Trump lost his bid to toss out Emolument case.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has just rejected President Donald Trump’s attempt to have an emoluments clause case thrown out.
The court ruled 9-6 against the President and in favor of Attorneys General from Maryland and Washington, D.C.
The ruling keeps the case alive, allowing it to continue.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/05/trump-loses-bid-to-toss-out-emoluments-case/
Cause they really don’t want all of us to vote. If they wanted each vote to count, they wouldn’t spend time getting people off the voting roll or making it more difficult for minorities, poor, native Americans etc etc.
This is why they block any kind of legislation that would benefit the voters and help with hacks in the elections or mail in votes. This is why they love gerrymandering. All to stay in power.
Imagine if everyone one in the whole country would be able to vote. I know I’m Ecuador if you don’t vote you owe a fine that must be paid. You can’t leave the country without paying. My husband had not been back in 20 years. He paid. They want everyone to vote.
@Jessi1978, I get that and ty for responding;-) However, what about democrats? Why haven't they ever changed this? I know gerrymandering is a thing Republicans do and it takes congress and the senate majorities, but democrats have held both houses in the past. Why haven't they addressed this? There must be some idealistic politicians out there?
It just feels very odd. I grew up in the 80s when every TV show portrayed the glory of the US and every little boy and girl in Europe believed America/American was the place to live and be. When I first visited I couldn't believe my eyes: such amazing sites, nature and majestic history vs. areas so downtrodden I'd only seen them in the 3rd world. But at least it seemed like politicians wanted to fix things you know...
And with Trump, everything he does and says also effects the rest of us (climate, world safety, Corona etc.), but we cannot vote him out.
@jessi1978, thanks for the update on the Emolument case. This illustrates the importance of having experienced, intelligent, and non-partisan judges on Federal benches.
I have a question about all of these Federal judicial appointments that Moscow Mitch and his bunch are ramming through the Senate. Once power shifts to the Democrats, is there any away to get rid of some of these questionable judges? My understanding is that they are appointed for life, but there is something called a Good Behavior clause that might support their removal. Does anyone know anything about that? I'm sure it's not an easy process, and I haven't heard whether that's ever been successfully implemented.
I get that...However, what about democrats? Why haven't they ever changed this? I know gerrymandering is a thing Republicans do and it takes congress and the senate majorities, but democrats have held both houses in the past. Why haven't they addressed this? There must be some idealistic politicians out there?And with Trump, everything he does and says also effects the rest of us (climate, world safety, Corona etc.), but we cannot vote him out.
@moonbeam. The U.S. is now oligarch-controlled. It is not in the hands of the majority of Americans although we are all working hard to change it. Turn around and face east towards Russia and China then south towards Saudi Arabia and Israel. Their elites have influence in U.S. actions. The Koch Brothers who started the conservative shift to the extreme right in this country, made their oil money from Stalin and Hitler. Democrats have won the popular votes in 6 of the last 7 elections but the Republicans took office in four because the election is decided by the Electoral College, not the popular vote.
To turn the tide towards the people, the dems will have to win a landslide as they did with Obama. But even during Obama's tenure, he only had control over Congress for four months.
There is a much touted lie that during two years of the Obama presidency the democrats had total control. It is a lie because Senate requires a super majority, not just a majority (60 out of a hundred votes) to end a filibuster and bring a bill to law. The democrats only held control of the Senate for four months, during which Obamacare was passed. Also there are Democrats who are conservative and vote with Republicans.
The Senate gives two votes to every state regardless of population, so rural states get the same number of votes as urban states. So Alaska which is just 68,000 people gets the same two votes as California which has 38 million people. The Netherlands with its 17 million people, is like a large liberal state in the U.S. Same goes for Denmark and Germany. You are in the same boat as the liberal American states and the progressive people all over America.
As for the voting process, the gerrymandering and registration, is controlled by the states, not the federal government. To do away with the electoral college would require ratification by the 50 state legislatures as well as the Congress. The only way we got rid of slavery was to fight the bloodiest war in our history.
If I've misstated any of these legal and historical points, please correct me!
