Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
Speaking of workhouses, (see above) the best preserved workhouse, so many say, is at Southwell (PB recently had a lengthy discussion about how to pronounce it) which can add gloom to the the noom of a visit to Southwell cathedral's glorious chapter house.
Its SOUTH well if you live in Southwell itself Its SUTH ull if you live in wider Nottinghamshire Its SOUTH well if you live outside Notts and do not know any better.
Simple reallly
Also its Notts County (despite being the only professional club in the City of Nottingham ) and Nottingham Forest (never Notts Forest ) despite being in technically Nottinghamshire and not Nottingham - again simple really
Nope that is wrong.
It is Suthull if you grew up in the town before the late 1970s. It was always known as Suthull before then. It is also Suthulll if you come from the wider area as that was the name it always had.
It is South Well if you moved into the town in the 1980s onwards as it became more gentrified (and expensive). The incomers didn't like how common Suthull sounded.
A few miles away there is also Norwell - known to everyone including the South Well snobs as Norull.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
I think you miss how important this fight is. This is the President saying he can ignore both the constitution and all the other arms of Government because he is President. If they don't take a stand on this then nothing else really matters.
Interesting report in the Times regarding deaths from Munda to and other GLP1 drugs - 82 reported to the regulator.
Where is the public outrage about this that there was over the covid vaccines?
Nobody is being forced/pressured into taking weight loss drugs and we don't recommend them for healthy people.
Knowing what I know now, I would not have had more than one vaccine dose. I've come out of it with 3 years of recovering from the damage the vaccine caused to my heart and this is the opinion of two consultants, one NHS and one private. Did it kill me? No, has it caused a lot of unnecessary problems and lifestyle changes? Yes and pushing the vaccine on the young and healthy was, in hindsight, not a good idea, especially for men under 40 there should have been much tighter guidelines.
I’m sorry about your troubles and the links to the vaccines (presumably the AZ?). I think my point is still this - deaths from GLP1 drugs are not attracting anything like the storm that covid vaccines did. I understand your point about healthy people, but plenty of men under 40 died from covid.
From high to low in physical suffering my experience was:
Catching covid first time in spring 2020 Moderna top up vaccinations Catching covid second time in summer 2024 AZ vaccinations
A few people I know suffered adverse effects from the MRNA vaccines and I would not have them again.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
How weak is that. It's a blatant example of "first they came for...". It's slapping you in the face and you still can't see it.
It’s pretty clear now that the biggest danger to democracy is not the so called left wokists on steroids but right wingers who support Trump ,who only want free speech which they agree with and happily ignore the trashing of the courts which might make decisions they disagree with . You’d think Musk saying judges should be impeached because basically they’re simply following the law would set alarm bells ringing .
Not sure right wingers is the right word anymore.
These are anarchists. Wild revolutionaries who want to break everything for their own gain.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
I think you miss how important this fight is. This is the President saying he can ignore both the constitution and all the other arms of Government because he is President. If they don't take a stand on this then nothing else really matters.
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice.
This is the only fight that matters.
Is Trump a King or not? Is he subject to the rule of law or not?
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
Yes: Stephen Miller and the White House staff are being smart. They are disobeying a court order on an issue where most people will side with the President.
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
The constitution says they can appeal the original ruling, all the way up to the Supreme Court.
It doesn't say they can ignore it and beg forgiveness from the Supreme Court later.
After publication, Leavitt issued a statement: "The Administration did not 'refuse to comply' with a court order. The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist TdA aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory."
"The written order and the Administration's actions do not conflict. Moreover, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly made clear — federal courts generally have no jurisdiction over the President's conduct of foreign affairs, his authorities under the Alien Enemies Act, and his core Article II powers to remove foreign alien terrorists from U.S. soil and repel a declared invasion," she wrote. "A single judge in a single city cannot direct the movements of an aircraft carrier full of foreign alien terrorists who were physically expelled from U.S. soil."
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?
That speech is one of my favourite of all time. And I believe was also a favourite of the excellent Cyclefree, late of this parish.
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice.
This is the only fight that matters.
Is Trump a King or not? Is he subject to the rule of law or not?
That is what is at stake.
I don't think the Democrats (and the Republican establishment) have any choice but to fight this one out. It's the red line and it's been crossed, regardless of the popularity of the policy.
If When they roll over I can't see them catching back up with Trump. He'll just swarm them with more law breaking and that will be that.
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice.
This is the only fight that matters.
Is Trump a King or not? Is he subject to the rule of law or not?
That is what is at stake.
From a purely political-tactical point of view, @Leon is right; fighting a probably popular bit of law breaking by Trump is harder than fighting law breaking in an unpopular cause. That's part of the reason that the men in the shadows have pushed this now- neither resistance nor acquiesce look great for the Dems.
But that's not the point- or rather the point is bigger than that. Either unattractive bad people are protected under the law, or nobody is. Deviant sex memoirists, to take a random example, won't be at the top of the list for rounding up when the revolution comes, but they won't be at the bottom either.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
The constitution says they can appeal the original ruling, all the way up to the Supreme Court.
It doesn't say they can ignore it and beg forgiveness from the Supreme Court later.
After publication, Leavitt issued a statement: "The Administration did not 'refuse to comply' with a court order. The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist TdA aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory."
"The written order and the Administration's actions do not conflict. Moreover, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly made clear — federal courts generally have no jurisdiction over the President's conduct of foreign affairs, his authorities under the Alien Enemies Act, and his core Article II powers to remove foreign alien terrorists from U.S. soil and repel a declared invasion," she wrote. "A single judge in a single city cannot direct the movements of an aircraft carrier full of foreign alien terrorists who were physically expelled from U.S. soil."
So now you’re using the clueless Leavitt as an authority on the US constitution. The same women who didn’t understand how tariffs work and spews out any old garbage from her boss .
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
The Dems aren't dying on that hill though, they're not really doing much - other than those who always campaign on these things come hell or high water. Schumer gave an interview today in which he pretty much said he was fine with deporting the Palestine protest leader if he'd broken any law. His entire thing was going "focus on Musk sacking people".
Others are hitting on far more sympathetic cases like the Lebanese organ transplant doctor deported despite having a visa.
Kristol, a longtime Republican is pointing out the problems with just defying the courts entirely if you don't like it. To wit, whether you think the specific case is popular or not, opens up a whole can of worms about the rule of law, whereby you might not like the end result. Because it underpins why lots of people you want put their faith in the US to live and do business in.
As I gather it the Trump administration are basing their justification on the fact the flights were outside the US above international waters, so the ruling didn't apply, which could errrr...be rather interesting if widely taken up as a principle.
