Monday, January 30, 2017
Travesty Indeed
I think I've heard the name Damon Linker before but I can't remember reading him ever. He is in high dudgeon regarding the recent executive order from the Trump administration regarding a three month ban on immigration etc. from seven countries. But if you have actually read the order, as I have, his outrage makes no sense, particularly its being aimed at our current President.
Money quote:
This alleged lack of necessity might be a valid criticism of Trump if Trump had picked the seven nations subject to the temporary ban. But if you actually look at the order, there is no mention of six of the nations involved (and Syria is mentioned but in a different context). So the President did not pick out these nations for the temporary immigration, etc. ban. I wonder who did?
Let's see if we can find the culprit. Here is the whole thing and what follows is the relevant part of the order:
Here is the relevant portion of section 217(a)(12) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12), the 12th requirement for getting in to the United States:
I believe the law started with only Syria being singled out in 2015 and the 6 other nations were added during the last year of the Obama administration.
So who picked the 7 nations mentioned in the statute? The Obama administration. Not Trump.
The Obama administration also changed policy and issued a regulation regarding Cuban refugees and immigrants just weeks before his term ended. Here is coverage of it. Here is Obama on what he did:
Wonder if Mr. Linker objected to that unjustified "ban" on refugees and immigrants from Cuba? Were Cubans fleeing that Castro dictatorship a threat to us? But of course a Democrat doing it is wonderful; a Republican doing the exact same thing is the very essence of evil. Everybody knows that.
I'm beginning to wonder where the pollsters are finding 15% of the nation that approves of the news media. That seems way too high a number. I guess those are the people President Lincoln said you can fool all the time.
Money quote:
No, this executive order is abhorrent because the United States does not face a serious threat from terrorists originating in the seven singled-out countries: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, and Sudan. How do we know that? Because there have thus far been no fatal terrorist attacks committed by people from those countries. None. Not one. Which means that the executive order isn't justified. At all. Not because such an order is inherently unacceptable, but because it isn't necessary under the present circumstances.
This alleged lack of necessity might be a valid criticism of Trump if Trump had picked the seven nations subject to the temporary ban. But if you actually look at the order, there is no mention of six of the nations involved (and Syria is mentioned but in a different context). So the President did not pick out these nations for the temporary immigration, etc. ban. I wonder who did?
Let's see if we can find the culprit. Here is the whole thing and what follows is the relevant part of the order:
... I hereby proclaim that the immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of aliens from countries referred to in section 217(a)(12) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12), would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and I hereby suspend entry into the United States, as immigrants and nonimmigrants, of such persons for 90 days from the date of this order...
Here is the relevant portion of section 217(a)(12) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12), the 12th requirement for getting in to the United States:
(i) the alien has not been present, at any time on or after March 1, 2011—
(II)
in a country that is designated by the Secretary of State under section 4605(j) of title 50 (as continued in effect under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)), section 2780 of title 22, section 2371 of title 22, or any other provision of law, as a country, the government of which has repeatedly provided support of acts of international terrorism; or
(ii) regardless of whether the alien is a national of a program country, the alien is not a national of—
I believe the law started with only Syria being singled out in 2015 and the 6 other nations were added during the last year of the Obama administration.
So who picked the 7 nations mentioned in the statute? The Obama administration. Not Trump.
The Obama administration also changed policy and issued a regulation regarding Cuban refugees and immigrants just weeks before his term ended. Here is coverage of it. Here is Obama on what he did:
“Effective immediately, Cuban nationals who attempt to enter the United States illegally and do not qualify for humanitarian relief will be subject to removal, consistent with U.S. law and enforcement priorities."
Wonder if Mr. Linker objected to that unjustified "ban" on refugees and immigrants from Cuba? Were Cubans fleeing that Castro dictatorship a threat to us? But of course a Democrat doing it is wonderful; a Republican doing the exact same thing is the very essence of evil. Everybody knows that.
I'm beginning to wonder where the pollsters are finding 15% of the nation that approves of the news media. That seems way too high a number. I guess those are the people President Lincoln said you can fool all the time.
Labels: Damon Linker: The Problems With Not Reading What You Criticize
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 10:31 PM 
