In the novels, there are several references to ‘the traitor President.’ I have repeatedly been asked if I was referring to our last president. While I did not like his policies and I do consider some of his actions to border on treason, the answer is no, Mr. Obama is not the traitor President. President Trump is not the traitor President. There is a backstory to the traitor President that will likely not come out anywhere but in this blog.
When you think of the word traitor, what comes to mind? This may burst a few bubbles out there, but treason has a very specific definition according to the Constitution of the United States of America. I want to give it to you in its entirety:
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
The Congress shall have power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.
Basically, you must be a citizen waging war against the U.S. (such as a home-grown terrorist) or give assistance to someone who is an enemy of the U.S. It takes the testimony of at least two people who witnessed the act of treason to be convicted of the crime. Congress determines how the traitor will be punished and the traitor’s descendants cannot be punished for the offense.
Acting like other countries are more important than our own is not an act of treason. Giving or selling weapons or the means to build weapons while knowing that said state is an enemy, can be considered an act of treason. This includes information on U.S. installations, infrastructure, and military strength/secrets.
Technically, the United States is only at war with terrorist groups and no single country. Since we are not at war with any country, can giving damaging secrets away to China or even North Korea be considered treason? Unless we classify one or both as terrorists, the answer must be no regardless of how they view us. Should North Korea sink one of our vessels or launch a missile at any U.S. held site, that would be an act of war and would instantly classify any secrets or assistance given to them in any way by a United States citizen as treason (as long as the act itself is witnessed by at least two people.)
In the books, the traitor President does something the no President before him has ever done, though some might have dreamt about it. The traitor provides a terrorist group with the location of a ‘broken arrow’ or lost nuclear weapon (and there are several) in the hopes that he can create enough of a crisis in America that he can suspend Congress and set aside the Constitution. This would allow him to stay in office indefinitely and eventually become a dictator.
The plan ultimately fails, but not until after thousands die. The traitor must flee the country aided by a handful of ‘Them’ that have infiltrated the Secret Service. Believing that the information that he has is valuable enough to make him safe, the failed traitor winds up in an Asian nation hostile to the United States. Rather than being treated as an honored guest, he is tortured to death at the hands of ‘Them.’ He isn’t even asked any questions as he dies in confusion and agony.
While this version may differ very slightly from what you’ve read in the novels, remember that each book is told from the viewpoint of one of the main characters and that they may not have all the information. Each of the characters is a splinter from the whole.
There have been some very real traitors in the past. There are some that exist today. To the best of my knowledge, while a former president may have embraced all of Islam, he did not give the radical Islamic terrorists any weapons of mass destruction.
But, who really knows?
Have a great week ahead!
No comments:
Post a Comment