I'd add that it's now 2025 and Democrat politicians should actually be far more concerned about their base right now than a 2029 GE.
Firstly as a liable to get primaried by enraged upstarts - what the Tea Party and then Trump did to the GOP are a lesson in that respect. Their establishment tried to moderate their views after getting trounced by Obama but got crucified by their base.
Secondly, because Trump 2: Elon Boogaloo seems liable to go one of two ways - neither of which is politics as usual, Either it reaches a degree of equilibrium, in which case the Dems are likely in huge trouble and fighting for relevance anyway given Trump's plans to rig the system and institutions in his movement's favour. Or it crashes and burns, in which case those likely to profit are the first movers who can say they opposed all the madness in its totality.
Speaking of workhouses, (see above) the best preserved workhouse, so many say, is at Southwell (PB recently had a lengthy discussion about how to pronounce it) which can add gloom to the the noom of a visit to Southwell cathedral's glorious chapter house.
Its SOUTH well if you live in Southwell itself Its SUTH ull if you live in wider Nottinghamshire Its SOUTH well if you live outside Notts and do not know any better.
Simple reallly
Also its Notts County (despite being the only professional club in the City of Nottingham ) and Nottingham Forest (never Notts Forest ) despite being in technically Nottinghamshire and not Nottingham - again simple really
Nope that is wrong.
It is Suthull if you grew up in the town before the late 1970s. It was always known as Suthull before then. It is also Suthulll if you come from the wider area as that was the name it always had.
It is South Well if you moved into the town in the 1980s onwards as it became more gentrified (and expensive). The incomers didn't like how common Suthull sounded.
A few miles away there is also Norwell - known to everyone including the South Well snobs as Norull.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?
That speech is one of my favourite of all time. And I believe was also a favourite of the excellent Cyclefree, late of this parish.
I’m not entirely sure anything that Trump has done - yet - is quite as bad as the Biden administration conspiring to conceal the origins of Covid, thereby lying to the American people - and the world - about the real reason 20 million people died and human civilisation was gravely damaged. Plus Biden has given a “pre-emptive pardon” to the man who probably personally funded the research that led to the lableak - and who then orchestrated the cover-up
This site gets incensed every few minutes by Donald Trump’s insane provocations and crazy economics. His flouting of legal precedents and outrageous menacing of allies
And the anger is justified. I wish Trump would fuck off
But this site wilfully forgets that the Dems and the American left are also devious evil shits, just in a different way. Hence, indeed, Trump’s election. The voters were given an historically tragic choice of terrible alternatives
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
The Dems aren't dying on that hill though, they're not really doing much - other than those who always campaign on these things come hell or high water. Schumer gave an interview today in which he pretty much said he was fine with deporting the Palestine protest leader if he'd broken any law. His entire thing was going "focus on Musk sacking people".
Others are hitting on far more sympathetic cases like the Lebanese organ transplant doctor deported despite having a visa.
Kristol, a longtime Republican is pointing out the problems with just defying the courts entirely if you don't like it. To wit, whether you think the specific case is popular or not, opens up a whole can of worms about the rule of law, whereby you might not like the end result. Because it underpins why lots of people you want put their faith in the US to live and do business in.
As I gather it the Trump administration are basing their justification on the fact the flights were outside the US above international waters, so the ruling didn't apply, which could errrr...be rather interesting if widely taken up as a principle.
I'd add that it's now 2025 and Democrat politicians should actually be far more concerned about their base right now than a 2029 GE.
Firstly as a liable to get primaried by enraged upstarts - what the Tea Party and then Trump did to the GOP are a lesson in that respect. Their establishment tried to moderate their views after getting trounced by Obama but got crucified by their base.
Secondly, because Trump 2: Elon Boogaloo seems liable to go one of two ways - neither of which is politics as usual, Either it reaches a degree of equilibrium, in which case the Dems are likely in huge trouble and fighting for relevance anyway given Trump's plans to rig the system and institutions in his movement's favour. Or it crashes and burns, in which case those likely to profit are the first movers who can say they opposed all the madness in its totality.
I was similarly horrified by reports that Elon Musk’s private security force now has federal law enforcement authority via the U.S. Marshals Service. While the marshals sometimes contract with private security companies, Musk’s political power, not to mention his egregious conflicts of interest, makes the apparent deputization of his team highly unusual and dangerous. It’s unknown how many officers are now de facto federal agents
One challenge there is that US Marshals are the force who enforce Court Orders.
So if a Judge issues a bench warrant for Musk's arrest if he refuses to attend court when summoned to give evidence. it would be US Marshals who go to fetch him.
Their primary function is to implement the rulings of the Court, but who's instructions would prevail?
Just because this weekend I've both watched various VC-funded 'AI' labs responses to the new administrations request for input to their policies, and also I started re-watching 'Edge of Darkness'. The glorious nuclear future scene keeps coming to mind :
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
This whole mess demonstrates the superiority of our constitution. Parliament should be the highest court, answerable to no-one else.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
It is, because it means the Dems/left are fighting from a position of great weakness. See the poll directly above your comment
Trump is a fucking maniac - with his polling looking shaky - but the Democrats are easily as despised, if not more so. And devoid of leadership
Ergo they have a difficult task and need to pick fights they can win with public opinion behind them
I’m not entirely sure anything that Trump has done - yet - is quite as bad as the Biden administration conspiring to conceal the origins of Covid, thereby lying to the American people - and the world - about the real reason 20 million people died and human civilisation was gravely damaged. Plus Biden has given a “pre-emptive pardon” to the man who probably personally funded the research that led to the lableak - and who then orchestrated the cover-up
This site gets incensed every few minutes by Donald Trump’s insane provocations and crazy economics. His flouting of legal precedents and outrageous menacing of allies
And the anger is justified. I wish Trump would fuck off
But this site wilfully forgets that the Dems and the American left are also devious evil shits, just in a different way. Hence, indeed, Trump’s election. The voters were given an historically tragic choice of terrible alternatives
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
Well, it kind of is because it's how we got here. Imagine Trump against Obama, or Bill Clinton (though come to think of it, beyond that, most of the Dem candidates of my lifetime have been rubbish).
This is from the New York Times. Trump’s hardcore actions on migration and deportations are highly successful and will be wildly popular
“Illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border are down to their lowest level in decades. Once-crowded migrant shelters are empty. Instead of heading north, people stranded in Mexico are starting to return home in bigger numbers.
The border is almost unrecognizable from just a couple of years ago, when hundreds of thousands of people from around the world were crossing into the United States every month in scenes of chaos and upheaval.”
