Tech Tuesday for 10/30, In Which Clyde Tombaugh Boldly Goes

Oscar Gordon

A Navy Turbine Tech who learned to spin wrenches on old cars, Oscar has since been trained as an Engineer & Software Developer & now writes tools for other engineers. When not in his shop or at work, he can be found spending time with his family, gardening, hiking, kayaking, gaming, or whatever strikes his fancy & fits in the budget.

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29 Responses

    • Burt Likko in reply to Saul Degraw says:

      Not sure this is, as of yet, more than a political stunt. It’s been a fringe idea for a while and Trump has flirted with fringe ideas before. But it’s flat-ass contradicted by the text of the Fourteenth Amendment and anyone with an ounce of principle can read it in black and white.

      For that reason, though, it’s a really good way of fomenting left-of-center distrust of the courts. A really good way to do that. Maybe for Trump, that’s sauce on top of the xenophobic energy motivating votes which he’s more immediately soliciting. Until I see actual policy advances towards that goal, though, I’m going to treat the idea as Just So Much More Red Meat and nothing more.Report

      • Saul Degraw in reply to Burt Likko says:

        Same. I can see why people would see it as a political stunt but I’m not sure it is one for the reasons you mentioned.

        The only reason I can see it as a political stunt is because I’m really not sure that Trump has the votes for this on the Supreme Court. This seems like a bridge too far for Roberts, Alioto, and Thomas and I think all three are partisan judges to varying degrees.

        One thing I’ve learned from the current era though is that Trump and Company just see defeats as momentary setbacks before trying again.Report

      • Chip Daniels in reply to Burt Likko says:

        anyone with an ounce of principle

        Ahh, I think I spotted yer problem right there, mister!Report

      • Jaybird in reply to Burt Likko says:

        But it’s flat-ass contradicted by the text of the Fourteenth Amendment

        I’m not sure that this argument carries as much weight as you think it does.Report

    • Oscar Gordon in reply to Saul Degraw says:

      How many other countries have birthright citizenship in a form similar to ours?Report

    • It’s a stunt to push his hottest button issue since the “caravan” isn’t getting the juice it did the first time they used it. It’s also a nice distraction from a bad news cycle.I think this one is more purposeful outrage than something they will actually try. If they do the courts will shoot it down.Report

      • Chip Daniels in reply to Andrew Donaldson says:

        This isn’t comforting, since his entire presidency was thought to be an attention-grabbing stunt.

        So far the saving grace of this administration is Trump’s essential laziness and stupidity, but on the other side of the ledger, he is assisted by people and groups who are energetic and clever enough to enact things.
        There is a 27% who rabidly want this to happen, and another 15% or so who would passively acquiesce to it, since obviously [insert name of Democratic Candidate here] is clearly the worse option.

        As was pointed out, this idea has long been a staple of the same Federalist Society that now has been charged with stocking the judiciary.

        We can expect a flurry of thoughtful chin stroking essays in prominent venues giving us the “well, actually” bold contrarian treatment as to how this isn’t as crazy as it sounds, along with the usual pleas for a calm civil respectable discussion about why we should strip rights from millions of people.

        B-but, Big Business loves immigrants and will fight this!
        No, they love cheap labor, and no labor is cheaper than a docile helpless army of workers who have no rights.

        This can move from a laughably absurd notion to settled law in a horribly swift fashion.Report

    • Burt Likko in reply to Saul Degraw says:

      Congratulations on a successful threadjack, @saul-degraw.Report

      • Oscar Gordon in reply to Burt Likko says:

        On the plus side, the Crows and Octopi will soon make this all irrelevant.Report

        • bookdragon in reply to Oscar Gordon says:

          Crows are amazing. They can also recognize faces, and even teach other crows to recognize and respond to people who have been either kind or mean to them.

          I love the piece on Clyde Tombaugh too. Though I am now picturing cephalopod aliens finding his ashes, extracting DNA and wondering at the weird aliens it came from…Report