Yet another thoughtful and timely piece. Do you remember “Yertle the Turtle” by Dr. Seuss? Even as a child, I empathized with all the turtles’ plight as they were malevolently stacked on top of each other to build Yertle the Turtle King’s throne. No one or no thing should be higher than Yertle, not even the moon. And yet...the “plain little turtle called Mack” had to burp; an act which brought down the whole tower Yertle thought he could build for himself without impunity.
It goes without saying this children’s story is a metaphor for fascism. Donald Trump is building his tower and will continue to build it if he ascends to the presidency once again. If a great collective burp could bring him down, I’d gladly attempt to scare one up. Along with millions of others, what a great and resounding force we could be. Burp force, not brute force, could win the day!
Rich people consistently turn down bond issues for schools because they don’t want an educated populace. We need to deal with that. We will not have a country if we keep electing the least among us. We can’t move forward with members of Congress who are anti-science, anti-climate, anti-woman, anti-inclusion, anti-democracy.
The divisions within our nation have unfortunately intensified since President Biden's inauguration. This is not due to any inherent flaw in his vision for the country; on the contrary, he has consistently acknowledged the existing divisions and emphasized the imperative to unite. Despite his efforts to improve the public's well-being, President Biden faces substantial obstacles from the GOP, the Supreme Court (SCOTUS), and the mainstream media.
Confronting bullies requires a resolute stance, and from his leadership position, President Biden should boldly call out, by name, those individuals actively working to transform our country into a theocracy. The prevailing narrative is currently being shaped by the cacophony of hatred, and the mainstream media serves as a powerful megaphone for this divisive rhetoric, echoing the sentiments reminiscent of the previous administration.
While the majority of us observe silently, hoping for resolution, it's essential to recognize that positive change will not occur if we remain passive. To counteract the influences perpetuating division, we must stand up, speak out, and expose the enablers operating at every level of government and within society. Saving our democracy demands active participation, as the well-known saying goes: democracy is not a spectator sport. Only through collective and vocal engagement can we hope to overcome the forces undermining the unity and democratic principles that our nation aspires to uphold.
The perpetrator has lost, is losing again and is frustrated. We saw the same behavior when the perp was in the WH, through his policies, his tweets, his lies and his actions. Now he openly foments and advocates violence because he fears losing his free pass in the 2024 election.
If you spend any time in the small world of advocates working on behalf of those who have been abused, assaulted and traumatized, you will hear these words “there is no perfect victim.” And yet every advocacy group seeks “the perfect victim” and predators fear them. So-called ‘perfect victims’ move past perps & open doors for those behind them. Think: Rosa Parks who the white christian nationalists seek to eliminate from history. Was she the first to refuse to give up her seat to a white person? No, but with her impeccable character & persona, she was perfect for a Civil Rights case.
The most common strategies of perpetrators to avoid consequences are playing the victim card and attempting to destroy those they victimize. We see all of this on display during & surrounding the E. Jean Carroll trials. Because this is 2023/2024, not 1823/1824, E. Jean Carroll is as close to a perfect victim as it gets. Juries are more open to facts. As the perp’s cases play out he has found juries are not quick to excuse character assassination, fraud and violence. Not against women; not regarding fraud; not in politics.
We have our part to play this year. It doesn’t require us to be “perfect” only to be firm in our resolve. We can stand in the breach for ourselves and those who cannot.
(As I secular person I was totally unaware for a long time that expression is from Ezekiel 22:30. 😊)
Thank you @StevenBeschloss for drawing the clear contrast between the 2 leading candidates for President of the US in 2024. You have set it out so well that there isn't need for me to repeat it. Basically, we have a choice between good and evil. Let us choose good. Let us always stand for truth and democracy and the Constitution and the highest ideals on which this country was founded. I will, however, repeat your final paragraph as it is a call to action for all of us who want to keep our country the beacon of light that we know it can be. "Let’s not lose sight of what’s achievable: Those of us in the majority have the ability to overcome the dark desires of the MAGA minority, sustain democracy and enable an empathic leader to continue pursuing a positive future."
Great piece. I believe we are finally getting to the core of what will be Biden's message to the country, and I believe he is finally beginning to get to the point. Many have thought he should have been saying these things before now, but timing is everything, especially in politics and the fact that the memories of most Americans is not very long. I see Biden and the campaign beginning to ratchet up what democracy means and that truth will prevail. Watch as the crescendo grows as we get through some of the trials and closer to the election. As Donny begins to understand he is totally screwed, he will either commit suicide to prevent jail or bail out to Russia or Saudi Arabia where he can bask in his notoriety and charm among his dictator friends. Sure wish he would hurry up and get out to see if we could get back to some form of normalcy, whatever that is.