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
Well, it kind of is because it's how we got here. Imagine Trump against Obama, or Bill Clinton (though come to think of it, beyond that, most of the Dem candidates of my lifetime have been rubbish).
It's an exercise in deflection. This horror is not one iota the responsibility of those who warned against it and fought for it not to happen.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
Well, it kind of is because it's how we got here. Imagine Trump against Obama, or Bill Clinton (though come to think of it, beyond that, most of the Dem candidates of my lifetime have been rubbish).
It's an exercise in deflection. This horror is not one iota the responsibility of those who warned against it and fought for it not to happen.
The specific horror being the deportation of Venezuelan gangsters?
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?
That speech is one of my favourite of all time. And I believe was also a favourite of the excellent Cyclefree, late of this parish.
It is a good speech, though of course the real Thomas More was happy with rigging the legal system to burn people who had slightly different views on trans issues.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
Well, it kind of is because it's how we got here. Imagine Trump against Obama, or Bill Clinton (though come to think of it, beyond that, most of the Dem candidates of my lifetime have been rubbish).
It's an exercise in deflection. This horror is not one iota the responsibility of those who warned against it and fought for it not to happen.
Yes it is, a bit. Because if they'd put forward a decent candidate and/or tempered their own weirdness a bit and/or compromised with the American electorate, this wouldn't have happened. Trump is a direct consequence of Dem pigheadedness.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
It is, because it means the Dems/left are fighting from a position of great weakness. See the poll directly above your comment
Trump is a fucking maniac - with his polling looking shaky - but the Democrats are easily as despised, if not more so. And devoid of leadership
Ergo they have a difficult task and need to pick fights they can win with public opinion behind them
Sure. And all power to their elbow in making those calls. But do they need advice from Trumpers? Not sure they do.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
Well, it kind of is because it's how we got here. Imagine Trump against Obama, or Bill Clinton (though come to think of it, beyond that, most of the Dem candidates of my lifetime have been rubbish).
It's an exercise in deflection. This horror is not one iota the responsibility of those who warned against it and fought for it not to happen.
Yes it is, a bit. Because if they'd put forward a decent candidate and/or tempered their own weirdness a bit and/or compromised with the American electorate, this wouldn't have happened. Trump is a direct consequence of Dem pigheadedness.
They did put forward a decent candidate but lost as incumbents everywhere were doing, mainly due to inflation. They bear zero responsibility for Trump. They fought a centre ground campaign (aka "compromising with the electorate") and bust a gut to stop him. This "oh but the Dems" thing is the purest hogwash. It's intellectually and morally sloppy.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
Well, it kind of is because it's how we got here. Imagine Trump against Obama, or Bill Clinton (though come to think of it, beyond that, most of the Dem candidates of my lifetime have been rubbish).
It's an exercise in deflection. This horror is not one iota the responsibility of those who warned against it and fought for it not to happen.
The specific horror being the deportation of Venezuelan gangsters?
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
This whole mess demonstrates the superiority of our constitution. Parliament should be the highest court, answerable to no-one else.
An independent judiciary offering protection against government overreach is what you want.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
Well, it kind of is because it's how we got here. Imagine Trump against Obama, or Bill Clinton (though come to think of it, beyond that, most of the Dem candidates of my lifetime have been rubbish).
It's an exercise in deflection. This horror is not one iota the responsibility of those who warned against it and fought for it not to happen.
Yes it is, a bit. Because if they'd put forward a decent candidate and/or tempered their own weirdness a bit and/or compromised with the American electorate, this wouldn't have happened. Trump is a direct consequence of Dem pigheadedness.
They did put forward a decent candidate but lost as incumbents everywhere were doing, mainly due to inflation. They bear zero responsibility for Trump. They fought a centre ground campaign (aka "compromising with the electorate") and bust a gut to stop him. This "oh but the Dems" thing is the purest hogwash. It's intellectually and morally sloppy.
Nah that's rubbish. We were all saying well before the election that if they didn't dump Biden they would lose. And then they managed to destroy any chance Harris might ever have had by messing up the handover.
Their choice of candidate was poor but survivable. The way they eventually got round to having her as the candidate handed the election to Trump.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
I think you miss how important this fight is. This is the President saying he can ignore both the constitution and all the other arms of Government because he is President. If they don't take a stand on this then nothing else really matters.
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
They refused to obey a legal order from a federal court.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?
That speech is one of my favourite of all time. And I believe was also a favourite of the excellent Cyclefree, late of this parish.
This whole mess demonstrates the superiority of our constitution. Parliament should be the highest court, answerable to no-one else.
Parliament and its leader (the Prime Minister) is answerable to the King.
The Monarch is the actual person who is answerable to no-one else.
The problem in the United States is that the framers of the constitution intended the President to be answerable to Congress, but is now de-facto answerable to no-one, because he has total control of the members of his party in the Congress.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?
That speech is one of my favourite of all time. And I believe was also a favourite of the excellent Cyclefree, late of this parish.
It is a good speech, though of course the real Thomas More was happy with rigging the legal system to burn people who had slightly different views on trans issues.
(Transsubstantiation in this case).
Oh absolutely. To my mind he was a thoroughly nasty piece if work. But the character (as opposed to the real man) is brilliant
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?
That speech is one of my favourite of all time. And I believe was also a favourite of the excellent Cyclefree, late of this parish.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
I think you miss how important this fight is. This is the President saying he can ignore both the constitution and all the other arms of Government because he is President. If they don't take a stand on this then nothing else really matters.
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
They refused to obey a legal order from a federal court.
I’m not entirely sure anything that Trump has done - yet - is quite as bad as the Biden administration conspiring to conceal the origins of Covid, thereby lying to the American people - and the world - about the real reason 20 million people died and human civilisation was gravely damaged. Plus Biden has given a “pre-emptive pardon” to the man who probably personally funded the research that led to the lableak - and who then orchestrated the cover-up
This site gets incensed every few minutes by Donald Trump’s insane provocations and crazy economics. His flouting of legal precedents and outrageous menacing of allies
And the anger is justified. I wish Trump would fuck off
But this site wilfully forgets that the Dems and the American left are also devious evil shits, just in a different way. Hence, indeed, Trump’s election. The voters were given an historically tragic choice of terrible alternatives
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
Well, it kind of is because it's how we got here. Imagine Trump against Obama, or Bill Clinton (though come to think of it, beyond that, most of the Dem candidates of my lifetime have been rubbish).
It's an exercise in deflection. This horror is not one iota the responsibility of those who warned against it and fought for it not to happen.
