Ekos and the Maga-ites

I'm a long-time fan of all incarnations of Star Trek. Yesterday, I again enjoyed one of the best episodes of the original series. Patterns of Force depicted the harm that can be done to otherwise unsuspecting populations by demagogic, malignant leaders.

The ruling party of the planet Ekos, the villains of the episode, couldn't hold a candle to today's MAGA-ites. During only one scene of their Rules-related brouhaha, the 118^th's aspiring autocrats provided for the separate consideration of seven bills, with the seven being allowed one hour of debate.

It should come as no surprise that the seven completely lack compassion. The bills, and their possibly quite destructive effects, are summarized below.

1. A bill to rescind certain balances made available to the IRS

2. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to suspend the
   entry of aliens, and for other purposes

3. A bill to prohibit the Secretary of Energy from sending petroleum products
   from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China, and for other purposes

4. A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act to direct
   district attorney and prosecutors offices to report to the Attorney General
   and for other purposes

5. A bill to require the national instant criminal background check system to
   notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the relevant State
   and local law enforcement agencies whenever the information available to
   the system indicates that a person illegally or unlawfully in the United
   States may be attempting to receive a firearm

6. A bill to prohibit taxpayer funded abortions

7. A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit a health care
   practitioner from failing to exercise the proper degree of care in the case of
   a child who survives an abortion or attempted abortion

The blatant coldness and lack of humility of these points can be explained by one glance at the MAGA mind-set that produced them.

1. A bill to rescind certain balances made available to the IRS, in order possibly to prevent the IRS from being adequately staffed, thereby in turn protecting uber-wealthy tax cheats like D. J. Trump

2. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to suspend the
   entry of aliens, and for other purposes, in order to re-institute the Trump Admin's Muslim ban

3. A bill to prohibit the Secretary of Energy from sending petroleum products
   from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China, and for other purposes, the phrase other purposes, here and elsewhere, making Bodhi very nervous because of its ubiquity

4. A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act to direct
   district attorney and prosecutors offices to report to the Attorney General
   and for other purposes, in this case other purposes being a possible Gestapo-like trend toward reporting everyone and everything to every authority

5. A bill to require the national instant criminal background check system to
   notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the relevant State
   and local law enforcement agencies whenever the information available to
   the system indicates that a person illegally or unlawfully in the United
   States may be attempting to receive a firearm; works as long as the info re: legally or unlawfully is accurate

6. A bill to prohibit taxpayer funded abortions, one assumes even if such would cost the life of the mother

7. A bill to amend Title 18, United States Code, to prohibit a health care
   practitioner from failing to exercise the proper degree of care in the case of
   a child who survives an abortion or attempted abortion; by codifying under 18 USC, MAGA et al categorize such actions as by definition not only criminal but also a felony punishable by multiple years in a Federal prison, in section 1531 

   Forewarned is fore-armed, folks; be prepared for much more of this hypocrisy ...