Trump's acceptance of a $400m jet was a gaffe
Progressive regression
The brains trust at the ALP appear not to have road-tested the PM's new slogan: ″progressive patriotism″.
It sounds like a medical diagnosis; up there with progressive cancer, and progressive dementia.
It sounds to be the sort of condition that leads medical practitioners to tell patients who have had the diagnosis: ″Go home and get your affairs in order.″
Alun Breward, Malvern East
The voters didn't see it
Bridget McKenzie's comment ″Obviously, our country is best served by a strong Nationals and Liberals coalition government″ was clearly not obvious to the great majority of Australian voters on May 3.
Merv Keehn, Melbourne
The values of loyalty
Political parties substantially depend on loyalty for many votes. So how hypocritical is Labor with the new frontbench? Seems that the treatment of Mark Dreyfus demonstrates just how much Labor thinks of loyalty and his value.
I'm questioning mine.
Carol Fountain, Mentone
Wrong priorities
Victorian farmers are wracked by drought, risk financial losses and face a hefty fire levy. Funds earmarked for public schools had been quietly sequestered and delayed by the state government (″ Victoria secretly slices $2.4b from public schools ″, 12/5). Completion dates of smaller projects like country rails and roads have been deferred (″ Timelines for swath of Victorian construction projects blow out ″, 11/5).
Where have the taxpayers' funds gone? The article ″ In Allan's Victoria, pouring concrete is more important ″ (15/5) shows that public funds are being shovelled into cash intensive Big Build megaprojects.
One of which being the North East Link Project: $26 billion for 10 kilometres of roads and tunnels. Local community groups have worked relentlessly with various authorities to minimise the social and environmental impacts. It has been an exhausting uphill battle since 2016.
At 3am on a week night, residential areas along the construction route are lit up like the Tullamarine Airport, plumes of dust rise and pile drivers thump incessantly through the night. We despair that our taxes are stirring up Big Build dust storms while shortchanging our students, teachers, police, farmers, healthcare, and emergency workers.
Kahhui Zikou, North Balwyn
There's still the big event
You've got to hand it to Jacinta Allan's government. Through drought, floods, school funding cutbacks, and state debt, the major events keep on coming.
David Cayzer, Clifton Hill
Blockade a necessity
Simon Tedeschi's claim that Israel has a policy of starvation that is collective punishment, not military necessity (Letters, 16/5) is wrong on every count.
Israel's policy is to deny Hamas the means to stay in power to continue the war against it. Israel let enough aid into Gaza to last until at least June, but then Hamas stole huge quantities of it, as Hamas has been doing for years, and then used it to keep control in Gaza, and also sold it to fund the wages it pays to its fighters.
Israel is under no obligation under international law to allow in aid that helps its enemy, so the blockade is absolutely military necessity. However, Israel will be restoring aid flows in the next couple of weeks, in co-operation with US, but in a way that prevents it going to Hamas.
George Greenberg, Malvern
Informed on Gaza
Well said David Leser (″ Call me a self-hating Jew, but what Israel is doing in Gaza is indefensible ″, 17/5). Leser's scholarly, informed and perceptive article shines a rare light on Jewish opposition to Israeli policies and actions in Palestine. This not to say that Jewish voices are not raised, but that media coverage of these voices is generally less than extensive. Leser's analysis of the IHRA definition of antisemitism and his comparison with the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism is cogent and backed by many Jewish scholars. Zionism is not Judaism, we all need to reflect carefully on what is racist and what is pure polemic, meant to whitewash apartheid and genocide.
Lorel Thomas, Blackburn South
Reap the wind
Why the fear and loathing of wind farms (″ Labor's victory puts transition to cheap power on agenda ″, 17/5)? A recent article in the German magazine Der Spiegel on the village of Feldheim showed that it got all its electricity from renewables, exported the considerable surplus to surrounding regions and paid just 12 cents a kW.hr, a third of the average for Germany. It has dozens of wind turbines, which in my opinion add not detract from the landscape.
Crops are being grown almost up to the base of the wind turbines, which are tall and elegant. Wind is free, unlike coal and natural gas. Or enriched uranium for nuclear power plants.