I could be wrong, but I doubt trump would ever commit suicide; he thinks he is very important, is in love with himself and will keep on keepin'on. His appeals might last till he drops. Other despots don't want him; there is only room for one dictator in a country, & trump would surely set them off with his big mouth. Putin would probably send him eventually to keep company with Navalny. And with his patience only with WASPs, can you imagine him living in an Islamic state?
Are we fooling ourselves? He will not stop in his lust to regain the power of the Presidency. He will not follow the rule of law, decency. or any other "American value" the majority of us believe in and live by. He is incapable of doing so, and will continue creating chaos in any way he can; including threatening witnesses, judges, or anyone who attempts to hold him accountable for the laws he has broken.
We must find a way to do something about the corrupt supreme court members. They lied to all of us when they agreed Roe v Wade was settled law. Some have been bought by interests most of us are against.
Is it not time for Joe to move on this? Is it too late?
We really need to stop expecting our presidents to have authority over all things. Whatever power he can exert is not in the Constitution, would be open to abuse by another president or struck down by SCOTUS. We got here because of Congress. Voters focus on the president and less on the damage, stonewalling & complicity of Congress in trying to undermine our institutions.
Agreed. Voters send to Congress those who have come up from their state supposedly from the local level and who have shown voters that they deserve a national office and who will supposedly represent them better than their opponent. We know that many states have been horribly gerrymandered so that legislators can now choose their voters and that states like California and NY with huge populations can only have two senators just like Wyoming or Montana; two states that certainly don’t deserve two senators in light of their population. This provision in the Constitution needs changing but that is a huge ask in light of today’s schism in our politics. Time has shown us where our Constitution needs improvement but the factions running amok now won’t allow significant change without a lot of compromise or else the “I’m going to blow it ALL to hell” crowd will do just that.
The smaller states historically are worried about being steamrolled by the larger ones if the Senate representation becomes proportionate. Is whatever is best for CA and NY or TX and FL best for everyone? Would the concerns of small states matter? I don’t know why enough states would ever ratify it.
I think there are things that can improve the matters without changing the Constitution. For starters:
- Get rid of the Senate fake filibuster.
- No more 1 Senator “holds”, Tommy Pooperville style.
- Admit DC, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as states so they have full rights & representation.
The big problem is engaging enough voters to overcome gerrymandered in the House and to take the Senate. Then be bold.
The Dems just flipped a state legislative seat in a special election in FL. But that’s not the whole story: The district has over 100K voters, almost evenly split 3 ways (Dem, Ind. GOP). It looks like turnout was less than 10% and fewer Dems than GOP. (The low voter turnout in special elections is a US norm. Other than presidential elections participation is meh.)
The Senate. The Senate. The Senate. Biden can’t do that alone even if he thought it would work. He needs a filibuster proof Senate for anything like that to work.
SCOTUS has two cases to deliberate. Both are the result of Trump's overt, self-destructive actions. The post-Presidency full immunity question. And the (self) disqualification from holding public office question.
In a normal, common sense world, SCOTUS would rule that no American citizen has full immunity from criminal prosecution for any reason. Read Judge Chutkan's common sense ruling. If they rule against Trump in this case, he will be held accountable for his crimes, in courts of law, with appeals processes intact. And he may serve jail time. Probably not. Exile to Russia or Saudi more likely.
If SCOTUS rules that an American President has full immunity from criminal prosecution for life, then Biden has some interesting actions he will be free to take. Immediately after the ruling. For example:
At Biden's order, the Justice Department could arrest Trump and hold him without bail, pending trials for the current and new criminal indictments. One new indictment could mirror the Georgia conspiracy charges, and indict Trump and the 147 Senators and Representatives who falsely objected to the count of the Electoral College votes. They all conspired with Trump to stage a coup. They all violated their oath of office. The fact that the coup failed doesn't absolve them of criminal liability.
This action could be deemed by the opposition to be criminal election interference. But with immunity, the gloves are off. And the current President can do what he thinks is legally and morally right.
If the situation was reversed, you can bet that Little Donnie would go farther than this. Ordering an execution by Seal Team Six on Biden (or anyone who opposed him) would not be any surprise.
The Justices know all of this. Some of them may be corrupt but they aren't stupid. Immunity won't happen.
The second question is also predictable. SCOTUS will find a technicality to allow Trump to stay on the ballot. If the corporate Press was doing its job, SCOTUS would have the cover of general consensus that Trump violated his oath of office and disqualified himself by creating and supporting the insurrection against the Legislative Branch of the government. But the Press has failed to tell the truth. Indeed one major outlet is 100% MAGA. So the general consensus that should be there, isn't.
