Tomorrow, on the last day of hearing oral arguments for the year, the Supreme Court will entertain Trump’s absolute immunity claim. SCOTUS has already demonstrated its affinity for Trump by one, taking the case to begin with; two, for putting a stay on the appeals court decision that no such immunity exists; and three, putting off the hearing until the last possible day in the session. But it took them less than a month to decide in favor of Trump in the Colorado ballot case. Need I say more?
@AskTheDevil Heavens to Betsy!
@AskTheDevil What SCOTUS doesn’t realize is that, if Trump gets elected, he’ll ignore any future rulings by the Court he doesn’t like. SCOTUS has no army, no enforcement capability. It depends on the other branches of government merely acceding to its status as the end-all and be-all of Constitutional authority without the power to back it up.
@johnldeboer Or that's exactly the world they're trying to create, or they don't _care_ because they plan on retiring with their new title of general or court poobah, or whatever they think Trump or the wealthy people who already bribe them will reward them with.
When trying to assess the motivations of evil or greedy people, it helps to remember that they don't want what we want. They are evil and greedy, so they have different values and wants.
@AskTheDevil Don’t they care about their legacy? That these particular justices could go down in history as being responsible for destroying the Supreme Court, not as just another institution, but as 1/3 of the three-legged stool that is vital for our democracy? Alito pretends to care in his rants about the press impugning the Court’s integrity - for no reason! Thomas obviously doesn’t care at all. Roberts, as the putative leader, cares, but he’s impotent. Ditto the 3 outgunned liberal women.
@johnldeboer Why would utterly selfish people who do not care about justice or their jobs, or the American people, or Democracy suddenly care about their legacy and what historians will think?
To begin with, to them, their "legacy" is typically "I got mine". If their _kids_ are lucky, their parents will think them inheriting ill-gotten success is a worthy legacy.
These people do not have values most of us would recognize. Trying to make sense of them according to our values won't work.
@johnldeboer Also, keep in mind, there are people who consider what they were able to destroy as their legacy.
@AskTheDevil I’m not the cynic you are - yet - but I hear you.
@johnldeboer At least I am the type of Cynic that recognizes virtue, and is merely disappointed that more people don't seize it.
I'm not cynical because things are bad. I am a Cynic, because they could be good. ; )
@AskTheDevil Spoken like a true cynic! 😉
@johnldeboer I should hope! I've been doing it since shortly after the death of Diogenes!
@AskTheDevil Your eons of search are over. You found him!
@johnldeboer That's nothing. You should see what I found behind the couch!
@johnldeboer Drat. I should have said "Now all I need is milk and bread, and I'm done shopping!"
@johnldeboer You don't think they are corrupt, partisan, and self-interested, do you? That would be terrible!