We all live with this reality and thousands of Americans work everyday to change it.
We can shorten the the tenure of all judicial appointments by legislatively doing away with lifetime appointments for federal judgeships, including Supreme Court justices. There's lots of talk about expanding the judiciary, but I think lifetime appointments are the 500-pound gorilla in the room. It's crazy how the vagaries of a single election cycle can determine the makeup of the federal courts for generations. Team Red's recent effort to ram through as many young, conservative judges as it can is the inevitable endpoint of this gamesmanship. And it's exhausting to constantly worry about the health of the oldest member of the Supreme Court.
When the dust settles from this current White House administration, I don't see how we're going to decide that lifetime appointments to the courts are a still a good idea (especially since the cultural changes that will be occurring in the American collective over the next two decades will be unfolding at exponential speeds).
Or, states and governmental officials can simply ignore the rulings of ultra-conservative judges that are too out of touch with the direction America is heading in. The courts are only powerful insofar as our institutions are willing to carry out their wills. If enough of the American collective is telling out-of-touch judges, "screw you," then those judges' authority is effectively nullified (think of jury nullification, writ large).
I've been seeing for a while that the period from the 2020s through the 2040s would be one of massive readjustment, where many of the institutions of American public life that we associate with reality itself will be challenged en masse and crumble in the face of a collective that is desperate for a new direction. So if the scenario I just described sounds anarchic, then that's a spot on appraisal. At its most basic level, anarchy is the ability of the social fabric to undo rigid institutions that are no longer serving the common good. The anarchy of the future won't be about guns and molotov cocktails; it will be prayerful and inclusive. We've already seen previews of what this looks like in the form of the the Water Protectors at Standing Rock and the Mauna Kea Protectors in Hawaii.
I read this on Bloomberg:
Two sets of judges from the fuller panel issued dissenting opinions on Thursday.
“Make no mistake about what has really happened here,” five of them wrote. “By discarding centuries of settled practice and precedent that kept true to the genius of the Constitution and its separation of powers, the majority has only confirmed one of the Founders’ worst fears: that, while no man may be above the law, a group of judges, so emboldened, may consider themselves beyond it.”
I've been seeing for a while that the period from the 2020s through the 2040s would be one of massive readjustment, where many of the institutions of American public life that we associate with reality itself will be challenged en masse and crumble in the face of a collective that is desperate for a new direction. So if the scenario I just described sounds anarchic, then that's a spot on appraisal. At its most basic level, anarchy is the ability of the social fabric to undo rigid institutions that are no longer serving the common good.
This fits with the Pluto return of the US, which we're feeling now and which will be exact in 2022. We're going to be dealing with the federal judiciary and the electoral college for a while beyond that, but perhaps the Pluto return brings to the surface these things that are in need of reform. (Pluto rules transformation and reform.)
The process may be uncomfortable for some time. And while the Constitution has been a guiding light for this country, it doesn't mean we should treat it as some untouchable holy relic either.
It's a change to be welcomed. New voices are rising up, and many of these voices would not have even been considered full human beings at the time the Constitution was written. We can preserve the best of the document while changing it to reflect all of the United States, not just white males with property holdings.
Forgive me for my ignorance, but is there a reason why the system of voting in the US has not been updated to ballots and ID?
In The Netherlands we all get a personal voting 'card' a few weeks in advance. Every single person above 18. You then take that with you on voting day together with your ID. If you cannot make it, somebody else may take your card (which you sign) and vote for you. All of this is cross referenced with lists at the voting booth. We never have any cases of fraud.
Why do Americans have to register beforehand? That is where all the trouble starts, isn't it?
Another reason is because Americans don't want to have to provide identification at polling places on election day. So we are stuck with an arcane system that goes back to the land-owning founders - essentially registries. Not kidding - giant books. You go in, state your name and address, and they look in the book. If you are already registered, you are there, and have to sign in the book next to your name. We do get Voter Registration Cards, which in many states are sufficient as proof to vote. but as was mentioned above, the white supremacist oligarchs don't want everyone to vote, so they make it as difficult as possible, and because we are a union of states, each state is allowed to make up their own rules. We used to have the Voting Rights Act, which was kind of a federal over-law, however our Supreme Court gutted it years ago, and it no longer has any effect, so states are back to their old shenanigans.
