I think Andy is calling out the naval militia.
Andrew Cuomo, arguably the nastiest and most megalomaniacal personality in American politics, literally threatened to lead a civilian flotilla against any federally licensed oil-drilling operations off New York coasts.
“If they go to put a platform up or an exploration task force up,” the little caesar said, “I am going to commission a citizen fleet . . . from throughout the state, to go out and interfere with their federal effort just as Winston Churchill did in Dunkirk.
“If you think I’m kidding, I’m not, and I’m going to lead that citizen fleet.”
One, it’s good he’s keeping up on the film industry.
Two, it’s too bad he’s basing state policy upon it.
Three, when is this guy due for a psych evaluation?
While Andy is comparing himself to Winston Churchill, a better historical analog might be Francis Wilkinson Pickens. He was another Democrat governor pissed off by the election of a Republican he considered beneath the office. But instead of leading a civilian flotilla against Fort Sumter, Pickens opened fire on it.
But just like Pickens, Andy has decided that federal policies he disagrees with are fair game to ignore, or to even incite violent mob intervention against. The rule of law and the compact of citizenship – to say nothing of that whole federalism concept – go out the window when it suits Andy’s fancy.
A man who daily imposes his sovereign will upon a state refuses to accept the superior authority of a nation to regulate its business. The federal government authorizes the exploration of national waters, the governor of one state disagrees, so he threatens illegal disruption of that exploration.
And that doesn’t strike anybody as either delusional or criminal?
In the same remarks, he denounced an “annoying concept called pre-emption,” which typically empowers a superior government to trump the decisions of an inferior government. Andy is bothered that federal policy over the national waters should bear sway over state policy. The hypocrisy of that position is apparent to anyone aware of the dictatorial way New York state government mandates and dictates over its county, local and school governments.
Andy is a god and a power unto himself.
And it seems he wants to call out an armada of privateers. Perhaps he will issues letters of marque and reprisal. Maybe he will fire on his own Fort Sumter.
And maybe he will get a taste of his own medicine.
Because the feds aren’t the only ones imposing energy facilities on unwilling locals.
Across rural and economically strangled upstate New York, Andy’s state government is pushing intrusive wind turbines, grand monstrosities marring the countryside and reminding locals that they are politically powerless. Each one is essentially a giant middle finger to people whose views and heritage are desecrated by their jarring intrusion.
They are a scar upon the land, an alteration of vistas and valleys that have been sacred to residents since the days of the Iroquois confederacy. The views and nature of rural New York are demeaned, like spray paint on the Mona Lisa, by Andy Cuomo and his taxpayer-subsidized alternative-energy friends.
And Andy Cuomo would be the first one to send the troopers to repel and protest or push back against the turbines.
Yet there he is, in the throes of some delusion of grandeur, inciting to something just short of violence, threatening to call people out onto the open seas to stage some sort of neo-Green Peace harassment of a lawful activity.
Because he disagrees.
Because, failing to advance his view within the system, he has decided to go without the system. It’s not activism he’s advocating, it is lawlessness. For the governor of a state to advocate disobedience and disrespect for law – as opposed to repeal of law – is dangerous and irresponsible.
If Andy and others disagree with offshore drilling – and reasonable people certainly could – they should advance their views within the law, via democratic means. There is a midterm congressional election coming up. This is a great issue to bring before voters in this campaign. There is also redress to the courts, and any number of judges happy to accept lawsuits.
That is the route to go.
It’s votes, not boats. We don’t make national decisions via confrontation and obstruction, we do so by the voice of the people as expressed at the ballot box and through their elected representatives. And we abide by the outcome of those votes and the actions of the governments they empower.
Unless you’re a petty tyrant in love with power and publicity.
In which case I guess you decide to go to sea.