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Call me old fashioned but it seems like a flaw in the legal system if it takes slightly longer than one 4-year presidential term to prosecute someone for interference in a presidential election.
The real screw up here was appointing a fucking conservative as attorney general.
Never, ever show kindness to conservatives. Politeness and professionalism? Sure. But a conservative sees kindness as a weakness to exploit. That is just who they are at their core.
Reaching across the aisle by appointing Merrick Garland was an extremely stupid move that could cost us our democracy.
Yes, very. Federal judges have huge case loads, and expanding the size of the federal bench would be one way to fix that. At least doubling it, and quite possibly doubling it again.
Democrats haven't touched this because they're spineless and don't want to be seen to be stuffing the bench after Republicans already stuffed the bench.
Democrats haven't touched this because they're spineless and don't want to be seen to be stuffing the bench after Republicans already stuffed the bench.
I don't even know if it's just that they're spineless. Part of me thinks that the majority of people in Congress don't really mind a conservative judicial system.
The vast majority of people in Congress are affluent white people, and they really have nothing to gain by replacing a conservative judge with a liberal one. A conservative judicial system isn't going to stop them from leaving the country for an abortion, or change what the private schools teach their children. While a liberal judge may increase their taxes, make it harder to accept bribes, or even ruin their businesses by implementing labor laws.
I just don't really see anything that would really motivate anyone in Congress to enact a more fair judicial system.
Yeah, it seems to me that Democrats are in a pretty nice position for themselves - they can claim to be for the people, while lamenting that they're unable to make the big changes that the people want due to conservatives holding them back. If they didn't have that excuse, they might actually need to coordinate those changes, which they likely don't want to do.
I don’t even know if it’s just that they’re spineless. Part of me thinks that the majority of people in Congress don’t really mind a conservative judicial system.
Sadly, I think you're right. Occams razor would suggest that's what we're seeing here. IMO, it's far more likely that politicians are being self-serving (power corrupts) than being a bunch of shrinking violets in circumstances where it hurts everyone else.
Didn't the turtle Mitch refuse to fill hundreds of members of the federal judiciary?
Yes, that's exactly why Trump was able to fill so many. His administration was very slow to fill vacancies at other federal agencies, but not judges. Shows exactly where they had their priorities.
Garland was gonna let him skate. It wasn't until he refused to give back the classified documents that he crossed the line and Garland have the go-ahead to prosecute him for that. And once you've given permission to prosecute an ex-president for one thing, you can't tell the other prosecutors who want to nail him for other crimes 'no'.
Garland should never have been picked as AG. He's literally the guy democrats pick when they want to tell Republicans "Hey, we see you, we love you, and you have nothing to worry about from us. So please just be normal 💕"
Charles Manson never personally murdered anyone. There was no video of the crime. It took 2 years from the day his cult murdered people to Manson being sentenced to jail for life.
3 years later after a live televised insurrection and not even a trial.
it seems like a flaw in the legal system
Oh no, this is exactly how it's designed. The rich are above the law.
And we slip even closer to fascism
What if i told you..
Morpheusface
We are already there?
I'm not being edgy. Let's review the 14 signs:
The 14 characteristics are:
Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
Supremacy of the Military
Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
Rampant Sexism
The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
Controlled Mass Media
Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
Religion and Government are Intertwined
Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
Corporate Power is Protected
The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
Labor Power is Suppressed
Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.
Obsession with Crime and Punishment
Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
Fraudulent Elections
Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
I expect pushback on this, simply because it is absolutely terrifying and worse? I don't know what to do other than try and point this out to people. Maybe someone somewhere knows a way outta this mess.
It's not coming, it's here friends, the future is today. Fascism isn't binary. It's not yes/no, it's analog, the dial slowly turned up. And like the proverbial boiling frog, if you're expecting there to be a flashing sign, one giant moment that signals to everyone yes, yes now we are here, this is fascism?
It walks the streets outside your home, in the hallways of your building. It is just outside your door, getting ready to knock on someones. Will you know it before they knock on yours?
Fascism isn't binary. It's not yes/no, it's analog, the dial slowly turned up.
My biggest concern is that we're crossing a point of no return from which there is no way back except for violent overthrow of the regime. My biggest fear is that we've already crossed it.
My biggest fear is that we’ve already crossed it.
...mine too. I am coming to grips with what i increasingly believe is...yes, we have. And i am not ready, so very not ready to accept what that actually might mean. I said this slightly differently earlier, but part of my problem, now that I'm on that road to acceptance, is trying to find some direction, some way to find agency. And to share that agency I've found (it must exist! It must! I must find it!) with other people who would listen. But i am adrift. I hate this feeling of fearful helplessness. I would wish it on no one. But all I've got is what i see right now, and the faith that someone out there smarter than me has an answer we can all share
the monopoly on violence that is reserved for the state is what drives that feeling of fearful helplessness. there are no right and easy answers because they have been labeled wrong. i will not advocate for violence but i will point out that we are not allowed to carry out violence against the state or its infrastructure.
if you have been the victim of repeated physical abuse and had the opportunity to physically fight back and took it, then you know how powerful that feeling after is, when you realize that you actually do have power.
Aye the seeds of fascism have already sprouted weeds
Absolutely no doubt the Republicans are a bunch of fascists. But they don't have full control yet.