Yes it is, a bit. Because if they'd put forward a decent candidate and/or tempered their own weirdness a bit and/or compromised with the American electorate, this wouldn't have happened. Trump is a direct consequence of Dem pigheadedness.
They did put forward a decent candidate but lost as incumbents everywhere were doing, mainly due to inflation. They bear zero responsibility for Trump. They fought a centre ground campaign (aka "compromising with the electorate") and bust a gut to stop him. This "oh but the Dems" thing is the purest hogwash. It's intellectually and morally sloppy.
Nah that's rubbish. We were all saying well before the election that if they didn't dump Biden they would lose. And then they managed to destroy any chance Harris might ever have had by messing up the handover.
Their choice of candidate was poor but survivable. The way they eventually got round to having her as the candidate handed the election to Trump.
Biden should have stuck to his promise to be a "bridge", yes I agree. He ought to have stood aside way earlier. That's part of a "reasons Trump won" analysis. There are loads of takes on this. Everybody has one. But the responsibility for Trump2 lies with those who campaigned and voted for it not with those who campaigned and voted against it.
It’s pretty clear now that the biggest danger to democracy is not the so called left wokists on steroids but right wingers who support Trump ,who only want free speech which they agree with and happily ignore the trashing of the courts which might make decisions they disagree with . You’d think Musk saying judges should be impeached because basically they’re simply following the law would set alarm bells ringing .
Not sure right wingers is the right word anymore.
These are anarchists. Wild revolutionaries who want to break everything for their own gain.
It’s pretty clear now that the biggest danger to democracy is not the so called left wokists on steroids but right wingers who support Trump ,who only want free speech which they agree with and happily ignore the trashing of the courts which might make decisions they disagree with . You’d think Musk saying judges should be impeached because basically they’re simply following the law would set alarm bells ringing .
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
The constitution says they can appeal the original ruling, all the way up to the Supreme Court.
It doesn't say they can ignore it and beg forgiveness from the Supreme Court later.
After publication, Leavitt issued a statement: "The Administration did not 'refuse to comply' with a court order. The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist TdA aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory."
"The written order and the Administration's actions do not conflict. Moreover, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly made clear — federal courts generally have no jurisdiction over the President's conduct of foreign affairs, his authorities under the Alien Enemies Act, and his core Article II powers to remove foreign alien terrorists from U.S. soil and repel a declared invasion," she wrote. "A single judge in a single city cannot direct the movements of an aircraft carrier full of foreign alien terrorists who were physically expelled from U.S. soil."
So now you’re using the clueless Leavitt as an authority on the US constitution. The same women who didn’t understand how tariffs work and spews out any old garbage from her boss .
I haven't read this Court Order yet, but Judges can issue an Order verbally from the bench. That happened the other day with the instruction given to DOGE to rehire people who had been thrown out of their jobs unlawfully.
It's the standard process of Trump - create facts on the ground, ignoring due process, before due process can apply.
There are normal standards and processes which apply before deportation, all of which were ignored.
This could have been done legally. That they chose to do it unlawfully reveals the motive.
When the pendulum inevitably swings back, it is going to be brutal about what Trump and his racist/misogynist ilk have been doing.
The MAGA plan is that there will be no pendulum. They will either steal or break it
For which they would need the military
What would make you think they won't have the military?
The military have to take an oath to the constitution as well as the President, though of course if they tried to cancel future elections inevitably most of the blue states would secede from the union
Has that ever happened without consent from the wider Union? I don't think it has.
The best known example triggered the Civil War iirc.
One of the most important observations of our time in my opinion.
"There is undoubtedly a tendency in modern society not to lift restrictions when they cease to be necessary, either because the risk has disappeared or because it never really existed in the first place.
Excessive caution is a malady of our times, and it is easy to see why. If a restriction is lifted and results in an increase in what the restriction was supposed to prevent, those who ordered the lifting of the restriction will be blamed; whereas, if the restriction is not lifted, no one will ever know that it is unnecessary, and so no one will be blamed. That is why it is easier to impose a restriction than to lift it."
The military have to take an oath to the constitution as well as the President, though of course if they tried to cancel future elections inevitably most of the blue states would secede from the union
Has that ever happened without consent from the wider Union? I don't think it has.
The best known example triggered the Civil War iirc.
Things have reached a point where the Red States would also be happy if the Blue States left. I think Republicans hate Democrats with a lot more intensity. Of course, there might still be a civil war over the Purple States.
Anyway, I still have hope that enough Republican Senators would find their backbone, and vote to impeach and remove Trump if he actually tries to cancel the 2026 or 2028 elections. If they don't, then the only two scenarios are either a military coup, or a civil war and breakup of the Union.
It’s pretty clear now that the biggest danger to democracy is not the so called left wokists on steroids but right wingers who support Trump ,who only want free speech which they agree with and happily ignore the trashing of the courts which might make decisions they disagree with . You’d think Musk saying judges should be impeached because basically they’re simply following the law would set alarm bells ringing .
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?
That speech is one of my favourite of all time. And I believe was also a favourite of the excellent Cyclefree, late of this parish.
It is a good speech, though of course the real Thomas More was happy with rigging the legal system to burn people who had slightly different views on trans issues.
(Transsubstantiation in this case).
The real Sir Thomas More would indeed have chopped down every law to strike at his religious enemies (as would Henry).
Anyway, a fascinating video that has brought me a little joy this morning: reading a >40 year old first-generation copy mastertape of "Sergeant Pepper", at Abbey Road studios.
I'm not a musicophile, and have never been near a studio, but it is fascinating how the old tech can still be used - with the addition of elastic bands and weights...
BBC: A former senior aide of Health Secretary Wes Streeting has resigned from his role as a Redbridge councillor after being convicted of indecent exposure.
Sam Gould, 33, pleaded guilty to two separate counts at Barkingside Magistrates' Court in Ilford on Monday.
Good morning from the Northern Lights lounge at Aberdeen Airport. Nice unexpected 2 hr+ delay to start the week. Always a bonus when you leave the house at 4am to get here on time.
Inbound arrived on time last night, annoying that we’re sat here stewing…
I’m sure that we will get a new thread before my sodding flight decides its ready to go. Until then I have been reading up thread and its fascinating to see the hoops that some posters are jumping through to maintain that woke and the left are the threats to democracy in the US and not Trump.
I get that people don’t like the overbearing way some of the unpopulist left have tried to change society. I agree with some of the objections. But for the people who think that Trump is saving America from Woke and DEI and Liberals and whatever bogeyman you hate, you do know that he’s literally destroying it as he “saves” it, yeah?