All while praise is heaped on tfg at the World Economic Forum’s confab in Davos, from Jamie Dimon, CEO of the largest and most profitable bank in the United States and one of the most influential CEOs in the world. Like I've said... he is the clown diverting attention from the ring masters.
It feels like we're in a cold civil war for years now. It brought down the Romans whose empire lasted way longer than ours. I truly wonder if within a decade or two USA will no longer be a beacon of democracy.
I agree with Susan B. We need to make several changes, and the Supreme Court would be a good place to start. We need to expand the Supreme Court with 4 more justices.
Shortly after the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States’ report was written, two of its members wrote an article in WaPo, “The Supreme Court isn’t well. The only hope for a cure is more justices.” It was written by ret. U.S. Dist.Crt. Judge Nancy Gertner & Laurence Tribe, Prof. Emeritus HarvardLaw, pub.12/9/21. The article discusses how their views evolved AFTER serving on the Presidential Comm. on the Supreme Court for 8 months. The following paragraphs are quotes from the article they wrote.
Gertner and Tribe stated, “We started out leaning toward term limits for Sup.Crt. justices and against court expansion, but ended up doubtful about term limits, and in favor of Court expansion. Sadly, we no longer have confidence in the Court given 3 things: “
“1.) the dubious legitimacy of the way some justices were appointed;
2.) what Justice Sotomayor rightly called the “stench” of politics hovering over this court’s decision deliberations and,
3.) The anti-democratic, anti-egalitarian direction of this court’s decisions about matters such as voting rights, gerrymandering & the corrupting effects of dark money.”
“Instead of serving as a guardrail against going over that cliff, our Supreme Court has become an all-too-willing accomplice in that disaster. Measures the court has enabled will fundamentally change the court & the law for decades. They entrench the power of one political party, constrict the vote,
deny fair access to the ballot & allow legislative district lines to be drawn that exacerbate demographic differences.”
“This is a uniquely perilous moment demanding a unique and urgent response. None of the proposed reforms precisely fit the problem that needs to be remedied. But offsetting the way the court is currently packed in an antidemocratic way by adding Justices leaning the other way, is the most significant and clearly constitutional step that could be taken quickly.”
The article goes on, but I think the above excerpts cover its essence. I doubt any President would take on the fight to expand the court in their 1st term, because it would probably mean they wouldn’t get a second term in office.
Enlightening comment, Susan Garrett Benton. I also liked the simple Gertner/Tribe statement that “The Supreme Court isn’t well.” I agree with a Court Expansion solution and thanks for helping me understand why President Biden can’t go there yet.
Our country division is like a yin, yang concept-each idea, concept, force has an opposite. Hot,cold. Tall,short. Happy, sad. Or in our cause-Biden, trump. Although ego is part of every politician, we want to believe that Joe Biden stands for truth, honesty, unity, allegiance to the Constitution. donald trump, as we know, stands for lies,fraud,division, allegiance to him. I think there are three types of Republicans. 1)uneducated and low intelligence. A trumper woman interviewed said Biden lives in California . No one lives in the White House. James Wood is pretending to be Biden (he who is a dedicated trump fan even with an IQ of 180 and was an undergraduate at MIT ????) They say they would die for trump, and he asks them to, telling them to go out in freezing weather to caucus for him.
2)Those who know better but consider their power of higher value than obedience to law or know that trump, like J. Edgar Hoover, has dirt on them. And so, we have Kemp, Sununu, Haley,Graham all saying they will vote for him. There is a call to censure Stefanik for being a congressional cheerleader for trump; dreams of being his VP perhaps? 3) Lincoln Project members most actively represented by George Conway and Steve Schmidt, the "old" Republican conservative Party members. considered more aggressive in their actions to defeat trump than the Democrats. They are not having much luck. Or people like Romney who wait until they are out of office to speak against Sir, as he likes to call himself. Muhammad Ali called him that, don't you know. ( donald, being anti Islam, of course, calls him Cassius Clay.)
People are afraid to speak out against him. Reminds me of the Cold War days when many said they would rather be Red than Dead. Cross him and he calls you terrible names, makes up lies about you, causes threats/actions to be made by his crazy followers . He threatens chaos and bedlam if SC takes him off the ballot. Fortunately, over 890 insurrectionists have been arrested. The hunt for more goes on. The organizers have been put away. But if he has in mind inciting another coup attempt, another sickening try to destroy America as we know it and make himself king for perpetuity, let him try. We have the means to end it, and thus, end him. Perhaps only then will Biden's soul be fulfilled and the nation united.