I don't play party politics my friend. I am saying this is the way the nation is currently running. What i mean is to say that the country, despite (as you say) the Republicans not having ' full control', that this is our country, now. My point is fascism, as defined in these 14, is here. Now. Setting aside party politics (gamified by our corrupted media) where each "news company" plays different flavors of
Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
the "news" is constantly pitting one half of the citizenry against the other. How often have you been cajoled by them to consider your fellow citizens lesser? Can't you hear them cooing in your ear to dismiss all critisism of your party as treasonous? Un-american?
Today, when you woke up, it was under the flag of a fascist nation.
the "news" is constantly pitting one half of the citizenry against the other. How often have you been cajoled by them to consider your fellow citizens lesser?
As much as I have disdain for all corporate media. That isn't something the non overtly conservative media does. Whether it's to service their false narrative of turning everything into a horse race for ratings. Or actual journalistic integrity. I can't say, though my money is on the former.
Can't you hear them cooing in your ear to dismiss all critisism of your party as treasonous? Un-american?
Nope. I definitely have heard individuals wound up about this election get overly concerned about primary shenanigans on the Democratic side. The corporate media however often focuses on false criticisms still. Out of some misguided need to APPEAR fair and balanced . Rather than be succinct and honest.
I would like you to be my ally, and in fact you are. Our light disagreement here is (in my opinion) that you are still holding on to the idea that while propaganda exists, it isn't something you personally consume. That while fascism exists and is growing, it is not at all on the side you are on. That the things you believe, you believe because you are informed, and that you disagree with others because they are not.
I would like you to consider the possibility that you are subject to lies and propaganda. That the things you are told, the people you believe? Might be lying to your face. Might be twisting things juuust enough for your compliance and support. Is that not possible?
I really don't want to push any harder than this because i desire your open mind above all else. But my opinion is you're far too quick to dismiss other's opinions as uninformed or plain wrong, and i would like that part of you to change.
If you're stranded in a red state, they already do
Of note, this has nothing to do with the $450,000,000 and $83,000,000 bonds he needs to put up very soon
It doesn't matter. He can hold off on liquidation until November and if he wins, (which would mean there's a strong chance the Senate flips), have his cronies pass a, " lol god emperors don't pay for summary judgements" bill.
No he can't. The Special Monitor overseeing his assets and watching his books has the authority to start seizing assets until he's satisfied the monetary requirements to appeal, and she can do that right now. And, there's interest running on the meter until he does.
He's gonna pay whether he likes it or not.
Yes he can. Unfortunately. We all get to watch this birth of a dictator unfold in slow motion if Trump wins.
He wouldn't even need to do that. He would just need to sell a few of those Top Secret documents to MBS, and all of a sudden the Trump Org has another 2 billion worth of business in Saudi Arabia
They don't have the money for champagne.
Sure they do, the RNC is likely buying it.
The RNC has only 8.7 millions in bank.
Your Grandma just sent him $50
it’s what they were installed for. trump gave us a corrupt court that will last for decades, regardless of him not being in office.
“Literally popping champagne right now,”
Is that what people call snorting coke now?
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The Supreme Court handed Donald Trump a massive victory on Wednesday by agreeing to rule on whether he is immune from prosecution for acts committed while he was president.
If Trump wins the election, he’ll of course appoint an attorney general who will toss the case, regardless of how the Supreme Court rules this summer.
“Literally popping champagne right now,” a lawyer close to Donald Trump told Rolling Stone late on Wednesday.
For months, Trump’s lawyers expected the federal trial to start this summer, and they have actively prepared for that scenario.
During oral arguments before the D.C. Court of Appeals in January, the former president’s lawyers argued that presidential immunity should cover everything, even having political rivals assassinated.
The court disagreed, unanimously rejecting Trump’s immunity claim earlier this month.
The original article contains 437 words, the summary contains 129 words. Saved 70%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
During oral arguments before the D.C. Court of Appeals in January, the former president’s lawyers argued that presidential immunity should cover everything, even having political rivals assassinated.
Maybe Biden should take one for the country. You know the court would rule against absolute immunity for something Biden did. And he's old enough, that he probably wouldn't even see jail. No more Trump, no question as to if the president is above the law. Win win.
The second they rule in Trump's favor, Biden basically has free reign to do whatever the fuck he wants.
The second they rule in Trump’s favor, Biden basically has free reign to do whatever the fuck he wants.
Well, that's the thing, they won't rule in Trump's favor. The lower court thoroughly destroyed Trump's case, to the point where the SCOTUS shouldn't taken the case in the first place and let the lower court decision stand. There's no legal support at all for Trump's claims. This all makes it pretty clear the conservative majority on the court merely wanted to toss Trump a bone with a delay and increase his chances of getting back in office.
And what forces SCOTUS to judge based on “legal support”
You know how parents would say "because I said so" without any real justification for making a decision and there was nothing you could do about it?
That's the SCOTUS. Literally no oversight and they can do whatever the fuck they want.
Somehow the founders didn't see that as being a problem.
I think impeachment was supposed to be a check on their powers, but that never happens.
Elie Honig had an interesting take on this on his podcast. While I'm not sure that I completely agree with Elie, I feel like he tends to say things that, emotionally, I wish weren't true but that are very factually true.
Elie said that, as supreme court cases go, even important ones, this is a very accelerated timeline. They are asking both sides to prepare their arguments quickly but want to allow both sides to construct their arguments. He also suggested that this is exactly the kind of case that the supreme court should hear. It is an issue of first impression with dire impacts for our country, both in the short and long-term. He argued that this kind of decision shouldn't be left to an appeals court simply because it is simply too important. It requires the weight of the supreme court.