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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat is to stop Barr from ARRESTING Mueller, Hillary, and the heads of the Intelligence Community?
I know this sounds far fetched.
Robert Mueller is set to testify behind closed doors to Congress about his report. With New powers given to him by Trump and NOT Congress, what is there to stop Barr from going full throttle and issuing arrests of those Trump suspects spying on him?
Who will get in his way in preventing Barr from arresting Hillary, Jim Comey, John Brennan, Political opponents, and others?
standingtall
(2,787 posts)If Trump and Barr make the constitution null and void. Why should states like New York and California still be bound by it? They could break away and fund their own military's and sense Trumps businesses are in New York if that happens he would be totally screwed.
Celerity
(43,808 posts)Trumpkin goon-horde smell test, they might make a move on some of the lesser lights in the fascists' imaginary 'deep state' constellation. Hillary and Biden would be a bridge too far (at that point, god knows what bowels of hell would open up based off just the initial round-ups, maybe he would go full on martial law attempt and morph into 'God Emperor' mode )
Things would have to be absolutely dire in orange bloat land for such a move (even the initial smaller arrests), but if they are, then another truly disastrous possible move is spewed onto the chessboard.. war with Iran.
Talk about a 2-sided coin of death and collapse.
I wish to hell I was being insanely hyperbolic, but given the trajectory of events over the last 3 years, who the fuck knows. I truly think Trump is a madman, I truly do, it is NOT just a slag-off. He has the power of world destruction at his fingertips and the last 5 plus decades of systemic 'imperial presidency-building' make it goddamn hard to prise it away from his short, malignant fingers.
winetourdriver01
(1,154 posts)You know what? People ask, why aren't Americans in the streets protesting this administration and it's Fascist direction? I don't have a good answer for that, but I will say this: If the administration tries to arrest Sec. Clinton or the heads of the intelligence community you WILL most definitely see people in the streets. There is a bridge too far, and that would be it.
kentuck
(111,111 posts)Or would they be out on bond?
Eliot Rosewater
(31,158 posts)Every fucking thing we didnt think they would do, they did.
OF COURSE they will arrest actual patriots.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)That's both weakness and strength. And I'm guessing its strength is a lot bigger. America's been a democracy for nearly 250 years. There is no history of anything else. Our people don't know anything else, and our expectations are that we will always be a free people.
RT Atlanta
(2,517 posts)Seriously... unless you are black in this country, you don't just get stopped-frisked, or arrested, for no reason (even made up charges) in this country.
Would be off the rails if that happens and I would begin to become very concerned for my family's safety, ability to keep roof over our head, feed my family, etc. because there will be serious repercussions should anything like that come to pass across the broader economy and all the gun fellaters out there just itchin for a trigger event.
PufPuf23
(8,859 posts)In September 2013, the incarceration rate of the United States of America was the highest in the world, at 716 per 100,000 of the national population. While the United States represents about 4.4 percent of the world's population, it houses around 22 percent of the world's prisoners.[1] Corrections (which includes prisons, jails, probation, and parole) cost around $74 billion in 2007 according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics.[2][3]
At the end of 2016, the Prison Policy Initiative estimated that in the United States, about 2,298,300 people were incarcerated out of a population of 324.2 million. This means that 0.7% of the population was behind bars. Of those who were incarcerated, about 1,316,000 people were in state prison, 615,000 in local jails, 225,000 in federal prisons, 48,000 in youth correctional facilities, 34,000 in immigration detention camps, 22,000 in involuntary commitment, 11,000 in territorial prisons, 2,500 in Indian Country jails, and 1,300 in United States military prisons.[4]
cut
Comparing some countries with similar percentages of immigrants, Germany has an incarceration rate of 76 per 100,000 population (as of 2014),[25] Italy is 85 per 100,000 (as of 2015),[26] and Saudi Arabia is 161 per 100,000 (as of 2013).[27] Comparing other countries with a zero tolerance policy for illegal drugs, the rate of Russia is 455 per 100,000 (as of 2015),[28] Kazakhstan is 275 per 100,000 (as of 2015),[29] Singapore is 220 per 100,000 (as of 2014),[30] and Sweden is 60 per 100,000 (as of 2014).[31]
RT Atlanta
(2,517 posts)deeper dive into some of the underlying components shows you how fucked up our 'priorities' are: i) 'drug war' shit that disproportionately targeted persons of color; ii) continued institutionalized racism; iii) for-profit (yes 'for profit'!) prison operators.