America is going to no longer be “woke”. Great. It will also no longer be America. Congratulations. The experiment in turning America into a theocracy will be fascinating to watch.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
I think you miss how important this fight is. This is the President saying he can ignore both the constitution and all the other arms of Government because he is President. If they don't take a stand on this then nothing else really matters.
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
They refused to obey a legal order from a federal court.
Did they?
The flight had already departed and was already in international waters.
A legal order saying "do not depart" is one thing, while still on the ground, a legal order saying "turn around" is something completely different.
Does the Judge have jurisdiction over a plane in international waters? If not, its not a legal order.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
Yes: Stephen Miller and the White House staff are being smart. They are disobeying a court order on an issue where most people will side with the President.
In order to establish the principle that the President can disappear people without any due process whatsoever.
Do we even know the identities of the 300, or do we just take the administration's statements as fact now ?
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
I think you miss how important this fight is. This is the President saying he can ignore both the constitution and all the other arms of Government because he is President. If they don't take a stand on this then nothing else really matters.
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
They refused to obey a legal order from a federal court.
Did they?
The flight had already departed and was already in international waters.
A legal order saying "do not depart" is one thing, while still on the ground, a legal order saying "turn around" is something completely different.
Does the Judge have jurisdiction over a plane in international waters? If not, it's not a legal order.
If it's American registered, when in international waters it is under US jurisdiction. So yes.
Would be hilarious if Leavitt were committed for contempt for the lies she has told.
It’s pretty clear now that the biggest danger to democracy is not the so called left wokists on steroids but right wingers who support Trump ,who only want free speech which they agree with and happily ignore the trashing of the courts which might make decisions they disagree with . You’d think Musk saying judges should be impeached because basically they’re simply following the law would set alarm bells ringing .
I respectfully disagree.
There is only one thing that matters, and everything else is subservient to this:
The people need to be able to evict their rulers.
When that goes, everything goes to shit.
Woke is shit. But so long as you can evict the wokists... well, then the damage they can do will be pretty minimal.
98% taxes on "unearned income" are pretty dumb. But so long as you can throw out those that implement them, then it'll be OK.
And on. And on. And on.
Nothing matters more than a system which forces governments to be accountable to their citizens.
Never throw away the system of democratic checks and balances for a little temporary benefit for "your side".
It’s pretty clear now that the biggest danger to democracy is not the so called left wokists on steroids but right wingers who support Trump ,who only want free speech which they agree with and happily ignore the trashing of the courts which might make decisions they disagree with . You’d think Musk saying judges should be impeached because basically they’re simply following the law would set alarm bells ringing .
I respectfully disagree.
There is only one thing that matters, and everything else is subservient to this:
The people need to be able to evict their rulers.
When that goes, everything goes to shit.
Woke is shit. But so long as you can evict the wokists... well, then the damage they can do will be pretty minimal.
98% taxes on "unearned income" are pretty dumb. But so long as you can throw out those that implement them, then it'll be OK.
And on. And on. And on.
Nothing matters more than a system which forces governments to be accountable to their citizens.
Never throw away the system of democratic checks and balances for a little temporary benefit for "your side".
It is worth remembering that the Republicans are so unpopular that even in 2024 when incumbents were suffering shattering losses everywhere they barely scraped a win, and in 2020 even with heavy vote rigging Trump was so unpopular he was humiliated.
If they end up destroying all the legal systems and processes that have kept their obsessions (not really ideologies) and politicians in the game at all they will regret it.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?
That speech is one of my favourite of all time. And I believe was also a favourite of the excellent Cyclefree, late of this parish.
It is a good speech, though of course the real Thomas More was happy with rigging the legal system to burn people who had slightly different views on trans issues.
(Transsubstantiation in this case).
The real Sir Thomas More would indeed have chopped down every law to strike at his religious enemies (as would Henry).
Yes - that's when kings held the full executive power, and everyone rise just found ways to make the law do their bidding.
It's great that those days are behind us, never to return, eh ?
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
I think you miss how important this fight is. This is the President saying he can ignore both the constitution and all the other arms of Government because he is President. If they don't take a stand on this then nothing else really matters.
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
They refused to obey a legal order from a federal court.
Did they?
The flight had already departed and was already in international waters.
A legal order saying "do not depart" is one thing, while still on the ground, a legal order saying "turn around" is something completely different.
Does the Judge have jurisdiction over a plane in international waters? If not, it's not a legal order.
If it's American registered, when in international waters it is under US jurisdiction. So yes.
Would be hilarious if Leavitt were committed for contempt for the lies she has told.
Privacy is increasingly coming under threat from the tech giants, who want as much data on you as possible. As these devices become increasingly hard to avoid, your own desired level of privacy becomes increasingly hard to maintain.
"Everything you say to your Echo will be sent to Amazon starting on March 28"
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice.
This is the only fight that matters.
Is Trump a King or not? Is he subject to the rule of law or not?
That is what is at stake.
I don't think the Democrats (and the Republican establishment) have any choice but to fight this one out. It's the red line and it's been crossed, regardless of the popularity of the policy.
If When they roll over I can't see them catching back up with Trump. He'll just swarm them with more law breaking and that will be that.
The Dems aren’t fighting this. The ACLU and Amnesty are. The Dems are focused on other matters (like a not very coherent response to the spending bill), and the Trump administration, sadly, is ignoring court rulings in other cases, not just over these flights to El Salvador.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
I think you miss how important this fight is. This is the President saying he can ignore both the constitution and all the other arms of Government because he is President. If they don't take a stand on this then nothing else really matters.
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
They refused to obey a legal order from a federal court.
Did they?
The flight had already departed and was already in international waters.
A legal order saying "do not depart" is one thing, while still on the ground, a legal order saying "turn around" is something completely different.
Does the Judge have jurisdiction over a plane in international waters? If not, it's not a legal order.
If it's American registered, when in international waters it is under US jurisdiction. So yes.
Would be hilarious if Leavitt were committed for contempt for the lies she has told.
Which takes us back to the heart of the matter.
Is the real law in America now anything other than what the President says it is? If it isn't, if the White House can spew some mumbo jumbo whilst doing whatever they like, they're already in the Bad Place.
That they are putting their opponents in a kind of political zugzwang whilst establishing a horrible precedent might be cunning, but it's not strictly relevant.
Privacy is increasingly coming under threat from the tech giants, who want as much data on you as possible. As these devices become increasingly hard to avoid, your own desired level of privacy becomes increasingly hard to maintain.
"Everything you say to your Echo will be sent to Amazon starting on March 28"
And from there to the CIA if the user is a parliamentarian, senior civil servant or diplomat. For this reason, oh hold on, I expect the government to do sod all about it.