I think most Republicans are caught in a vise. There are those who want to maintain their power and position, and there are those who are afraid of the rabid Republican base. Then again, there are those who are afraid of his reprisal, if and when he takes up the mantle of the presidency once again. They know that he will pursue them to the ends of the earth. What is most terrible is that he has said that by way of retribution he will use the Justice Department to go after them, even if they have done nothing wrong. He will be in his Putin period. His political enemies will be falsely charged in the name of his promised retribution and to silence others.
What worries me most is that even if we re-elect Joe Biden, the MAGA crowd will erupt in another coup attempt...and this time, some Republicans in congress, whose reputation and livelihoods depend on a Trump election, will refuse to certify the election. What then? It’s well past time to think about what we can do if the unthinkable happens!
They don’t have to erupt. It looks to me like we are the dupes of a takeover in progress now, from the Supreme Court on down. Or from the top down and the middle out to use Biden’s words perversely.
Even if Joe gets re-elected that doesn’t guarantee a house or senate that will work for the best interests of our citizens. They could freeze forward motion as they are doing now.
We need to somehow put our foot in the door they are trying to close. Joe is in the CEO and COO position and he must act.
Maybe what we need is our own brand of authoritarianism. One that works to enforce a government of all people, by all people and for all people. The other side wants government for white, Christo fascist men with obscene wealth and therefore power. The Supreme Court has become, to my mind, the right hand of that very group and therefore a terrorist faction.
Basically none of this makes sense to me in our form of government.
How do you have authoritarianism ”in a manner of speaking”? Plus, the president as “CEO” does not have authority to act on all things in any way he decides. Neither is that the job of most CEOs. Otherwise board of directors would not be able to give CEOs the boot. I believe you are describing oligarchies or Elon Musk types who own significant or majority portions of companies and appointment themselves CEO. (A COO oversees day-to-day operations. Presidents have cabinet heads to do that.)
The president you describe is in line with DJT/Bill Barr/Heritage Foundation approach. So what is it Biden should and can do on his own that has not been done?
Actually Ann, I believe we DO have authoritarianism in a manner of speaking right now. SCOTUS has overturned the accepted-as-law Roe v Wade ruling. This means to me it is very likely no longer a straight-up democracy
This comment above has caused concern by my use of the words authoritarianism, CEO and COO. I used them wrongly and I apologize. Still, I believe my overall meaning was clear. I do not advocate for authoritarianism.
Also: If SCOTUS rules that a President has full immunity, in and out of office, Biden’s immediate best move is to arrest Trump for Treason. And quickly prosecute and execute if found guilty. His next move is to arrest and prosecute the 147 Congressional election objectors for conspiracy to support Trump’s treasonous coup plan.
U.S. Supreme Court Judges are the second group of Americans who are responsible for disqualifying the 45th President. In fact, they are legally required by law to disqualify him.
So, let’s email Supreme Court Judges. Let’s ask them to PLEASE support and enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment by disqualifying the 45th because he engaged in rebellion and insurrection. He also incited his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.”
Right wing attacks on public education began in California under Gov. Reagan. He ended tuition-free college education for California residents. Critics at the time wrote the Governor thought the 60’s youth rebellion against Vietnam War was caused by students educated at California’s community colleges and universities.
Later, California’s Proposition 13 passed, and property tax revenues dedicated to fund schools, colleges and universities was forever “capped”.
In 1980, New Mexico’s right wing state lawmakers successfully passed legislation which repealed a law which invested property tax revenues in the state’s public schools, colleges and universities.
This piece in microcosm, outlines the choice confronting us all. We must not fail to fight for and make the right one. Thank you!
Yet another thoughtful and timely piece. Do you remember “Yertle the Turtle” by Dr. Seuss? Even as a child, I empathized with all the turtles’ plight as they were malevolently stacked on top of each other to build Yertle the Turtle King’s throne. No one or no thing should be higher than Yertle, not even the moon. And yet...the “plain little turtle called Mack” had to burp; an act which brought down the whole tower Yertle thought he could build for himself without impunity.
It goes without saying this children’s story is a metaphor for fascism. Donald Trump is building his tower and will continue to build it if he ascends to the presidency once again. If a great collective burp could bring him down, I’d gladly attempt to scare one up. Along with millions of others, what a great and resounding force we could be. Burp force, not brute force, could win the day!
Thank you Ellen D for this laugh!
