War Crimes/Presidential Pardons
- Barrie Friedland
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 10 minutes ago
Wow, it’s awful to watch these corrupt and illegal actions converge and crash. Currently, the United States is killing people in the waters around Venezuela. Bombing small boats. The official word is that these folks are “narco-terrorists” bringing fentanyl to the United States.
Whole treatises can (and surely will) be written on how patently illegal, immoral, mendacious and absurd the above situation is.
For starters:
Venezuela doesn't produce this drug. Most of the illicit fentanyl is produced in labs in Mexico.
There is no evidence that those being killed are doing anything illegal.
If they were drug smugglers, they would have to refuel 20 times to reach the US. (And probably their fish catch would spoil)
The administration has said it wants regime change in Venezuela. The vast oil supplies there are very tempting.
There isn’t war, which must be declared by the Congress. And double tapping- bombing again targeting any survivors is a war crime.
If and this is a very big if- there are drug smugglers in the Caribbean, the process is to stop the boat/seize the cargo and arrest the people onboard. Then a trial, etc. You know justice.
Foo
For brevity this email will only focus on the war crimes in that region. But hey, on the other hand the President received the totally real soccer peace prize.For
Now to the pardons. A hypocrite in the truest sense, Trump has pardoned 100 drug kingpins, traffickers and convicted cartel members even as he defends summarily murdering supposed low-level traffickers. All the clemency extended is astonishing but the pardon to ex-Honduras President still stands out.
The seemingly infinite legal forgiveness extended to corrupt and convicted criminals in what appears to be either a quid pro quo arrangement, or merely solidarity among thieves is topic for another day, um week maybe month. Trump just pardoned a former Democratic Congressman Henry Cueller who faced a dozen charges of accepting more than $600,000 in bribes. He then promptly filed to run for Congress again as a Democrat. Trump is outraged. Where is the loyalty? These pardons are clearly transactional, not justice-based.
It's not just drug dealers and cartel members getting a break, Trump is pardoning allies and supporters at a very rapid rate as well.
And speaking of drugs, the CDC just overturned decades long policy inre a very effective hepatitis vaccine. This disease has been called the “silent killer” often lacking symptoms and then manifesting as liver cancer. The vaccine has been a lifesaver for children in Alaska where there was an inordinate amount of those affected by Hepatitis C. But the benefits have been seen everywhere.
So, to recap, according to Trump and his Cabinet Secretary, many historically tested, life-saving medicines are now bad, and drug dealers deserve pardons. Men in small boats in the Caribbean are accused without proof of hauling tons of fentanyl into the USA while to repeat drug kingpins and cartel members are excused.
Usually these emails are longer. Jacob and I are a bit loquacious. But, so many crimes and so little time.
This is a busy month. Enjoy the holidays and extend kindness to those who are suffering. Stand up and protest or sit down and make phone calls. As we witness untold cruelty and ignorance the immediate solution is to be fair and loving.
Continue to be educated. Know what is happening because it will affect you and your family. And the country.
Listen to the chats we are having with people making their communities and beyond, better.
The holidays should not be an orgy of consumption. Give of your time, help, listen and care. And when buying presents, remember to shop locally six days each week and then
Don't shop on Tuesday.