It’s pretty clear now that the biggest danger to democracy is not the so called left wokists on steroids but right wingers who support Trump ,who only want free speech which they agree with and happily ignore the trashing of the courts which might make decisions they disagree with . You’d think Musk saying judges should be impeached because basically they’re simply following the law would set alarm bells ringing .
I respectfully disagree.
There is only one thing that matters, and everything else is subservient to this:
The people need to be able to evict their rulers.
When that goes, everything goes to shit.
Woke is shit. But so long as you can evict the wokists... well, then the damage they can do will be pretty minimal.
98% taxes on "unearned income" are pretty dumb. But so long as you can throw out those that implement them, then it'll be OK.
And on. And on. And on.
Nothing matters more than a system which forces governments to be accountable to their citizens.
Never throw away the system of democratic checks and balances for a little temporary benefit for "your side".
It is worth remembering that the Republicans are so unpopular that even in 2024 when incumbents were suffering shattering losses everywhere they barely scraped a win, and in 2020 even with heavy vote rigging Trump was so unpopular he was humiliated.
If they end up destroying all the legal systems and processes that have kept their obsessions (not really ideologies) and politicians in the game at all they will regret it.
And that leads to the question that should bother everyone.
How far (if at all) is this US government planning to give voters the chance to make the Republicans regret it?
That would only be a worry if their figurehead were obsessed with the idea that he didn't lose in 2020, or if some of the intellectual and financial backers had said that democracy is overrated.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
I think you miss how important this fight is. This is the President saying he can ignore both the constitution and all the other arms of Government because he is President. If they don't take a stand on this then nothing else really matters.
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
They refused to obey a legal order from a federal court.
Did they?
The flight had already departed and was already in international waters.
A legal order saying "do not depart" is one thing, while still on the ground, a legal order saying "turn around" is something completely different.
Does the Judge have jurisdiction over a plane in international waters? If not, it's not a legal order.
If it's American registered, when in international waters it is under US jurisdiction. So yes.
Would be hilarious if Leavitt were committed for contempt for the lies she has told.
Which takes us back to the heart of the matter.
Is the real law in America now anything other than what the President says it is? If it isn't, if the White House can spew some mumbo jumbo whilst doing whatever they like, they're already in the Bad Place.
That they are putting their opponents in a kind of political zugzwang whilst establishing a horrible precedent might be cunning, but it's not strictly relevant.
The question is what happens when “real law” comes into direct contradiction with actual law. And no, I don’t mean the President doing something mad / illegal. The courts will deal with that as far as they can (and then I expect him to simply set them aside).
I’m talking about when state x says “no” to Executive Order y. When the President crosses a line that one of the red states finds to be in direct violation of their laws and whatever basic decency they are prepared to defend.
Can the President order the federal government / agencies / armed forces to go up against a state who refuse to give fealty? And having issued said order will the government / agencies / armed forces follow that order, especially when its patently illegal / unconstitutional?
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It isn't important to remember that. It's a distraction from the point at issue.
Well, it kind of is because it's how we got here. Imagine Trump against Obama, or Bill Clinton (though come to think of it, beyond that, most of the Dem candidates of my lifetime have been rubbish).
It's an exercise in deflection. This horror is not one iota the responsibility of those who warned against it and fought for it not to happen.
Yes it is, a bit. Because if they'd put forward a decent candidate and/or tempered their own weirdness a bit and/or compromised with the American electorate, this wouldn't have happened. Trump is a direct consequence of Dem pigheadedness.
The Harris campaign “compromised with the American electorate” and faced down “Dem pigheadedness”. Most of the hard left positions that those on the right like to rail against were marginalised by Harris. (For example, Harris lost votes over the Biden administration’s position towards Israel/Palestine.)
Meanwhile, the Republicans embraced the pigheadedness on their side.
And the Republicans won (narrowly). So, I think your analysis is dubious. Pigheadedness worked for Trump. Dogwhistles galore worked for Trump. Lying worked for Trump. Inflation is probably what hurt the Democrats the most.
We can, and I’m sure will, go on debating what happened in the 2024 election, but whatever did happen, the reality is that Trump is now in power and Trump is choosing to abuse that power.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
I think you miss how important this fight is. This is the President saying he can ignore both the constitution and all the other arms of Government because he is President. If they don't take a stand on this then nothing else really matters.
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
They refused to obey a legal order from a federal court.
Did they?
The flight had already departed and was already in international waters.
A legal order saying "do not depart" is one thing, while still on the ground, a legal order saying "turn around" is something completely different.
Does the Judge have jurisdiction over a plane in international waters? If not, it's not a legal order.
If it's American registered, when in international waters it is under US jurisdiction. So yes.
Would be hilarious if Leavitt were committed for contempt for the lies she has told.
Which takes us back to the heart of the matter.
Is the real law in America now anything other than what the President says it is? If it isn't, if the White House can spew some mumbo jumbo whilst doing whatever they like, they're already in the Bad Place.
That they are putting their opponents in a kind of political zugzwang whilst establishing a horrible precedent might be cunning, but it's not strictly relevant.
Are you sure they are not beyond that stage and now heading for world King. Discussing the carving up of Ukraine and which countries can have what technology seems that the limits of overreach haven't been met yet.
Privacy is increasingly coming under threat from the tech giants, who want as much data on you as possible. As these devices become increasingly hard to avoid, your own desired level of privacy becomes increasingly hard to maintain.
"Everything you say to your Echo will be sent to Amazon starting on March 28"
And from there to the CIA if the user is a parliamentarian, senior civil servant or diplomat. For this reason, oh hold on, I expect the government to do sod all about it.
The thing is, I don't get why people *like* this technology; why they find it useful. Yes, it's cool; yes, it may save a few seconds; but the costs and risks seem to far outweigh being able to set a timer for dinner instead of using the one in-built into the cooker, or turn the lights off via voice rather than walking over to the light switch.
Aside from a few rare use-cases, it seems so unnecessary. But perhaps I'm unusual in thinking that.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
I think you miss how important this fight is. This is the President saying he can ignore both the constitution and all the other arms of Government because he is President. If they don't take a stand on this then nothing else really matters.
They say they want to take it to the Supreme Court. How is that ignoring the constitution?
They refused to obey a legal order from a federal court.
Did they?
The flight had already departed and was already in international waters.
A legal order saying "do not depart" is one thing, while still on the ground, a legal order saying "turn around" is something completely different.
Does the Judge have jurisdiction over a plane in international waters? If not, its not a legal order.
The judge’s written order was “do not depart”, but didn’t say anything about “turn around”. The judge verbally said “turn around”. This may create some wriggle room for the administration.