Back to the white collar folks noted in the original post, they dont fall into any of the categories above. Should there be an arrest of any of them, I am hopeful there will be 'hell to pay' in the way of national protests, strikes, etc.
uponit7771
(90,378 posts)LastLiberal in PalmSprings
(12,604 posts)His boss (and only client) obviously doesn't give a shit about it.
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)Wednesdays
(17,505 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)is covered in the first section of How to Overthrow a Government for Dummies.
Of course, those without anyone to care for and actually free to leave might feel they might as well march after their power and water at home were cut, gotta find water immediately if nothing else, but with all the highways closed and guarded, where do they march? And what happens when their water bottles are empty?
This is Ferguson, MO, not Syria.
Our vote is our power. Lose that and we're no longer free people.
certainot
(9,090 posts)and lose most of their support - with a lot less protesting and activism
as soon ass the ad industry has to start asking advertisers on those stations if they actually support global warming denial and trump market demand will reduce rw radio to 200 radio stations in the swamps.
all this shit about strzok and page etc has been coming out of limbaugh's ass since inauguration and it's only gotten this bad because the left/dems have ignored it - the biggest political mistake in history and really fucking stupid
that's the only real advantage they have - the left's incredibly irresponsible ignorance of republican talk radio, russian use of it, and its dominance in politics the last 30 years
marylandblue
(12,344 posts)If he somehow found someone willing to indict, the grand jury would likely be suspicious and might refuse. It's rare for a grand jury to refuse an indictment, but that's partly because it's rare for a federal prosecutor to show up with a weak case.
Assuming that they do indict, there is still a judge after that, and our courts are still independent enough to turn back a politically motivated indictment.
MontanaMama
(23,369 posts)MF, Barr etc will plumb. What would stop them from trying to arrest their enemies? We just might find that out, as horrifying as that sounds. Michael Cohen warned us that there would not be a peaceful transition of power. We have not been in this place before.
Ilsa
(61,721 posts)But we've already seen unbridled corruption, lying, obstruction of justice. Power-mad Barr and Trump might try it.
Maybe we should hope they try it, so the rest of the US doesn't have to "read between the lines" any more about their lawlessness.
triron
(22,031 posts)Rachel also has been warning us.
Ilsa
(61,721 posts)I think. He would have to become afraid of mobs, and maybe even Congress taking him down, impeaching him.
standingtall
(2,787 posts)sense his residency is in Virginia a Democratic controlled State. Wonder what would happen if blue states decided to fight fire with fire, because of what would be going on at the federal level? Barr very well could very well end up in a Virginia jail in that scenario.
spanone
(135,958 posts)who knows?
Not a peep from the republicans in the senate. only praise and support.
And if congress (the senate) won't act, what's left? Will presidential elections be suspended? Cohen might be right.
Jarqui
(10,131 posts)Trump & Barr have been up to.
I can't say for sure how much influence it had on impeachment but it sure didn't hurt.
ChicagoRonin
(630 posts)I read that many women in Georgia, Alabama, etc. are calling into hospitals and clinics distraught and panicked that they might go to jail if they get an abortion (or because they had one). The laws aren't even in effect yet, but they are already sending shockwaves. It's starting to galvanize women politically on a national level, and I think this is just the beginning.
If Barr and Trump go all out and start arresting people like Hillary or federal law enforcement professionals, I think it will be a far bigger trigger than they realize.
watoos
(7,142 posts)now I could see him arresting Strock and Page. I don't know if that would illicit a similar outrage?
EffieBlack
(14,249 posts)4139
(1,894 posts)ProudMNDemocrat
(16,945 posts)Barr on his new power position, and to Trump for conspiring with Russia to win in 2016.
Yes, I am being bold here in my opinion here. Everything Mueller uncovered poses a threat to Trump because he is deathly afraid of the truth coming out.