All houses in Australia should have solar panels, and as many as possible should have home batteries. I'm looking forward to having home batteries installed in my home and my two rental properties. Electricity should be produced where it's used as much as possible obviating the need for long-distance transmission lines.
Wayne Robinson, Kingsley
What's the chances?
Anti-gambling advocate Tim Costello recommends that gambling reform be transferred from the minster for sport and communications portfolio to that of the health minister's (″ Gambling reform less likely ″, 17/5). I wonder what the odds are for that to happen?
Robin Jensen, Castlemaine
Terrorist no more
Definition of a former al-Qaeda terrorist: 'Young attractive guy. Tough guy.' From US Commander-in-Chief Donald Trump, describing Ahmad al-Sharaa, interim Syrian president. I have no cornflakes left to choke on.
David West, Essendon
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
31 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Israel seizes Gaza aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg
Israeli naval forces have boarded and seized a charity vessel that had tried to break a naval blockade of the war-torn Gaza Strip and the boat with its crew of 12, including activist Greta Thunberg, is now heading to a port in Israel. The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there. However, the boat was boarded during the night before it could reach shore, the coalition said on its Telegram account. The Israeli Foreign Ministry later confirmed it was under Israeli control. "The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries," the ministry wrote on X. All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry later added. "They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over." Among the 12-strong crew are Swedish climate campaigner Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. "The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2am," Hassan posted on X. A photograph showed the crew seated on the boat, all wearing life jackets, with their hands in the air. The yacht is carrying a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. The Foreign Ministry said it would be taken to Gaza. "The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels," it wrote. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military on Sunday to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas. Katz said he had instructed that upon the boat's arrival at Ashdod port, the activists will be shown videos of atrocities committed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which triggered the Gaza war. Hamas condemned the seizure of the boat as "state terrorism" and said it salutes its activists. Israel imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 to stop weapons from reaching the militant group, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel and the West. The blockade has remained in place through multiple conflicts, including the current war, which began when Hamas-led militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people and taking 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza and left its more than 2 million population largely displaced and at risk of famine, according to the United Nations. The United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has supported the Madleen operation and on Sunday, urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade. "Madleen's journey may have ended, but the mission isn't over," she wrote on X. "Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza." Israeli naval forces have boarded and seized a charity vessel that had tried to break a naval blockade of the war-torn Gaza Strip and the boat with its crew of 12, including activist Greta Thunberg, is now heading to a port in Israel. The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there. However, the boat was boarded during the night before it could reach shore, the coalition said on its Telegram account. The Israeli Foreign Ministry later confirmed it was under Israeli control. "The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries," the ministry wrote on X. All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry later added. "They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over." Among the 12-strong crew are Swedish climate campaigner Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. "The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2am," Hassan posted on X. A photograph showed the crew seated on the boat, all wearing life jackets, with their hands in the air. The yacht is carrying a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. The Foreign Ministry said it would be taken to Gaza. "The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels," it wrote. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military on Sunday to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas. Katz said he had instructed that upon the boat's arrival at Ashdod port, the activists will be shown videos of atrocities committed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which triggered the Gaza war. Hamas condemned the seizure of the boat as "state terrorism" and said it salutes its activists. Israel imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 to stop weapons from reaching the militant group, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel and the West. The blockade has remained in place through multiple conflicts, including the current war, which began when Hamas-led militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people and taking 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza and left its more than 2 million population largely displaced and at risk of famine, according to the United Nations. The United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has supported the Madleen operation and on Sunday, urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade. "Madleen's journey may have ended, but the mission isn't over," she wrote on X. "Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza." Israeli naval forces have boarded and seized a charity vessel that had tried to break a naval blockade of the war-torn Gaza Strip and the boat with its crew of 12, including activist Greta Thunberg, is now heading to a port in Israel. The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there. However, the boat was boarded during the night before it could reach shore, the coalition said on its Telegram account. The Israeli Foreign Ministry later confirmed it was under Israeli control. "The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries," the ministry wrote on X. All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry later added. "They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over." Among the 12-strong crew are Swedish climate campaigner Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. "The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2am," Hassan posted on X. A photograph showed the crew seated on the boat, all wearing life jackets, with their hands in the air. The yacht is carrying a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. The Foreign Ministry said it would be taken to Gaza. "The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels," it wrote. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military on Sunday to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas. Katz said he had instructed that upon the boat's arrival at Ashdod port, the activists will be shown videos of atrocities committed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which triggered the Gaza war. Hamas condemned the seizure of the boat as "state terrorism" and said it salutes its activists. Israel imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 to stop weapons from reaching the militant group, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel and the West. The blockade has remained in place through multiple conflicts, including the current war, which began when Hamas-led militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people and taking 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza and left its more than 2 million population largely displaced and at risk of famine, according to the United Nations. The United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has supported the Madleen operation and on Sunday, urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade. "Madleen's journey may have ended, but the mission isn't over," she wrote on X. "Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza." Israeli naval forces have boarded and seized a charity vessel that had tried to break a naval blockade of the war-torn Gaza Strip and the boat with its crew of 12, including activist Greta Thunberg, is now heading to a port in Israel. The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there. However, the boat was boarded during the night before it could reach shore, the coalition said on its Telegram account. The Israeli Foreign Ministry later confirmed it was under Israeli control. "The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries," the ministry wrote on X. All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry later added. "They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over." Among the 12-strong crew are Swedish climate campaigner Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. "The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2am," Hassan posted on X. A photograph showed the crew seated on the boat, all wearing life jackets, with their hands in the air. The yacht is carrying a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. The Foreign Ministry said it would be taken to Gaza. "The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels," it wrote. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military on Sunday to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas. Katz said he had instructed that upon the boat's arrival at Ashdod port, the activists will be shown videos of atrocities committed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which triggered the Gaza war. Hamas condemned the seizure of the boat as "state terrorism" and said it salutes its activists. Israel imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 to stop weapons from reaching the militant group, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel and the West. The blockade has remained in place through multiple conflicts, including the current war, which began when Hamas-led militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people and taking 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza and left its more than 2 million population largely displaced and at risk of famine, according to the United Nations. The United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has supported the Madleen operation and on Sunday, urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade. "Madleen's journey may have ended, but the mission isn't over," she wrote on X. "Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza."
The Advertiser
31 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Call for action as Aussie journo hit with rubber bullet
The prime minister needs an urgent explanation from the US president after police shot an Australian TV reporter with a rubber bullet in Los Angeles, a senator says. Nine Network's US correspondent Lauren Tomasi was recording a piece to camera about protests against immigration raids when she appeared to be struck in the leg, with the incident caught live on camera. "After hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated, the LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of LA," Ms Tomasi said. Seconds later, she was shot with a rubber bullet. Footage of the incident appeared to show an officer taking aim in the direction of Ms Tomasi and firing. Greens media and communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said the shooting was shocking and "must be called out in the strongest terms". She said the incident must be investigated and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should call Donald Trump and ask for an urgent explanation or speak to him about when the pair meet in coming days. "Trump is a threat to journalistic freedom and to democratic values and we cannot afford, as Australians, to sit by and see an attack on those values by US authorities shooting at one of our journalists," senator Hanson-Young said. "The prime minister needs to be very clear here, Australia is not going to stand by and see our journalists attacked for simply doing their job." Mr Albanese has yet to speak publicly on the incident. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles declined to comment on US immigration policy under Mr Trump, but said he was glad to hear Ms Tomasi was OK. "At the end of the day, how America operates its own immigration system is really a matter for the United States, and how it manages its own internal law enforcement is a matter for the United States," he told Sky News. It follows a similar incident in 2020 when Seven Network correspondent Amelia Brace was shot by US police with non-lethal rounds and struck with a truncheon during a Black Lives Matter protest. Ms Brace and cameraman Tim Myers were in Washington DC's Lafayette Square when officers began aggressively clearing the area before a surprise appearance by Mr Trump. She later told US Congress she was shot in the legs and backside and Mr Myers was hit in the neck by non-lethal rounds from a police automatic weapon. The prime minister needs an urgent explanation from the US president after police shot an Australian TV reporter with a rubber bullet in Los Angeles, a senator says. Nine Network's US