The judge does appear to have jurisdiction over the plane in international waters. We also don’t know whether the Trump administration is telling the truth about the plane being in international waters at that point. They’re wholesale lying about all sorts of things.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol · 20m 🚨🚨🚨 So we're hitting a crisis point, with the apparent evasion of court orders on deportations and immigration, plus shutting down agencies, canceling grants, and firing civil servants contrary to law. And claims from DOJ that Article II of the Constitution enables autocracy.
Trump has done some mad stupid shit these last weeks, but deporting violent Venezuelan gangsters to El Salvador is not one of them. It’s also bound to be popular. Are the Dems really gonna fight on THIS hill?
Putting aside who was being deported are you comfortable with governments ignoring the courts ? This time you agree with the decision because of who’s being deported . It doesn’t matter if the decision is popular or not . Next time it might be a decision you disagree with , what if Labour just ignored the courts here . Would you be okay with that ?
I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs, I’m just saying so much mad stuff is coming out of the White House the democrats need to pick and choose their fights, and this seems a really unwise choice. They might even boost Trump’s popularity
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
Yes: Stephen Miller and the White House staff are being smart. They are disobeying a court order on an issue where most people will side with the President.
Yup, more than anything else, this will make the justice system look ridiculous that there are judges attempting to circumvent the deportation of 200 highly dangerous gang members.
I agree that the principle of the executive ignoring or overriding the judiciary is dangerous, yet I can't get exercised about the why and I think if you ask average Americans they'll agree and question why there's a judge attempting to protect these gang members who aren't citizens and have been responsible for murders, rapes, assaults and many other violent crimes.
They are polling badly because they are currently enabling Trusk
If they started fighting back their numbers would go up
It's a bit like people claiming Labour are unpopular because of the two-tier conspiracy or for being woke - the kind of people who think that never liked Labour in the first place, and therefore cannot have contributed to their ratings nosediving.
(The same goes for the Conservatives. They were always unpopular among the left - it was letting right wing voters down on immigration that ruined their ratings).
Comments
When marvelling at the horrors coming out of the Trump admin (and there are many) it’s important to remember that the American Left is deeply stupid, mendacious, greedy, narcissistic and hypocritical
It is Suthull if you grew up in the town before the late 1970s. It was always known as Suthull before then. It is also Suthulll if you come from the wider area as that was the name it always had.
It is South Well if you moved into the town in the 1980s onwards as it became more gentrified (and expensive). The incomers didn't like how common Suthull sounded.
A few miles away there is also Norwell - known to everyone including the South Well snobs as Norull.
Catching covid first time in spring 2020
Moderna top up vaccinations
Catching covid second time in summer 2024
AZ vaccinations
A few people I know suffered adverse effects from the MRNA vaccines and I would not have them again.
These are anarchists. Wild revolutionaries who want to break everything for their own gain.
Is Trump a King or not? Is he subject to the rule of law or not?
That is what is at stake.
It doesn't say they can ignore it and beg forgiveness from the Supreme Court later.
@EuromaidanPR
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1h
Czech government now officially proposes Radio Free Europe to be funded by the EU.
https://x.com/EuromaidanPR
"The written order and the Administration's actions do not conflict. Moreover, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly made clear — federal courts generally have no jurisdiction over the President's conduct of foreign affairs, his authorities under the Alien Enemies Act, and his core Article II powers to remove foreign alien terrorists from U.S. soil and repel a declared invasion," she wrote.
"A single judge in a single city cannot direct the movements of an aircraft carrier full of foreign alien terrorists who were physically expelled from U.S. soil."
"I would be faithful."
"Richard, You couldn't answer for yourself even so far as tonight."
IfWhen they roll over I can't see them catching back up with Trump. He'll just swarm them with more law breaking and that will be that.But that's not the point- or rather the point is bigger than that. Either unattractive bad people are protected under the law, or nobody is. Deviant sex memoirists, to take a random example, won't be at the top of the list for rounding up when the revolution comes, but they won't be at the bottom either.
Others are hitting on far more sympathetic cases like the Lebanese organ transplant doctor deported despite having a visa.
Kristol, a longtime Republican is pointing out the problems with just defying the courts entirely if you don't like it. To wit, whether you think the specific case is popular or not, opens up a whole can of worms about the rule of law, whereby you might not like the end result. Because it underpins why lots of people you want put their faith in the US to live and do business in.
As I gather it the Trump administration are basing their justification on the fact the flights were outside the US above international waters, so the ruling didn't apply, which could errrr...be rather interesting if widely taken up as a principle.
I'd add that it's now 2025 and Democrat politicians should actually be far more concerned about their base right now than a 2029 GE.
Firstly as a liable to get primaried by enraged upstarts - what the Tea Party and then Trump did to the GOP are a lesson in that respect. Their establishment tried to moderate their views after getting trounced by Obama but got crucified by their base.
Secondly, because Trump 2: Elon Boogaloo seems liable to go one of two ways - neither of which is politics as usual, Either it reaches a degree of equilibrium, in which case the Dems are likely in huge trouble and fighting for relevance anyway given Trump's plans to rig the system and institutions in his movement's favour. Or it crashes and burns, in which case those likely to profit are the first movers who can say they opposed all the madness in its totality.
This site gets incensed every few minutes by Donald
Trump’s insane provocations and crazy economics. His flouting of legal precedents and outrageous menacing of allies
And the anger is justified. I wish Trump would fuck off
But this site wilfully forgets that the Dems and the American left are also devious evil shits, just in a different way. Hence, indeed, Trump’s election. The voters were given an historically tragic choice of terrible alternatives
So if a Judge issues a bench warrant for Musk's arrest if he refuses to attend court when summoned to give evidence. it would be US Marshals who go to fetch him.
Their primary function is to implement the rulings of the Court, but who's instructions would prevail?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAI959G9AjA
" Willie Nelson - Time of the Preacher (Live From Austin City Limits, 1976) "
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/16/politics/cnn-poll-democrats/index.html
Trump is a fucking maniac - with his polling looking shaky - but the Democrats are easily as despised, if not more so. And devoid of leadership
Ergo they have a difficult task and need to pick fights they can win with public opinion behind them
“Illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border are down to their lowest level in decades. Once-crowded migrant shelters are empty. Instead of heading north, people stranded in Mexico are starting to return home in bigger numbers.
The border is almost unrecognizable from just a couple of years ago, when hundreds of thousands of people from around the world were crossing into the United States every month in scenes of chaos and upheaval.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/16/world/americas/mexico-trump-migration.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
I predict these severe measures will be copied in Europe
(Transsubstantiation in this case).
https://x.com/geiger_capital/status/1901279117330309479
Their choice of candidate was poor but survivable. The way they eventually got round to having her as the candidate handed the election to Trump.
