In my own experience as a long time federal prosecutor, Regional Coordinator for the President’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (prosecuting the cartels and the mob), and later as Special Counsel to the President, this legal analysis is absurd and unprecedented and would not fly in a federal court or The Hague. Self defense requires imminent harm of bodily injury. Thjs memorandum was written by a loyalist suck up after the adults were all fired at DOJ and approved by Bimbo Bondi who would do anything for our POS POTUS including hiding the Epstein files, lying to federal judges, firing people who refuse to lie to federal judges, appointing Halligan and Habba and so much else. It isn’t worth the paper it is printed on.
Tell it like it is! And we need more of ‘you’ to keep telling it - maybe it will finally make a difference! Thank you, Mr Cobb, for speaking out forcefully.
Thank you for your appropriately blunt assessment, Ty Cobb. No one should be tiptoeing around this disaster. I’m sick of people calling lies “untruths” and other nice euphemisms to cover for these POC criminals and their murderous actions.
Agree. Using terms like “Un-alive” is just ridiculous. Dead is dead, murdered is murdered. Claiming these actions are part of a “war” is repugnant. There is no war and there is no justification for these actions.
Excellent reporting and analysis. Will this finally be a step too far, even for Trump and his gang? Will Congress actually DO something this time? Will The Hague? Even a lay person like me knows the military can't just go out and start killing people in international waters, even when those people are reprehensible drug dealers.
By the way, where did the photo of the boat containing people with hands in the air come from? Since what you're doing here is journalism, you should do the journalistic thing and include a caption with the source and a brief description of what it shows. Or was this AI-generated? If so, it's triply important to declare the source. It's fine to use AI, just say what it is.
I've said this elsewhere, but not for Defiance. I find it astounding that Trump and Hegseth are killing people on so called "drug boats" yet Trump just pardoned the president of Honduras who was convicted and sentenced to 45 years for smuggling in some 400 tons of cocaine. How does this even make sense????? It obviously wasn't the decision of a sane man.
For those who refuse to be instructed: Laws serve to curb or "hinder" the "spirit" of those who would act maliciously or selfishly, ensuring that their "stubborn nature" does not lead to widespread harm
All 80 deaths are simply a result of murder on the high seas and I'm ashamed these murders occurred in America's name. The memo, like the torture memo of Bush 2, uses a false predicate to justify illegal acts. The GOP Congress are complicit in these murders since it refuses to demand full hearings on the killings and justification. The six Christian Nationalists on the Supreme Court are also complicit when they made their unconstitutional decision concerning presidential immunity (there's no such thing as presidential immunity anywhere in the Constitution).
Why is it that the media continues to frame these boat attacks as “War crimes?” I understand why the Trump administration would like to frame this in terms of a “war” and why Hegseth has changed the Department of Defense into the Department of “War.” All part of the plan to expand the military role into his private Gestapo, both home and abroad.
This isn’t a declared war. These aren’t war crimes, they’re murder, pure and simple.
Stop trying to define this within the context of how the military responds during a time of war.
MSM are ALL complicit. Except for PBS! And THAT is WHY republicans have always tried to defund PBS. They don't like the TRUTH! >:( I agree with what you've said here.
All this leads to the question of how long Trump will continue to support Hegseth: his days as secretary of defense have got to be numbered. I would be shocked (if anything about this administration is yet to shock us) to see Admiral Bradley, a four-star by the way) demoted, court martialed, or forced to retire. But in these times, every day seems worse than the next.
If all the wreckage is at the bottom of the ocean and there are no survivors (or are there?), how do we even know that these are drug boats? They are destroying the evidence they would need to even make a case for targeting these vessels.
I was not able to use my mic in the first break-out group yesterday afternoon so I didn't attend the 2nd group.
The idea that I would like to submit on what Defiance club might consider doing is:
Bring pressure on Congress to allow the Jack Smith testimony, later this month, to be made public. I know Smith has always said that his preferance is to testify publically. And, I heard yesterday that Trump has agreed with a public testimony. So, is there some way that Defiance could bring pressure on Congress to have his testimony made public. I believe we all deserve to know what Jack Smith found.
I AGREE!! It MUST be public. We have to KNOW what will happen if it isn't. The LIES will fly all over the place! I just signed a petition today to my state reps, but I KNOW it falls on DEAF ears, b/c I live in SWFL and these reps really SUCK. They DO NOT give one iota.
ALOHA. On the COCONUT WIRELESS..... ..Take care to you and yours... and be safe out there.............. HO HO HO HO .. Happy happy joy joy holidays everybody......................................... ALOHA...
In deontological ethics, there’s something called unintended side effect that addresses cases where something bad might be a known or unknown effect of an action. The doctrine holds you ethically blameless if the action does not require the bad effect in order to achieve the good effect, even if you know for sure the bad effect will happen. It eould apply in a case where, for example, a lifesaving medical procedure would cause an abortion, but would work in the absence of a fetus. Never struck me as plausible.
In my own experience as a long time federal prosecutor, Regional Coordinator for the President’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (prosecuting the cartels and the mob), and later as Special Counsel to the President, this legal analysis is absurd and unprecedented and would not fly in a federal court or The Hague. Self defense requires imminent harm of bodily injury. Thjs memorandum was written by a loyalist suck up after the adults were all fired at DOJ and approved by Bimbo Bondi who would do anything for our POS POTUS including hiding the Epstein files, lying to federal judges, firing people who refuse to lie to federal judges, appointing Halligan and Habba and so much else. It isn’t worth the paper it is printed on.