correspondent Lauren Tomasi was recording a piece to camera about protests against immigration raids when she appeared to be struck in the leg, with the incident caught live on camera. "After hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated, the LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of LA," Ms Tomasi said. Seconds later, she was shot with a rubber bullet. Footage of the incident appeared to show an officer taking aim in the direction of Ms Tomasi and firing. Greens media and communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said the shooting was shocking and "must be called out in the strongest terms". She said the incident must be investigated and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should call Donald Trump and ask for an urgent explanation or speak to him about when the pair meet in coming days. "Trump is a threat to journalistic freedom and to democratic values and we cannot afford, as Australians, to sit by and see an attack on those values by US authorities shooting at one of our journalists," senator Hanson-Young said. "The prime minister needs to be very clear here, Australia is not going to stand by and see our journalists attacked for simply doing their job." Mr Albanese has yet to speak publicly on the incident. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles declined to comment on US immigration policy under Mr Trump, but said he was glad to hear Ms Tomasi was OK. "At the end of the day, how America operates its own immigration system is really a matter for the United States, and how it manages its own internal law enforcement is a matter for the United States," he told Sky News. It follows a similar incident in 2020 when Seven Network correspondent Amelia Brace was shot by US police with non-lethal rounds and struck with a truncheon during a Black Lives Matter protest. Ms Brace and cameraman Tim Myers were in Washington DC's Lafayette Square when officers began aggressively clearing the area before a surprise appearance by Mr Trump. She later told US Congress she was shot in the legs and backside and Mr Myers was hit in the neck by non-lethal rounds from a police automatic weapon. The prime minister needs an urgent explanation from the US president after police shot an Australian TV reporter with a rubber bullet in Los Angeles, a senator says. Nine Network's US correspondent Lauren Tomasi was recording a piece to camera about protests against immigration raids when she appeared to be struck in the leg, with the incident caught live on camera. "After hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated, the LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of LA," Ms Tomasi said. Seconds later, she was shot with a rubber bullet. Footage of the incident appeared to show an officer taking aim in the direction of Ms Tomasi and firing. Greens media and communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said the shooting was shocking and "must be called out in the strongest terms". She said the incident must be investigated and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should call Donald Trump and ask for an urgent explanation or speak to him about when the pair meet in coming days. "Trump is a threat to journalistic freedom and to democratic values and we cannot afford, as Australians, to sit by and see an attack on those values by US authorities shooting at one of our journalists," senator Hanson-Young said. "The prime minister needs to be very clear here, Australia is not going to stand by and see our journalists attacked for simply doing their job." Mr Albanese has yet to speak publicly on the incident. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles declined to comment on US immigration policy under Mr Trump, but said he was glad to hear Ms Tomasi was OK. "At the end of the day, how America operates its own immigration system is really a matter for the United States, and how it manages its own internal law enforcement is a matter for the United States," he told Sky News. It follows a similar incident in 2020 when Seven Network correspondent Amelia Brace was shot by US police with non-lethal rounds and struck with a truncheon during a Black Lives Matter protest. Ms Brace and cameraman Tim Myers were in Washington DC's Lafayette Square when officers began aggressively clearing the area before a surprise appearance by Mr Trump. She later told US Congress she was shot in the legs and backside and Mr Myers was hit in the neck by non-lethal rounds from a police automatic weapon. The prime minister needs an urgent explanation from the US president after police shot an Australian TV reporter with a rubber bullet in Los Angeles, a senator says. Nine Network's US correspondent Lauren Tomasi was recording a piece to camera about protests against immigration raids when she appeared to be struck in the leg, with the incident caught live on camera. "After hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated, the LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of LA," Ms Tomasi said. Seconds later, she was shot with a rubber bullet. Footage of the incident appeared to show an officer taking aim in the direction of Ms Tomasi and firing. Greens media and communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said the shooting was shocking and "must be called out in the strongest terms". She said the incident must be investigated and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should call Donald Trump and ask for an urgent explanation or speak to him about when the pair meet in coming days. "Trump is a threat to journalistic freedom and to democratic values and we cannot afford, as Australians, to sit by and see an attack on those values by US authorities shooting at one of our journalists," senator Hanson-Young said. "The prime minister needs to be very clear here, Australia is not going to stand by and see our journalists attacked for simply doing their job." Mr Albanese has yet to speak publicly on the incident. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles declined to comment on US immigration policy under Mr Trump, but said he was glad to hear Ms Tomasi was OK. "At the end of the day, how America operates its own immigration system is really a matter for the United States, and how it manages its own internal law enforcement is a matter for the United States," he told Sky News. It follows a similar incident in 2020 when Seven Network correspondent Amelia Brace was shot by US police with non-lethal rounds and struck with a truncheon during a Black Lives Matter protest. Ms Brace and cameraman Tim Myers were in Washington DC's Lafayette Square when officers began aggressively clearing the area before a surprise appearance by Mr Trump. She later told US Congress she was shot in the legs and backside and Mr Myers was hit in the neck by non-lethal rounds from a police automatic weapon.
