Since President Donald Trump’s first day in office, there has been headline after headline detailing executive orders he has signed, each one worse than the last. Despite some of the orders being unconstitutional and attempts to block the orders from judges, the new administration has not slowed down.
One example of an unconstitutional attempt at using power is the federal budget freeze, which has caused a lot of unanswered questions. According to the Constitution, the president does not hold the power to freeze spending or handle government money the way Trump is handling it. Only Congress can set the budget and spend government money.
So why is the Trump administration doing this in the first place? Can they get away with this?
The short answer is no, but it depends on how we react. The long answer lies in a military tactic known as “shock and awe.” It refers to a style of military campaigning in which an army uses overwhelming power and spectacular displays of force to scare an enemy into not fighting back.
This tactic is currently being used by the Trump administration, although they aren’t waging a physical war with armies. The goal, like the military tactic, is to make it seem as though Trump has more power than he actually has access to. This is in order to make it seem like there is no sense in fighting back.
It started with the budget freeze and, most recently, it has resulted in the abolition of the United States Agency for International Development. This is an agency that provides aid to nations experiencing disasters. In the coming weeks, as reported by CNN, NPR and Reuters, Trump plans on taking down the Department of Education, too.
It may seem like the powers of the president are never-ending and absolute, but there are still ways to fight back. It involves knowing your constitutional, inalienable rights and involving local government to slow the decay of the federal government.
The mayor of Omaha, Jean Stothert, is one local official that is fighting back. Currently, she is using her power to keep the Immigration and Customs Enforcement at bay.
People passionate about trans rights have been protesting all across the country, including here in Nebraska at the capitol building.
The key to fighting back is the same way to combat a gish gallop in a debate. A gish gallop, for those unfamiliar, is a debate tactic in which someone brings up multiple topics at once in an attempt to overwhelm the opponent. To get around it, the opponent must pause, back up and focus on one topic at a time. The answer is the same in this situation.
We cannot solve everything at once. Campaigns like this need to be picked apart, not ignored. The goal is to discourage dissent. Don’t let that happen.