You're a patriot, Ty Cobb.
Tell it like it is! And we need more of ‘you’ to keep telling it - maybe it will finally make a difference! Thank you, Mr Cobb, for speaking out forcefully.
That's the Truth!
Thank you Mr. Cobb more of you are needed to say this loudly everywhere!
Thank you for your appropriately blunt assessment, Ty Cobb. No one should be tiptoeing around this disaster. I’m sick of people calling lies “untruths” and other nice euphemisms to cover for these POC criminals and their murderous actions.
Agree. Using terms like “Un-alive” is just ridiculous. Dead is dead, murdered is murdered. Claiming these actions are part of a “war” is repugnant. There is no war and there is no justification for these actions.
Way to tell ‘em, sir!
Excellent reporting and analysis. Will this finally be a step too far, even for Trump and his gang? Will Congress actually DO something this time? Will The Hague? Even a lay person like me knows the military can't just go out and start killing people in international waters, even when those people are reprehensible drug dealers.
By the way, where did the photo of the boat containing people with hands in the air come from? Since what you're doing here is journalism, you should do the journalistic thing and include a caption with the source and a brief description of what it shows. Or was this AI-generated? If so, it's triply important to declare the source. It's fine to use AI, just say what it is.
Thanks again for the in-depth info and analysis.
I think the Geneva Convention should cover this. Yes? No? It should imho. We MUST get this Stopped. ASAP!!
I've said this elsewhere, but not for Defiance. I find it astounding that Trump and Hegseth are killing people on so called "drug boats" yet Trump just pardoned the president of Honduras who was convicted and sentenced to 45 years for smuggling in some 400 tons of cocaine. How does this even make sense????? It obviously wasn't the decision of a sane man.
It was obviously a bought pardon- another way t-rump is making money off the presidency!
Definitely!!!!
And to THINK that SCOTUS-6 are LETTING HIM GET AWAY WITH THIS!! >>:()
For those who refuse to be instructed: Laws serve to curb or "hinder" the "spirit" of those who would act maliciously or selfishly, ensuring that their "stubborn nature" does not lead to widespread harm
Let's get these degenerates impeached in make them lifelong residents of the cross-bar hotel! It's WAY PAST TIME!
All 80 deaths are simply a result of murder on the high seas and I'm ashamed these murders occurred in America's name. The memo, like the torture memo of Bush 2, uses a false predicate to justify illegal acts. The GOP Congress are complicit in these murders since it refuses to demand full hearings on the killings and justification. The six Christian Nationalists on the Supreme Court are also complicit when they made their unconstitutional decision concerning presidential immunity (there's no such thing as presidential immunity anywhere in the Constitution).
Why is it that the media continues to frame these boat attacks as “War crimes?” I understand why the Trump administration would like to frame this in terms of a “war” and why Hegseth has changed the Department of Defense into the Department of “War.” All part of the plan to expand the military role into his private Gestapo, both home and abroad.
This isn’t a declared war. These aren’t war crimes, they’re murder, pure and simple.
Stop trying to define this within the context of how the military responds during a time of war.
The whole operation is illegal.
MSM are ALL complicit. Except for PBS! And THAT is WHY republicans have always tried to defund PBS. They don't like the TRUTH! >:( I agree with what you've said here.
Boom boom boom!!!! YOU are very SPOT ON! All of this is true. There WILL be many people going to prison.
Not sure this is the “card” that will topple the house but worth a play.
All this leads to the question of how long Trump will continue to support Hegseth: his days as secretary of defense have got to be numbered. I would be shocked (if anything about this administration is yet to shock us) to see Admiral Bradley, a four-star by the way) demoted, court martialed, or forced to retire. But in these times, every day seems worse than the next.
If all the wreckage is at the bottom of the ocean and there are no survivors (or are there?), how do we even know that these are drug boats? They are destroying the evidence they would need to even make a case for targeting these vessels.
I was not able to use my mic in the first break-out group yesterday afternoon so I didn't attend the 2nd group.
The idea that I would like to submit on what Defiance club might consider doing is:
Bring pressure on Congress to allow the Jack Smith testimony, later this month, to be made public. I know Smith has always said that his preferance is to testify publically. And, I heard yesterday that Trump has agreed with a public testimony. So, is there some way that Defiance could bring pressure on Congress to have his testimony made public. I believe we all deserve to know what Jack Smith found.
Any thought about this?
I AGREE!! It MUST be public. We have to KNOW what will happen if it isn't. The LIES will fly all over the place! I just signed a petition today to my state reps, but I KNOW it falls on DEAF ears, b/c I live in SWFL and these reps really SUCK. They DO NOT give one iota.
ALOHA. On the COCONUT WIRELESS..... ..Take care to you and yours... and be safe out there.............. HO HO HO HO .. Happy happy joy joy holidays everybody......................................... ALOHA...
: ) Same to you! ~ Aloha!
Thanks for the update
West Coasters appreciate the time change.
In deontological ethics, there’s something called unintended side effect that addresses cases where something bad might be a known or unknown effect of an action. The doctrine holds you ethically blameless if the action does not require the bad effect in order to achieve the good effect, even if you know for sure the bad effect will happen. It eould apply in a case where, for example, a lifesaving medical procedure would cause an abortion, but would work in the absence of a fetus. Never struck me as plausible.
Thanks so much for this Miles. YOU are the best. <3