What’s the old saying…if you don’t laugh you’ll cry? Anyway, being Jewish, that’s what we do…we laugh when we could cry…Oy vey!
Rich people consistently turn down bond issues for schools because they don’t want an educated populace. We need to deal with that. We will not have a country if we keep electing the least among us. We can’t move forward with members of Congress who are anti-science, anti-climate, anti-woman, anti-inclusion, anti-democracy.
The divisions within our nation have unfortunately intensified since President Biden's inauguration. This is not due to any inherent flaw in his vision for the country; on the contrary, he has consistently acknowledged the existing divisions and emphasized the imperative to unite. Despite his efforts to improve the public's well-being, President Biden faces substantial obstacles from the GOP, the Supreme Court (SCOTUS), and the mainstream media.
Confronting bullies requires a resolute stance, and from his leadership position, President Biden should boldly call out, by name, those individuals actively working to transform our country into a theocracy. The prevailing narrative is currently being shaped by the cacophony of hatred, and the mainstream media serves as a powerful megaphone for this divisive rhetoric, echoing the sentiments reminiscent of the previous administration.
While the majority of us observe silently, hoping for resolution, it's essential to recognize that positive change will not occur if we remain passive. To counteract the influences perpetuating division, we must stand up, speak out, and expose the enablers operating at every level of government and within society. Saving our democracy demands active participation, as the well-known saying goes: democracy is not a spectator sport. Only through collective and vocal engagement can we hope to overcome the forces undermining the unity and democratic principles that our nation aspires to uphold.
The perpetrator has lost, is losing again and is frustrated. We saw the same behavior when the perp was in the WH, through his policies, his tweets, his lies and his actions. Now he openly foments and advocates violence because he fears losing his free pass in the 2024 election.
If you spend any time in the small world of advocates working on behalf of those who have been abused, assaulted and traumatized, you will hear these words “there is no perfect victim.” And yet every advocacy group seeks “the perfect victim” and predators fear them. So-called ‘perfect victims’ move past perps & open doors for those behind them. Think: Rosa Parks who the white christian nationalists seek to eliminate from history. Was she the first to refuse to give up her seat to a white person? No, but with her impeccable character & persona, she was perfect for a Civil Rights case.
The most common strategies of perpetrators to avoid consequences are playing the victim card and attempting to destroy those they victimize. We see all of this on display during & surrounding the E. Jean Carroll trials. Because this is 2023/2024, not 1823/1824, E. Jean Carroll is as close to a perfect victim as it gets. Juries are more open to facts. As the perp’s cases play out he has found juries are not quick to excuse character assassination, fraud and violence. Not against women; not regarding fraud; not in politics.
We have our part to play this year. It doesn’t require us to be “perfect” only to be firm in our resolve. We can stand in the breach for ourselves and those who cannot.
(As I secular person I was totally unaware for a long time that expression is from Ezekiel 22:30. 😊)
Thank you @StevenBeschloss for drawing the clear contrast between the 2 leading candidates for President of the US in 2024. You have set it out so well that there isn't need for me to repeat it. Basically, we have a choice between good and evil. Let us choose good. Let us always stand for truth and democracy and the Constitution and the highest ideals on which this country was founded. I will, however, repeat your final paragraph as it is a call to action for all of us who want to keep our country the beacon of light that we know it can be. "Let’s not lose sight of what’s achievable: Those of us in the majority have the ability to overcome the dark desires of the MAGA minority, sustain democracy and enable an empathic leader to continue pursuing a positive future."
Great piece. I believe we are finally getting to the core of what will be Biden's message to the country, and I believe he is finally beginning to get to the point. Many have thought he should have been saying these things before now, but timing is everything, especially in politics and the fact that the memories of most Americans is not very long. I see Biden and the campaign beginning to ratchet up what democracy means and that truth will prevail. Watch as the crescendo grows as we get through some of the trials and closer to the election. As Donny begins to understand he is totally screwed, he will either commit suicide to prevent jail or bail out to Russia or Saudi Arabia where he can bask in his notoriety and charm among his dictator friends. Sure wish he would hurry up and get out to see if we could get back to some form of normalcy, whatever that is.
I could be wrong, but I doubt trump would ever commit suicide; he thinks he is very important, is in love with himself and will keep on keepin'on. His appeals might last till he drops. Other despots don't want him; there is only room for one dictator in a country, & trump would surely set them off with his big mouth. Putin would probably send him eventually to keep company with Navalny. And with his patience only with WASPs, can you imagine him living in an Islamic state?
They aren’t his friends unless he is the president.
True and even then, it would be dubious.
