No he doesn’t. Sorry, but a president is not a dictator. No matter how much I like Trump, he is wrong on this one.
You see how he has the media saying he can’t order businesses to stop allowing a drug into the country that ruins entire towns?
And, yes he does. Falls under import/export he could order it with a stroke of a pen
well, he isn’t a dictator, and yes, apparently he does have the absolute right, just like he said, so there you go.
re: “No he doesn’t. Sorry, but a president is not a dictator. No matter how much I like Trump, he is wrong on this one.”
How about Seattle enacting minimum wage laws - DICTATING to companies what must be paid to an employee by a business?
No he doesn’t. Sorry, but a president is not a dictator.
If Congress gives the President the power, then he is not a dictator for using that power.
Like it or not we are back in a “cold war” only with China this time.
A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A state which is ruled by a dictator is called a dictatorship. The word originated as the title of a magistrate in the Roman Republic appointed by the Senate to rule the republic in times of emergency (see Roman dictator and justitium).
Like the term "tyrant" (which was originally a non-pejorative Ancient Greek title), and to a lesser degree "autocrat", "dictator" came to be used almost exclusively as a non-titular term for oppressive rule. Thus, in modern usage, the term "dictator" is generally used to describe a leader who holds or abuses an extraordinary amount of personal power. Dictatorships are often characterised by some of the following: suspension of elections and civil liberties; proclamation of a state of emergency; rule by decree; repression of political opponents; not abiding by the rule of law procedures, and cult of personality. Dictatorships are often one-party or dominant-party states.
It’s like pulling a bad tooth.
“No he doesn’t. Sorry, but a president is not a dictator.”
You don’t need to be a dictator to prevent imports. We’re a country, not an anarchy.
Congress has evidently given Trump the power here. And I trust Trump. He will do what’s best for the country.
But like you, I am concerned about this. Congress has given away too much of its power. The most glaring example of that was Bush II’s invasion and occupation of Iraq. Whether you think that move was wise or not, it was a full-blown war with no declaration of war from Congress.
AOC is that you?
The question, for now, is what did President Trump actually "order?"
Trump said "...ordered to immediately start looking for alternatives to China..." Ordered to analyze future business cases? That's the hill to die on? Companies should already be doing this as a matter of long-term strategic planning.
Trump also said "...I am ordering all carriers... to search for and refuse all deliveries of Fentanyl..."
A Google search has revealed an interesting law called The Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, which is a part of Title 46 of the US Code.
The act itself was moved from 46 United States Code §§ 1300-1315 to a note in 46 United States Code §§ 30701, but it is still there.
Here is the interesting and relevant section of the US Code:
It does seem that the President has the power to suspend the shipment of harmful products into the United States according to this act.
“[SUSPENSION OF PROVISIONS BY PRESIDENT] “Sec. 14. Upon the certification of the Secretary of Transportation that the foreign commerce of the United States in its competition with that of foreign nations is prejudiced by the provisions, or any of them, of title I of this Act, or by the laws of any foreign country or countries relating to the carriage of goods by sea, the President of the United States may, from time to time, by proclamation, suspend any or all provisions of said sections for such periods of time or indefinitely as may be designated in the proclamation. The President may at any time rescind such suspension of said sections, and any provisions thereof which may have been suspended shall thereby be reinstated and again apply to contracts thereafter made for the carriage of goods by sea. Any proclamation of suspension or rescission of any such suspension shall take effect on a date named therein, which date shall be not less than ten days from the issue of the proclamation. “Any contract for the carriage of goods by sea, subject to the provisions of this Act, effective during any period when title I hereof, or any part thereof, are suspended, shall be subject to all provisions of law now or hereafter applicable to that part of title I which may have thus been suspended.
I think the use of the word "carriers" was intentional, because the President has the power to suspend contracts by carriers with foreign nations under this act (at least for carriage by sea).
Regarding the use of the word "order," that's likely intentional because it resonates with the people of China, who will hear that word and believe the President has the same authorities as Xi does to order the Chinese people to do what their government wants.
-PJ