The arrested man identified himself as a combat veteran and said he was burning the American flag in protest of an executive order Trump signed Monday targeting flag burning.

  • jaybone@lemmy.zip
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    1 day ago

    How can you make an executive order like that? That’s not exactly an order.

    That would need to be a law, passed by Congress.

    This dude has gone so fucking nuts with executive orders left and right out the ass, that no one is even asking wtf? It’s not supposed to be the magical “I can do anything” card. But everyone is ok with this I guess…

    • Professorozone@lemmy.world
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      11 hours ago

      No, just the only people who can actually do something about it.

      Most people don’t know that it is the legislative branch that’s supposed to create laws. Oh who am I kidding? Most Americans don’t even know there are three branches of government.

    • InputZero@lemmy.world
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      20 hours ago

      It doesn’t matter, Trump can legally do whatever he wants, he’s a king. 1/3rd of the population of America believes that Trump can rule unilaterally. The other 2/3rds are scared of the first and they should be. Trump and MAGA have the executive branch, the judicial branch, the legislative branch, the armed forces, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, and wall street in their side. They only group not on Trump’s side is the general public and it should be pretty obvious now that he doesn’t have any use for the general public. Trump won. He’s king of The United States of America, I suggest you start to think about what you’re going to do about it.

        • nymnympseudonym@lemmy.world
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          12 hours ago

          Running will do for a spell. But I intend to stay and (politically) fight.

          Besides, I’m not sure anywhere is significantly better than USA for places to stand against it. No place with humans is immune to the disease of leader worship.

          Iran was once a relatively tolerant democracy. Then the people who actually take their religion seriously took over.

      • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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        20 hours ago

        He can’t legally do it, its still against the law.

        He’s personally immune from punishment, but if he does something illegally it can be undone.

        E.g if he illegally arrests someone, they’ll still get released… one day… and probably get punitive damages. But Trump won’t be held accountable.

        • Soup@lemmy.world
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          12 hours ago

          If you came across someone beating the shit out of another person would you try to stop them or would you stand pointing saying “that’s illegal” or “after they’re done they’re get in so much trouble!”?

          The law doesn’t apply to these people, and Trump got his 34 felonies before becoming the president without any consequences whatsoever. Garcia was sent El Salvador illegally and it’s wild he even made it back alive, and no amount of money will change what happened to him if he were to even somehow get that in however many years. If I recall correctly he’s still not safe.

        • itslilith@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          18 hours ago

          He absolutely can do it. He’s not allowed to do it, but rule of law has gone down the drain. The USA are back to the divine right of kings, now

        • Doomsider@lemmy.world
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          20 hours ago

          Yeah, tell that to Abrego Garcia. Just because one day some judge might reflect that it was wrong for the government to lie, human traffic, and manufacture false charges doesn’t mean his life wasn’t ruined.

          I really find it hard to conceive of a government that doesn’t hold their leaders accountable, but that is apparently what we have been doing for a looong time.

        • InputZero@lemmy.world
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          17 hours ago

          Except that his administration is. Look at Abrego Garcia. He’s going to be deported and there won’t be any recourse to undo that. If it can be done, with no consequences, and can’t be undone, doesn’t matter if a piece of paper says it’s illegal. It won’t be enforced, and a law that isn’t enforced might as well not exist.

    • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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      13 hours ago

      Congress can’t do that without a 3/4 majority of states also agreeing. It would require a constitutional amendment altering the first amendment. Which is an extra big deal as nobody serious would think to propose altering the bill of rights, it used to be sacred. Mind you the government didn’t follow it ever really, but thats what happens to sacred things

      • UltraMagnus@startrek.website
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        12 hours ago

        The other option is that the supreme court undoes a prior decision, like they did to roe v. wade. Texas v. Johnson was only a 5-4 decision (To be clear, I think this would be awful as well, but it is likely how the admin plans to enforce this, assuming they have a plan).

    • 4grams@awful.systems
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      23 hours ago

      Both congress and the Supreme Court handed ceded all their power to the executive branch. We have a dictator now, full stop. This country is run by the whims of a pedophile protecting (at best), rapist, criminal (convicted, not punished - REWARDED).

    • xyzzy@lemmy.today
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      1 day ago

      It would need to be a Constitutional amendment unless the Supreme Court “reconsiders” precedent on this exact issue.

      The executive order, like most others, is completely illegal, but when authoritarians control all the levers of power and have military on the streets of DC and the DC police answers to them, then who’s going to stop them?

    • oyo@lemmy.zip
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      1 day ago

      Congratulations on waking up from your coma! A few things have happened since 2015. Let me help you get up to speed…