Ballots are also up to each state. Here in California we all get paper ballots and receipts for them that are trackable online. We can also double check our voter registration online, and you can register to vote when you update your drivers' license too. And you can vote by mail if you want to. By contrast, when I lived in Florida, in person voting only, you had to bring your drivers' license to to the poll, you also had to be pre-registered, and the ballots were by touch screen only. I remember my husband and I wondering if the damn things were even connected (in retrospect,, they probably were not).
Bottom line - unlike the EU countries, the US does not really have a national form of i.d. Yes, we all get Social Security cards/numbers - but those are literally not good for anything outside of taxes, you can't even use your social security card at a social security card office as proof of identity!!! The majority of Americans don't even have passports, some because they don't ever leave, others because of cost (I think it's about $300 now for a new one).
The elitism and racism and anti-intellectualism run deep in this country and always will. I envy you, living in NL. I would move to Utrecht tomorrow if it were possible.
Fear, Anger, Fear, Anger, Fear, Anger. Round and around we go... It seems that lately these are the states we are all stuck in. Everything around us seems to be careening out of control and our Fight or Flight instincts are in full on emergency mode. The thing is, those instincts only belong to part of us, the flesh and blood part. Our true nature knows nothing of those emotions, only Peace, Love, Courage, Strength, Gratitude, Joy and Connection. If you are having trouble finding any of these states of being, perhaps stop focusing on the outside world for a second, and bring your focus inward. In this state of quiet reflection, ask for guidance on what is blocking you from discovering who you really are.
This is welcome advice when I am seeking it. It is solid Buddhist teaching and the teaching of many other enlightened masters. And it's all over this forum as expressed by many members of this beautiful community.
That said, if I am feeling anger and fear over what is happening to my country, my feelings are not wrong. I pray that no one here feels they shouldn't express those feelings. There is a time and a place for love and courage and a time and a place for anger and fear. You may not write about killing someone here, and you must not dehumanize anyone here just because you disagree with them, but you are welcome to express your anger and your fear.
We did not bring down Hitler by sending him love. We did not vanquish Nazis by surrounding them with light. It's a conundrum because we also have Martin Luther King's, Gandhi's, and Nelson Mandela's non violent revolutions. Everyday that this administration continues, innocent people are systematically being persecuted and left to die. Animals too and our precious earth.
I believe this situation will resolve non violently, but the anger and fear expressed in this forum have been therapeutic for many who need to know they are not crazy or wrong for the way they feel.
If anyone here wants to find some moments of peace and strength, you are all invited to the Wednesday night Circle of Light events we have been holding for the last three months. We turn inward, make intentions for ourselves, and send loving kindness to our selves, loved ones and the whole world. It takes self care to find the heart strength to get through what this Administration is doing to our world. These events involve active self care and a way to cultivate heart strength.
It was kind of you Jeanne, not to use the word ignorance in place of 'innocence'... the former really seems to be their status quo ...
@ Jeanne, thank you so much for your explanation. I did not want to cause distress or suggest that nobody had been doing anything. I am a very idealistic person and believe in change if you want to make it happen, but with millions of ppl in a large country like the US that *is* a tall order.
I am correct in thinking that, aside from the Koch brothers etc, some of this also goes way back to the 1860s and the 1950s? A lot of the older sentiments of what an American should be etc.? + education being so different from state to state? Similar to the roots of carrying a gun on your hip; Wild West is gone, but those 'freedoms' should still stay?
I think it is probably what Europe struggles with due to different countries trying to become one big super state. Hungary, Germany and Italy for example. Something in common?:D We basically try to do something the US started in the 1700s, with the difference being we're attempting to do it in a much shorter period with countries and cultures that are vastly different.
I feel for you all living under T's thumb and hope for you (and us) that things do not get worse. I just wish I could help. I know donating to democratic campaigns cannot be done by foreigners, so I'm just sending all the good vibrations I can create. I hope the grassroots campaigns that got AOC elected gain more steam. Whatever you might think of her, I think that story is quite hopeful.
