transformation of our global position, once Trump leads us to complete victory. I say that we will all look back and so, no not maybe, but rather simply...

Trump Was Right

Thread ends at #70.