Are we fooling ourselves? He will not stop in his lust to regain the power of the Presidency. He will not follow the rule of law, decency. or any other "American value" the majority of us believe in and live by. He is incapable of doing so, and will continue creating chaos in any way he can; including threatening witnesses, judges, or anyone who attempts to hold him accountable for the laws he has broken.
We must find a way to do something about the corrupt supreme court members. They lied to all of us when they agreed Roe v Wade was settled law. Some have been bought by interests most of us are against.
Is it not time for Joe to move on this? Is it too late?
We really need to stop expecting our presidents to have authority over all things. Whatever power he can exert is not in the Constitution, would be open to abuse by another president or struck down by SCOTUS. We got here because of Congress. Voters focus on the president and less on the damage, stonewalling & complicity of Congress in trying to undermine our institutions.
Agreed. Voters send to Congress those who have come up from their state supposedly from the local level and who have shown voters that they deserve a national office and who will supposedly represent them better than their opponent. We know that many states have been horribly gerrymandered so that legislators can now choose their voters and that states like California and NY with huge populations can only have two senators just like Wyoming or Montana; two states that certainly don’t deserve two senators in light of their population. This provision in the Constitution needs changing but that is a huge ask in light of today’s schism in our politics. Time has shown us where our Constitution needs improvement but the factions running amok now won’t allow significant change without a lot of compromise or else the “I’m going to blow it ALL to hell” crowd will do just that.
The smaller states historically are worried about being steamrolled by the larger ones if the Senate representation becomes proportionate. Is whatever is best for CA and NY or TX and FL best for everyone? Would the concerns of small states matter? I don’t know why enough states would ever ratify it.
I think there are things that can improve the matters without changing the Constitution. For starters:
- Get rid of the Senate fake filibuster.
- No more 1 Senator “holds”, Tommy Pooperville style.
- Admit DC, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as states so they have full rights & representation.
The big problem is engaging enough voters to overcome gerrymandered in the House and to take the Senate. Then be bold.
The Dems just flipped a state legislative seat in a special election in FL. But that’s not the whole story: The district has over 100K voters, almost evenly split 3 ways (Dem, Ind. GOP). It looks like turnout was less than 10% and fewer Dems than GOP. (The low voter turnout in special elections is a US norm. Other than presidential elections participation is meh.)
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/653319-tom-keen-flips-hd-35-from-red-to-blue-in-critical-special-election/
It was a president that put us in this position with regard to the supreme court.
And Mitch McConnell
One thing, we got here because of republicans in Congress.
The Senate. The Senate. The Senate. Biden can’t do that alone even if he thought it would work. He needs a filibuster proof Senate for anything like that to work.
Then Democacy has been outplayed.
I agree. What can be done to fix this???
SCOTUS has two cases to deliberate. Both are the result of Trump's overt, self-destructive actions. The post-Presidency full immunity question. And the (self) disqualification from holding public office question.
In a normal, common sense world, SCOTUS would rule that no American citizen has full immunity from criminal prosecution for any reason. Read Judge Chutkan's common sense ruling. If they rule against Trump in this case, he will be held accountable for his crimes, in courts of law, with appeals processes intact. And he may serve jail time. Probably not. Exile to Russia or Saudi more likely.
If SCOTUS rules that an American President has full immunity from criminal prosecution for life, then Biden has some interesting actions he will be free to take. Immediately after the ruling. For example:
At Biden's order, the Justice Department could arrest Trump and hold him without bail, pending trials for the current and new criminal indictments. One new indictment could mirror the Georgia conspiracy charges, and indict Trump and the 147 Senators and Representatives who falsely objected to the count of the Electoral College votes. They all conspired with Trump to stage a coup. They all violated their oath of office. The fact that the coup failed doesn't absolve them of criminal liability.
This action could be deemed by the opposition to be criminal election interference. But with immunity, the gloves are off. And the current President can do what he thinks is legally and morally right.
If the situation was reversed, you can bet that Little Donnie would go farther than this. Ordering an execution by Seal Team Six on Biden (or anyone who opposed him) would not be any surprise.
The Justices know all of this. Some of them may be corrupt but they aren't stupid. Immunity won't happen.
The second question is also predictable. SCOTUS will find a technicality to allow Trump to stay on the ballot. If the corporate Press was doing its job, SCOTUS would have the cover of general consensus that Trump violated his oath of office and disqualified himself by creating and supporting the insurrection against the Legislative Branch of the government. But the Press has failed to tell the truth. Indeed one major outlet is 100% MAGA. So the general consensus that should be there, isn't.