The Monarch is the actual person who is answerable to no-one else.
The problem in the United States is that the framers of the constitution intended the President to be answerable to Congress, but is now de-facto answerable to no-one, because he has total control of the members of his party in the Congress.
If anybody else controlled it, it would not have been looted to pay Trump's personal legal bills last year.
of vindication.
See also
https://waleedshahid.substack.com/p/the-ceo-coup-how-musk-is-making-yarvins
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/red-pill-prince-curtis-yarvin
https://www.reddit.com/r/neoliberal/comments/1du2e35/curtis_yarvin_a_farright_intellectual_had_already/?rdt=53066
It's the standard process of Trump - create facts on the ground, ignoring due process, before due process can apply.
There are normal standards and processes which apply before deportation, all of which were ignored.
This could have been done legally. That they chose to do it unlawfully reveals the motive.
The best known example triggered the Civil War iirc.
"There is undoubtedly a tendency in modern society not to lift restrictions when they cease to be necessary, either because the risk has disappeared or because it never really existed in the first place.
Excessive caution is a malady of our times, and it is easy to see why. If a restriction is lifted and results in an increase in what the restriction was supposed to prevent, those who ordered the lifting of the restriction will be blamed; whereas, if the restriction is not lifted, no one will ever know that it is unnecessary, and so no one will be blamed. That is why it is easier to impose a restriction than to lift it."
https://www.theoldie.co.uk/article/the-doctors-surgery-how-to-keep-oldies-in-the-driving-seat-by-dr-theodore-dalrymple
Anyway, I still have hope that enough Republican Senators would find their backbone, and vote to impeach and remove Trump if he actually tries to cancel the 2026 or 2028 elections. If they don't, then the only two scenarios are either a military coup, or a civil war and breakup of the Union.
I'm not a musicophile, and have never been near a studio, but it is fascinating how the old tech can still be used - with the addition of elastic bands and weights...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4e-baQtWxQ
BBC: A former senior aide of Health Secretary Wes Streeting has resigned from his role as a Redbridge councillor after being convicted of indecent exposure.
Sam Gould, 33, pleaded guilty to two separate counts at Barkingside Magistrates' Court in Ilford on Monday.
Inbound arrived on time last night, annoying that we’re sat here stewing…
I get that people don’t like the overbearing way some of the unpopulist left have tried to change society. I agree with some of the objections. But for the people who think that Trump is saving America from Woke and DEI and Liberals and whatever bogeyman you hate, you do know that he’s literally destroying it as he “saves” it, yeah?
America is going to no longer be “woke”. Great. It will also no longer be America. Congratulations. The experiment in turning America into a theocracy will be fascinating to watch.
And yes. Not guaranteed but right now they have the best car and two very good drivers.
At Spain, eight race of 24, rules are tightening which means flexi-wings are banned, and McLaren are thought to have the best of these.
Right now, I'm pretty content with 14 on Piastri each way (top 3 pays out).
Four times more buy-to-let firms than fast-food shops now registered at Companies House as landlords switch set-up to cut tax payments
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/mar/17/buy-to-let-firms-become-biggest-single-type-of-business-in-uk-data-shows
The flight had already departed and was already in international waters.
A legal order saying "do not depart" is one thing, while still on the ground, a legal order saying "turn around" is something completely different.
Does the Judge have jurisdiction over a plane in international waters? If not, its not a legal order.
Do we even know the identities of the 300, or do we just take the administration's statements as fact now ?
Would be hilarious if Leavitt were committed for contempt for the lies she has told.
The people need to be able to evict their rulers.
When that goes, everything goes to shit.
Woke is shit. But so long as you can evict the wokists... well, then the damage they can do will be pretty minimal.
98% taxes on "unearned income" are pretty dumb. But so long as you can throw out those that implement them, then it'll be OK.
And on. And on. And on.
Nothing matters more than a system which forces governments to be accountable to their citizens.
Never throw away the system of democratic checks and balances for a little temporary benefit for "your side".
If they end up destroying all the legal systems and processes that have kept their obsessions (not really ideologies) and politicians in the game at all they will regret it.
It's great that those days are behind us, never to return, eh ?
"Everything you say to your Echo will be sent to Amazon starting on March 28"
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/everything-you-say-to-your-echo-will-be-sent-to-amazon-starting-on-march-28/
Is the real law in America now anything other than what the President says it is? If it isn't, if the White House can spew some mumbo jumbo whilst doing whatever they like, they're already in the Bad Place.
That they are putting their opponents in a kind of political zugzwang whilst establishing a horrible precedent might be cunning, but it's not strictly relevant.
https://bsky.app/profile/annabower.bsky.social/post/3lkkeirzq3s2c
How far (if at all) is this US government planning to give voters the chance to make the Republicans regret it?
That would only be a worry if their figurehead were obsessed with the idea that he didn't lose in 2020, or if some of the intellectual and financial backers had said that democracy is overrated.
Oh.
I’m talking about when state x says “no” to Executive Order y. When the President crosses a line that one of the red states finds to be in direct violation of their laws and whatever basic decency they are prepared to defend.
Can the President order the federal government / agencies / armed forces to go up against a state who refuse to give fealty? And having issued said order will the government / agencies / armed forces follow that order, especially when its patently illegal / unconstitutional?
Such a clash is coming.
If they started fighting back their numbers would go up
Meanwhile, the Republicans embraced the pigheadedness on their side.
And the Republicans won (narrowly). So, I think your analysis is dubious. Pigheadedness worked for Trump. Dogwhistles galore worked for Trump. Lying worked for Trump. Inflation is probably what hurt the Democrats the most.
We can, and I’m sure will, go on debating what happened in the 2024 election, but whatever did happen, the reality is that Trump is now in power and Trump is choosing to abuse that power.
Aside from a few rare use-cases, it seems so unnecessary. But perhaps I'm unusual in thinking that.
The judge does appear to have jurisdiction over the plane in international waters. We also don’t know whether the Trump administration is telling the truth about the plane being in international waters at that point. They’re wholesale lying about all sorts of things.
NEW THREAD
I agree that the principle of the executive ignoring or overriding the judiciary is dangerous, yet I can't get exercised about the why and I think if you ask average Americans they'll agree and question why there's a judge attempting to protect these gang members who aren't citizens and have been responsible for murders, rapes, assaults and many other violent crimes.
(The same goes for the Conservatives. They were always unpopular among the left - it was letting right wing voters down on immigration that ruined their ratings).