this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2024
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/17119069

"In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law," warned Justice Sonia Sotomayor. "With fear for our democracy, I dissent."

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I was thinking Pres Biden does all the stuff we seem to want him to, resigns and Pres Harris pardons him.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago
[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 months ago

So Biden could just seal team 6 half the Supreme Court plus Trump, and it would be legal as long as he officially says he did it afterward?

[–] [email protected] 26 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

You guys haven't seen shit yet.

Biden is going to "win" the 2024 election, Trump will sue & SCotUS will hand him the crown.

#KingBiden must act to restore our #Democracy.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Liberals will still use such an event as a means to punch left and blame the coup on actual leftist not voting hard enough for biden.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

I vote for #PremierBiden, but can be swayed.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 months ago

I want this statement to become false.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 2 months ago

The six conservative SCOTUS members have just openly told everyone that they are fascists who want to destroy democracy. There is a detailed solution to this kind of tyranny.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Well, fellow Americans. This experiment with democracy was fun while it lasted. Every significant goal of the founding fathers has been systematically thwarted by these Christofascists. We once again have a de-facto monarch.

The consequences of this decision will be dire, and unpredictable. Every law, every right, every freedom can now be undone by an official wave of the president’s hand. Rights to privacy? Gone. Due process? Gone. Bill of Rights? Gone.

No one—democrat or republican—should be happy about this. The right to bear arms is now on the chopping block right along with LGBTQ+ and abortion rights.

Hopefully I’m wrong. Hopefully I’m misreading the situation. But it sure sounds like every right that previously defined us as American people now hinges on the benevolence of our president. Americans can no longer brag about “American freedom.”

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

This experiment with democracy

I agree with the thrust of your comment, but I think it's an overstatement to say the US was ever a democracy.

Our country is an imperial power that was built ontop of a genocide, by slaves, to support white male property owners. It was always designed as an oligarchy with features like the electoral college to make sure the will of the people could never compete with the will of the powerful. Policy outcomes haven't reflected public opinion on any major issues since the 70s.

I'd say what's going on is moving from a broad oligarchy to a narrower more centralized oligarchy. Which is still moving in the wrong direction and will definitely make life worse for most Americans.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Well, European cousins, hope you got more room in those countries of yours. 😬

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Sorry, right wing fascist racist lying assholes have fucked everything up over here and made immigration illegal.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

I don’t think you’re wrong.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

So Biden could order the army to attack the USSC? He just has to declare it officially like Michael Scott?

I joke, but it's a dark, dark day for this country and the rule of law.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago

Usually they'd have to refuse an illegal order, but as any official act of the president is explicitly legal, such things no longer exist.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

It does appear to be legal now, until the lower court hears arguments, and it goes back to the Supreme Court for a final decision. This ruling seems to be a delay, so that Trump can take office, at which point this ruling doesn’t matter.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Even discussing this ruling is pointless, because words no longer have legal meaning. Even if he was so inclined, Biden wouldn't be allowed to take advantage of this concept of immunity. We're just making up whatever shit we want and calling it Law.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Pretty much. The reality that this is has always been the case is finally smacking everyone upside the head. If there is no consistent application of the law, laws become meaningless. Might then makes right, and bedlam follows. America has been on a dangerous path for decades, this ruling is the the turn. Conservatives are displaying that they want Trump as dictator, and will do everything in their power to make that happen.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Isn’t that written in the constitution clearly? Isn’t that what Impeachment for, the only way to prosecute a president over his acts during the presidency?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Nope. Impeachment is part of a process to remove a president. Conviction in the senate only results in the president being removed. Crimes are prosecuted in a court of law. Not by a political process.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Previously, by Justice Department custom, the president was immune from prosecution while in office. That was just an internal stance and didn't make him immune from prosecution indefinitely, just that you can't arrest the president in the Oval Office. It could be seen as a pragmatic stance that we shouldn't tie the president up in court battles while he's supposed to be doing the job of presidenting or that he'd just obviously order his Justice Department not to arrest him so don't try to do irrelevant things.

Now he's immune forever, even after he's no longer in control of the people who would be prosecuting him and he has no critical role to play in society. And it's officially declared by the Supreme Court, not just custom.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago

Impeachment is a process for determining wrongdoing, which isn't the same as determining legal guilt.

Or to phrase it differently: there are things you could do that would get you fired from your job, but aren't illegal.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

He was impeached but not convicted for this insurrection act. This case is to determine if, now that he is a civilian again, he can be held accountable for the insurrection.

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