All while praise is heaped on tfg at the World Economic Forum’s confab in Davos, from Jamie Dimon, CEO of the largest and most profitable bank in the United States and one of the most influential CEOs in the world. Like I've said... he is the clown diverting attention from the ring masters.
It feels like we're in a cold civil war for years now. It brought down the Romans whose empire lasted way longer than ours. I truly wonder if within a decade or two USA will no longer be a beacon of democracy.
I agree with Susan B. We need to make several changes, and the Supreme Court would be a good place to start. We need to expand the Supreme Court with 4 more justices.
Shortly after the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States’ report was written, two of its members wrote an article in WaPo, “The Supreme Court isn’t well. The only hope for a cure is more justices.” It was written by ret. U.S. Dist.Crt. Judge Nancy Gertner & Laurence Tribe, Prof. Emeritus HarvardLaw, pub.12/9/21. The article discusses how their views evolved AFTER serving on the Presidential Comm. on the Supreme Court for 8 months. The following paragraphs are quotes from the article they wrote.
Gertner and Tribe stated, “We started out leaning toward term limits for Sup.Crt. justices and against court expansion, but ended up doubtful about term limits, and in favor of Court expansion. Sadly, we no longer have confidence in the Court given 3 things: “
“1.) the dubious legitimacy of the way some justices were appointed;
2.) what Justice Sotomayor rightly called the “stench” of politics hovering over this court’s decision deliberations and,
3.) The anti-democratic, anti-egalitarian direction of this court’s decisions about matters such as voting rights, gerrymandering & the corrupting effects of dark money.”
“Instead of serving as a guardrail against going over that cliff, our Supreme Court has become an all-too-willing accomplice in that disaster. Measures the court has enabled will fundamentally change the court & the law for decades. They entrench the power of one political party, constrict the vote,
deny fair access to the ballot & allow legislative district lines to be drawn that exacerbate demographic differences.”
“This is a uniquely perilous moment demanding a unique and urgent response. None of the proposed reforms precisely fit the problem that needs to be remedied. But offsetting the way the court is currently packed in an antidemocratic way by adding Justices leaning the other way, is the most significant and clearly constitutional step that could be taken quickly.”
The article goes on, but I think the above excerpts cover its essence. I doubt any President would take on the fight to expand the court in their 1st term, because it would probably mean they wouldn’t get a second term in office.
Enlightening comment, Susan Garrett Benton. I also liked the simple Gertner/Tribe statement that “The Supreme Court isn’t well.” I agree with a Court Expansion solution and thanks for helping me understand why President Biden can’t go there yet.
Our country division is like a yin, yang concept-each idea, concept, force has an opposite. Hot,cold. Tall,short. Happy, sad. Or in our cause-Biden, trump. Although ego is part of every politician, we want to believe that Joe Biden stands for truth, honesty, unity, allegiance to the Constitution. donald trump, as we know, stands for lies,fraud,division, allegiance to him. I think there are three types of Republicans. 1)uneducated and low intelligence. A trumper woman interviewed said Biden lives in California . No one lives in the White House. James Wood is pretending to be Biden (he who is a dedicated trump fan even with an IQ of 180 and was an undergraduate at MIT ????) They say they would die for trump, and he asks them to, telling them to go out in freezing weather to caucus for him.
2)Those who know better but consider their power of higher value than obedience to law or know that trump, like J. Edgar Hoover, has dirt on them. And so, we have Kemp, Sununu, Haley,Graham all saying they will vote for him. There is a call to censure Stefanik for being a congressional cheerleader for trump; dreams of being his VP perhaps? 3) Lincoln Project members most actively represented by George Conway and Steve Schmidt, the "old" Republican conservative Party members. considered more aggressive in their actions to defeat trump than the Democrats. They are not having much luck. Or people like Romney who wait until they are out of office to speak against Sir, as he likes to call himself. Muhammad Ali called him that, don't you know. ( donald, being anti Islam, of course, calls him Cassius Clay.)
People are afraid to speak out against him. Reminds me of the Cold War days when many said they would rather be Red than Dead. Cross him and he calls you terrible names, makes up lies about you, causes threats/actions to be made by his crazy followers . He threatens chaos and bedlam if SC takes him off the ballot. Fortunately, over 890 insurrectionists have been arrested. The hunt for more goes on. The organizers have been put away. But if he has in mind inciting another coup attempt, another sickening try to destroy America as we know it and make himself king for perpetuity, let him try. We have the means to end it, and thus, end him. Perhaps only then will Biden's soul be fulfilled and the nation united.
