Same. There are just moments in life where you realize, “Yes, I got gamed.” It’ll take a minute before we can gain the perspective to understand this entire era. But you nailed it when comes to encapsulating this moment.
I look at the Chevron decision very differently. Here's what I understand: The Supreme Court never held that the President is immune from prosecution. The Department of Justice did and since they control the federal prosecutors, no prosecutors would be allowed to challenge the President. Thereby giving the President immunity. As it was, both parties had a "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" contract to look the other way when it comes to crimes because they count on this reciprocity to protect themselves. The Dems going after Trump was the exception (the first?). As it was, Congress and the President gave regulatory agencies full capacity to interpret the laws (often purposely vaguely written) and agencies do so to their own advantage which may or may not be to the benefit of "we the people." We need only see how corporations continue to get away with crimes despite "regulations" in place. We call this corporate capture.
Now with the Chevron ruling, the President can still be criminally charged and he can still be impeached BUT what it means is the Congress and Federal Judges have the teeth to prosecute crimes committed under the guidance or overlooked by regulatory agencies. The Department of Justice can't protect the President from crimes, and can't protect corporations now that they don't have regulatory capture. In my mind, this new ruling gives us a way to change what's rotten about our system.
I'm no expert, and I'm not advocating for either party or candidate since I am not voting for either.
I wish I shared your optimism, but I haven't seen anything from this SCOTUS or the GOP to give me any reason this will lead to anything other than more flagrant oligarchy and authoritarianism while the Dems just sit back and watch it get worse.
You're absolutely right that nothing, absolutely nothing, will change if either clown is our next president. My optimism comes from my belief (that there will be a military coup?) that we finally have a great third party candidate. So my question to you and everyone else rejecting RFK Jr. out of hand, what are you going to do? Not vote? Vote for whoever the Dems put in at last minute? When nothing changes, who will you blame then? The same people you blame now? Madness.
I guess it’s more of my issue with the two party system. If RFK or any third-party candidate took the presidency, I don’t see what the incentive would be for either the Dems or Republicans to cooperate with them. If Mitch McConnell stonewalled Obama, I’d imagine both parties would sabotage any outsider. I also had the same fear had Bernie became president.
I hear you. Hard to trust that anyone could actually do anything. Unsurprisingly, we've been conditioned to think that. But he can do what every other President does: executive order the shit out of everything. Here's what he says: Day one, an executive order that anyone who deliberately lies to the American People will be fired. He also plans to cull the heads of agencies like the CIA, Homeland Security, the State Department. It will be a nasty fight but if they don't shoot him in the head by suicide, he has the people behind him.
I’d say I’m fairly cynical. The dems were not always this, but they failed to stand and fell for what they now are.
The dems being a genuine force for good, I don’t think that’s been a reality for quite some time Cocaine Mitch ruined a lot of things but the dems in power helped him while allowing progressivism to drown unattended in the bath tub.
I'm with you. It's wild how many people still buy into the idea that Dems are looking out for what's best for everyone. Yeah, they're not as bad as Trump/GOP/MAGA, but it doesn't make them good either.
Guess it depends on how cynically you view the Dems:
1. They are controlled opposition: Since many of the same corporations donate to the Dems as they do to the GOP, they exist to dampen progressive energy, and in the process, they have become trapped in a negative feedback loop of corruption, incompetence, and complicity.
2. They are absurdly idealistic/naive: This delusional faith in institutionalism has persisted with their gerontocratic leadership and they have failed or refuse to adapt to a different political landscape.
This is one of your best pieces.
Thank you! The responses all last week were driving me insane.
Same. There are just moments in life where you realize, “Yes, I got gamed.” It’ll take a minute before we can gain the perspective to understand this entire era. But you nailed it when comes to encapsulating this moment.
The Dem grift is more subtle than the GOP, but I'm hoping more people catch onto it and demand more. Being less shitty than fascism isn't enough.
One of your best pieces Sam. Cynically and brutally honest and accurate take on the state of things. Well done.
Are we not entertained?
I enjoyed season 3 of The Bear
“How do you feel about Cleveland?”
I look at the Chevron decision very differently. Here's what I understand: The Supreme Court never held that the President is immune from prosecution. The Department of Justice did and since they control the federal prosecutors, no prosecutors would be allowed to challenge the President. Thereby giving the President immunity. As it was, both parties had a "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" contract to look the other way when it comes to crimes because they count on this reciprocity to protect themselves. The Dems going after Trump was the exception (the first?). As it was, Congress and the President gave regulatory agencies full capacity to interpret the laws (often purposely vaguely written) and agencies do so to their own advantage which may or may not be to the benefit of "we the people." We need only see how corporations continue to get away with crimes despite "regulations" in place. We call this corporate capture.
Now with the Chevron ruling, the President can still be criminally charged and he can still be impeached BUT what it means is the Congress and Federal Judges have the teeth to prosecute crimes committed under the guidance or overlooked by regulatory agencies. The Department of Justice can't protect the President from crimes, and can't protect corporations now that they don't have regulatory capture. In my mind, this new ruling gives us a way to change what's rotten about our system.
I'm no expert, and I'm not advocating for either party or candidate since I am not voting for either.
I wish I shared your optimism, but I haven't seen anything from this SCOTUS or the GOP to give me any reason this will lead to anything other than more flagrant oligarchy and authoritarianism while the Dems just sit back and watch it get worse.
You're absolutely right that nothing, absolutely nothing, will change if either clown is our next president. My optimism comes from my belief (that there will be a military coup?) that we finally have a great third party candidate. So my question to you and everyone else rejecting RFK Jr. out of hand, what are you going to do? Not vote? Vote for whoever the Dems put in at last minute? When nothing changes, who will you blame then? The same people you blame now? Madness.
I guess it’s more of my issue with the two party system. If RFK or any third-party candidate took the presidency, I don’t see what the incentive would be for either the Dems or Republicans to cooperate with them. If Mitch McConnell stonewalled Obama, I’d imagine both parties would sabotage any outsider. I also had the same fear had Bernie became president.
I hear you. Hard to trust that anyone could actually do anything. Unsurprisingly, we've been conditioned to think that. But he can do what every other President does: executive order the shit out of everything. Here's what he says: Day one, an executive order that anyone who deliberately lies to the American People will be fired. He also plans to cull the heads of agencies like the CIA, Homeland Security, the State Department. It will be a nasty fight but if they don't shoot him in the head by suicide, he has the people behind him.
I’d say I’m fairly cynical. The dems were not always this, but they failed to stand and fell for what they now are.
The dems being a genuine force for good, I don’t think that’s been a reality for quite some time Cocaine Mitch ruined a lot of things but the dems in power helped him while allowing progressivism to drown unattended in the bath tub.
I'm with you. It's wild how many people still buy into the idea that Dems are looking out for what's best for everyone. Yeah, they're not as bad as Trump/GOP/MAGA, but it doesn't make them good either.
well that checks
but I’m relieved to know about the new supreme court justices being cottage cheese, I was deeply worried they were in fact tofu…
I’m forced to conclude democrats did not have smart grandmothers to pass on this wisdom: “Stand for something or you’ll fall for anything!”
Guess it depends on how cynically you view the Dems:
1. They are controlled opposition: Since many of the same corporations donate to the Dems as they do to the GOP, they exist to dampen progressive energy, and in the process, they have become trapped in a negative feedback loop of corruption, incompetence, and complicity.
2. They are absurdly idealistic/naive: This delusional faith in institutionalism has persisted with their gerontocratic leadership and they have failed or refuse to adapt to a different political landscape.