@ Laura F, oh my. I feel your frustration! Like trying to move a brick wall. $300 for a passport sounds excessive. It's 60,- here and 30,- if you want an EU only 'passport.'
That said, you're most welcome to NL;) You know Utrecht?
Posted by @jeanne-mayell:
There is a time and a place for love and courage and a time and a place for anger and fear. If I am feeling anger and fear over what is happening to my country, my feelings are not wrong. I believe this situation will resolve non violently, but the outrage and fear expressed in this forum have been therapeutic for many who need to know they are not crazy or wrong for the way they feel.
Jeanne, I love what you posted and I couldn't agree more. Thank you, dear friend.
We did not bring down Hitler by sending him love. We did not vanquish Nazis by surrounding them with light. It's a conundrum because we also have Martin Luther King's, Gandhi's, and Nelson Mandela's non violent revolutions. Everyday that this administration continues, innocent people are systematically being persecuted and left to die. Animals too and our precious earth.
Jeanne, what to do about bullies is an issue that I've been grappling with for 20 years, concerning applications of "Just War Theory."
I believe that MLK's, Ghandi's, and Mandela's revolutions succeeded because there were enough people of moral integrity and good heart on "the other side" to be receptive to their messages. Ghandi's march to the sea and subsequent mass casualties eventually appalled moral and empathic elements of British society enough to open to change. It was the suffering of brutally murdered Freedom Riders, and the publicization of lynchings that appalled the moral core of America enough to embrace Civil Rights.
However, there are those who do not have a moral core, or empathy to stir. Hitler and the Malignant Mango being two of them. Such psychopaths do not relent in the face of appeals to their better nature, or displays of suffering.
In fact, it is evident that Drumpf takes deep satisfaction in causing the suffering of others. He views non-violence as a weakness to be exploited.
Speaking psychologically, what animates a bully is a deep sense of inadequacy and shame that gets projected onto "The Other." In destroying The Other, the bully ritually destroys those aspects of himself that he hates. Non-violence, poverty (being a loser), and the need for others (civil society) are perceived as evidence of weakness, and weakness must be destroyed at all costs.
Bullies like that only respond to greater force. The question at hand is how to apply that greater force.
In the schoolyard, bullies only escalate unless brought to heel by an external force. A bigger Authority (Teacher, Principal) may step in to overrule and contain the Bully. Or a group of peers may band together to face the Bully down.
But currently, many national Authorities are now colluding with the Bully--the Courts are stuffed with tRump toadies, Institutions are failing as their leaders are fired, and the Senate have become the Godfather's capos, agents of our abuse. It is conceivable that our final Authority, the Constitution, may fail if elections are allowed to be postponed.
What remains is Us.
All those with a moral core and empathy, who cannot stand by and allow the Bully to terrorize the weaker and less privileged. A group of peers ready to band together to stop the trauma.
The question is--how are we going to bring the Bully to heel?
-R-
I've been there once, in 2017. My husband used to go there a few times a year for work. I loved it. So pretty, smaller than Amsterdam (which I have been to several times), very diverse, and I thought the people were so nice. I even climbed to the top of the Dom tower and I could see almost as far as The Hague from the top. It would be my number one choice if I could relocate to Europe.
@moonbeam. first of all, I am so happy you are posting here in our community! We want to hear your thoughts and we love your country and the Dutch people.
As @Laura-f expressed it, I too am envious of the Netherlands as I am with Denmark and France. It would be wonderful to be in a wholly progressive country filled with progressives led by a progressive government. I watched the Danish t.v. series Borgen a few years ago and fell in love with the humanitarian government depicted in the series.
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Hi @jeanne-mayell. I totally agree, our emotions are neither bad nor good, they just "are." We are Spirit having a human experience. Two great things that go great together (to paraphrase a candy commercial ?) However, we often tend to get sucked into the human part and forget about the other. It's just nice to know, when the need arises, and we've become exhausted from these lower vibrations, that there is a place of refuge where we can rest and recharge. The path to that place is the heart. ❤️