Freethinker65
(10,119 posts)Barr is not the Nation's AG, but Trump's weapon against Trump's opponents.
Trump will call out opponents and make up insane accusations and order Barr to open up investigations. Barr will obey. Just opening up an investigation can create a media frenzy and overshadow anything the opponent really wants to talk about (example: Hillary and "her emails" or "Benghazi" )..It really does not matter that there never was any evidence of wrongdoing.
ProudMNDemocrat
(16,945 posts)Last edited Fri May 24, 2019, 11:39 AM - Edit history (1)
Being that he is Trump's Roy Cohn now, he will go far to destroy Trump's political opponents and arrest them. We should be wise NOT to trust Barr not to go that far. This man is as amoral as his Boss.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)triron
(22,031 posts)2naSalit
(87,012 posts)FBI as well.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)anti-democracy strategies to grab and hold power they can't get through elections, including blatant election theft. If not stopped, I have no doubt they will continue until they've stripped the citizenry of power, probably ruling behind a false-front/faux democracy.
Right now they hold the WH and senate, DoJ, SCOTUS is no longer reliable, and probably close to a couple dozen state governments with their militias. Have to assume the NSA, possibly the FBI.
Comey and McCabe provably misused the power of the FBI in a way that threw the election to the Republicans, and I believe they had to be participating in a conspiracy. We can assume others are still in the FBI, like that nasty nest of RW, Giuliani-associated agents in the Manhattan branch. Director Wray?
"The People": In the past a significant minority polled indicated support for a military coup (!), and larger numbers indicated interest in switching to an authoritarian form of government. It's not just the right, either; support was found on the left also. I'm assuming many among the anti-Democratic left, including those who once supported Sanders' attempt to have the primary election results set aside to make him our nominee, could be among those. Add in some strategic election theft and they could have an "electoral" majority.
Much of the media are already infiltrated; 6 companies control something like 90% of the news. I'm assuming some within the same media that weighted and twisted their coverage to defeat Democrats in 2016 and are doing it again now would be or get behind a RW takeover. They're already traitors.
Russia and China are working to undermine our democracy and socioeconomic health.
But this thread is not asking about continuing their attempted slow takeover but, given the threats to their power now, accelerating to an immediate takeover.
We have to assume almost all elected Republicans and voters would actively support it, also many conservative indies once it was mostly a fait accompli and some on the farther left especially. The antagonism to Democrats there is very real.
But besides whether the military would betray or stand loyal, a huge, huge obstacle would be state power. There is no one central government to seize. Most red states -- but perhaps not some of the western ones -- would support it. The blue states would fight the new federal government.
Seizing communications and power grids, not centralized but interdependent, would be key. Both sides would be doing it. Democrats are generally concentrated in cities, conservative hold the big areas. People can bloviate all they want, but just turning off the power would bring whole cities and counties of noisy people to their knees very quickly, turning off the water even more quickly. Can't fight if by day 2 you're already facing the implacable reality that your children will die if the water isn't turned back on.
I wish we knew more about how this could be done too.
But so far it's being stopped the way the constitution was written to, and the real, visible threat, which is already storming our barricades, is "constitutional regression," which is what it sounds like.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)CaptainTruth
(6,624 posts)A judge would order them released.
blueinredohio
(6,797 posts)but I'm afraid he will declassify information that foreign enemies shouldn't know.
2naSalit
(87,012 posts)malaise
(269,365 posts)I double dare him
ProudMNDemocrat
(16,945 posts)Who is Barr to say "No"?
Those who said "No" to Trump are no longer in the Administration. Congressional Republicans are remaining quiet, thus complicit in this power grab.
Buckeyeblue
(5,506 posts)You would think Hillary is still connected enough that if being arrested was even a possibility, she, Bill and Chelsea's family would leave the country. They could go anywhere.
CrispyQ
(36,582 posts)They will cherry-pick what is released to make their case. This is so fucked up. It's happening here even as many refuse to see it. We're on a precipice & could topple either way.
kacekwl
(7,028 posts)top advisor Hannity and his crew of wackos have been clammering about for years and with this a-hole as AG and the rest of the so-called Justice department and Mueller sitting on their hands it very well may happen.