Phil:

There are always extremists on both sides.  What is new here?  But there are sides, and there are sides. :)

What is new that one side is showing all signs of being delusional worshipping a hero who’s stepped right out of the drama of Wrestlemania and the other side, at its extreme, is still caught up in some elitist worldview.   

I also liked the way SCOTUS handled itself yesterday.   I don’t they were entirely right in thinking that to uphold the Colorado judgment would allow a state to dictate the elements of a national election. States do this all the time in our electoral college system. States and not the federal government determine qualifications to be on the ballot.   That said, there are  good reasons to reverse the lower court.   Pragmatically, to affirm it would set the nation on fire. So we look to bona fide legal theories to justify the pragmatic end — reversal. And from what I heard, there were some.  The pragmatic end determines the means.  This is why there is likely to be a unanimous decision. 


SCOTUS does have buttons to be pushed.  Alito and Thomas do not usually offer well reasoned opinions, although sometimes — sometimes — Thomas has surprised us.   But is there a doubt that he should recuse himself from all these cases?

Look over its history. SCOTUS shows itself as opportunistic, dictatorial, racist, and unfair. It has often reinforced economic inequalities and disrupted the rights of people to vote. It is innovative and often holds itself to ideals that represent the best of who we are.  I’ve been impressed by conservative and progressive options just about equally.  And I’ve been annoyed by partisan decisions that made bad law.

Do you remember Bush v Gore?  In a terribly reasoned and legally unjustifiable decision, SCOTUS stopped a recount of the Fla votes.  It was terrible law.  It was so bad that they even knew it when they said, in the decision, is applies only to one case and cannot be precedent.

Let’s see how they handle the issue of Trump’s culpability for acts made while in office.   This is a case that should not be even close.  

It is not fair to use SCOTUS as an instance of people not being “paid for by Trump. That is unless you count Thomas whose wife participated in the insurrection.   I was referring to Congress and the Republican Party.  They are not being paid. At least that would make some sense to me.  I still don’t understand the appeal of authoritarianism that “trumps” good judgment.

Dan

> On Feb 9, 2024, at 10:39 AM, Philip Brownell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Dan,
> The message came through twice.
> 
> The country is split. There are extremists on both sides of the split.  I was encouraged, nevertheless, by the deliberations of the Supreme Court.  Their deliberations, the questions they asked both sides in the Colorado case, showed concern for the intent of the constitution and the implications of allowing a state to dictate elements of a national election.  But what was most encouraging is that it appears we are headed to a unanimous decision. This has nothing to do with them being bought and paid for by Trump.  Trump himself is a side show.  So, I am encouraged that it is still possible not to simply push a button in the jukebox but to rather play some original music with whatever instruments one has.
> 
>> On Feb 9, 2024, at 6:46 AM, Dan Bloom <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> 
>> (For some reason, this post was bounced because it was flagged as a duplicate post.  So here it is. Again:
>> 
>> Dear Ones:
>> 
>> This discussion is as predictable as the analyses on CNN, MSNBC, Fox, and so one.   You push a Republican button and you get juke box plays unsurprising songs.  You push a Democratic and their supporters button and the a different yet same song plays.  Push my button and I’ll sing my sing my song, although my throat is sore.
>> 
>> Biden is old — looks, sounds, and comes across as old.  Trump is nearly as old.  Trump shows no more cognitive competence than Biden. In fact, he appears to be much, much, much less intact.  Who is keeping score of verbal gaffs or memory losses?    The special counsel’s remarks about Biden’s age were gratuitous.  Just look at how much Trump called not to remember during his depositions. 
>> 
>> Even though I think Biden is an excellent president, I wish he hadn’t decided to run.   I don’t say this because I think he is incompetent, but because I think he is a flawed candidate.   Too much is at stake in this election.  Sure, I still think he can win. But the risk of Trump taking over is too great.
>> 
>> Our republic is in jeopardy.  Trust in our democratic institutions have already been destroyed.  I could go on about this, but I’d sound too much like a song from my jukebox.
>> 
>> I don’t have much hope.  Maybe the Democrats could return to the majority in Congress.  Even worse than Trump himself, the way so many people march in lockstep to his commands worries me.  How is this possible? False equivalences notwithstanding, I’ve asked myself this question when I think of what happened in Germany in the 30’s. 
>> 
>> Dan
>> 
>> ______________
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> 
> ______________
> Gstalt-L is an independent eCommunity of people interested in gestalt therapy theory and its various applications. Its public archives can be found at http://listserv.icors.org/scripts/wa-ICORS.exe?A0=GSTALT-L, and subscriptions can be managed by clicking on "Subscriber's Corner," which is found at the archives.

______________
Gstalt-L is an independent eCommunity of people interested in gestalt therapy theory and its various applications. Its public archives can be found at http://listserv.icors.org/scripts/wa-ICORS.exe?A0=GSTALT-L, and subscriptions can be managed by clicking on "Subscriber's Corner," which is found at the archives.