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Trump was spoiling for another street war. Now he's got one
Trump inflamed the scene. 'Violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents,' he wrote. He was determined to 'liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion.' It's a Trump political attack on the Democrat stronghold through the proxy of deportation and immigration. Asked if he would order the arrest of Californian officials who tried to interfere with the immigrant round-up, Trump replied: 'Officials who stand in the way of law and order, yea, they will face judges.' Newsom's response: 'Arrest me, let's go.' And Trump a little later: 'We're gonna have troops everywhere,' he told reporters. Despite the pleas of the governor and the mayor to ask that protesters remain peaceful, by Monday afternoon (Australian time) the streets had turned decidedly violent. 'This violence I've seen is disgusting. It's escalated now,' said LAPD's McDonnell. 'We are overwhelmed as far as the number of people out there engaged in this type of activity.' The Trump provocation worked. He's been spoiling for a fight. For years. In his first term, he asked the country's most senior military officer to shoot unarmed civilian protesters in the Black Lives Matter demonstrations. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Mark Milley, refused. In 2020, Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to justify ordering the military to shoot civilians. According to a book by former Wall Street Journal and now New York Times reporter Michael Bender, Milley pointed to a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, the president who led the Union in the Civil War, and told Trump: 'That guy had an insurrection. What we have, Mr President, is a protest.' Trump stayed his hand then; he's intent on playing now. 'Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!' he wrote on Monday afternoon (Australian time). Hegseth said that 500 Marines were preparing to deploy. Soldiers who had enlisted, trained and, in many cases, fought to protect the US, its Constitution and its people from foreign enemies, were to be brought into action against civilians on the streets of a major US city. Which had been calm just three days earlier. There's been much commentary on Trump's use of a particular legal authority to support sending in the militia and also the military, which he justifies because the protests 'constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the government'. Loading But perhaps the most telling point of Trump's executive order is its unconditional breadth. It is not specific to Los Angeles or to California. It is generic. It could be applied to the entire country. And it is not limited in duration. The length of any deployment is at the discretion of the defence secretary. Trump gave himself the scope to deploy the militia and/or the military 'where protests against these [federal] functions are occurring or are likely to occur'. Likely to occur? He once claimed to be a very stable genius, but now, apparently, he is also clairvoyant. In addition, says his order, 'the secretary of defence may employ any other members of the regular Armed Forces as necessary to augment and support the protection of Federal functions and property in any number determined appropriate in his discretion'. It's not difficult to see how this could be used as the basis for an authoritarian takeover attempt of the US. Asked a couple of weeks ago whether it was his job to uphold the US Constitution, Trump answered: 'I don't know.' His deportation program will prove harmful to investment, growth and stability. The US economy has always relied on millions of undocumented immigrants to do the low-wage work that locals will not touch. As LA mayor Bass says: 'You can't terrify the workforce and expect the job to get done'. Trump's power grab, his wanton authorisation of the use of armed force on American soil and his autocratic tendencies all suggest that the FBI's Bongino was only half right. More accurately, ' we bring the chaos and we bring the handcuffs'.