I think most Republicans are caught in a vise. There are those who want to maintain their power and position, and there are those who are afraid of the rabid Republican base. Then again, there are those who are afraid of his reprisal, if and when he takes up the mantle of the presidency once again. They know that he will pursue them to the ends of the earth. What is most terrible is that he has said that by way of retribution he will use the Justice Department to go after them, even if they have done nothing wrong. He will be in his Putin period. His political enemies will be falsely charged in the name of his promised retribution and to silence others.
4 pathways leading to the defeat of an indicted former 45th President:
https://open.substack.com/pub/johnadamsingram/p/plan-a-plan-b-plan-c/
What worries me most is that even if we re-elect Joe Biden, the MAGA crowd will erupt in another coup attempt...and this time, some Republicans in congress, whose reputation and livelihoods depend on a Trump election, will refuse to certify the election. What then? It’s well past time to think about what we can do if the unthinkable happens!
They don’t have to erupt. It looks to me like we are the dupes of a takeover in progress now, from the Supreme Court on down. Or from the top down and the middle out to use Biden’s words perversely.
Even if Joe gets re-elected that doesn’t guarantee a house or senate that will work for the best interests of our citizens. They could freeze forward motion as they are doing now.
We need to somehow put our foot in the door they are trying to close. Joe is in the CEO and COO position and he must act.
Maybe what we need is our own brand of authoritarianism. One that works to enforce a government of all people, by all people and for all people. The other side wants government for white, Christo fascist men with obscene wealth and therefore power. The Supreme Court has become, to my mind, the right hand of that very group and therefore a terrorist faction.
The House & Senate are winnable. We do not need to be ruled by one man. There’s a name for that and it does not include democracy.
Ok. Wrong word but I was using it “in a manner of speaking “.
What do you do when the highest court in the land is lawless?
Basically none of this makes sense to me in our form of government.
How do you have authoritarianism ”in a manner of speaking”? Plus, the president as “CEO” does not have authority to act on all things in any way he decides. Neither is that the job of most CEOs. Otherwise board of directors would not be able to give CEOs the boot. I believe you are describing oligarchies or Elon Musk types who own significant or majority portions of companies and appointment themselves CEO. (A COO oversees day-to-day operations. Presidents have cabinet heads to do that.)
The president you describe is in line with DJT/Bill Barr/Heritage Foundation approach. So what is it Biden should and can do on his own that has not been done?
Actually Ann, I believe we DO have authoritarianism in a manner of speaking right now. SCOTUS has overturned the accepted-as-law Roe v Wade ruling. This means to me it is very likely no longer a straight-up democracy
I don’t know. But what’s happening now makes democracy and ineffective system.
Nope. We just need to enforce democracy.
Yes. That’s what I meant.
Our opposition is using the tenets of democracy to thwart democracy.
This comment above has caused concern by my use of the words authoritarianism, CEO and COO. I used them wrongly and I apologize. Still, I believe my overall meaning was clear. I do not advocate for authoritarianism.
Beware of No Labels.
No Labels = MAGA
Also: If SCOTUS rules that a President has full immunity, in and out of office, Biden’s immediate best move is to arrest Trump for Treason. And quickly prosecute and execute if found guilty. His next move is to arrest and prosecute the 147 Congressional election objectors for conspiracy to support Trump’s treasonous coup plan.
That seems right to me. They did the crimes and they must be held accountable for democracy to have meaning.
If they erupt again, federal troops will quickly put the eruption down this time.
Have you emailed SCOTUS? You can at the “email” link here: https://open.substack.com/pub/johnadamsingram/p/plan-a-plan-b-plan-c/
“PATHWAY 3
U.S. Supreme Court Judges are the second group of Americans who are responsible for disqualifying the 45th President. In fact, they are legally required by law to disqualify him.
So, let’s email Supreme Court Judges. Let’s ask them to PLEASE support and enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment by disqualifying the 45th because he engaged in rebellion and insurrection. He also incited his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/johnadamsingram/p/plan-a-plan-b-plan-c/
Will do.
Done.
What then? The first thing would be that President Biden doesn't leave office.
21 Jan 24
Right wing attacks on public education began in California under Gov. Reagan. He ended tuition-free college education for California residents. Critics at the time wrote the Governor thought the 60’s youth rebellion against Vietnam War was caused by students educated at California’s community colleges and universities.
Later, California’s Proposition 13 passed, and property tax revenues dedicated to fund schools, colleges and universities was forever “capped”.
In 1980, New Mexico’s right wing state lawmakers successfully passed legislation which repealed a law which invested property tax revenues in the state’s public schools, colleges and universities.
https://johnadamsingram.substack.com/p/nh-gop-voters-may-defeat-the-indicted/