This text is a reminder why for example Gandhi warned about how the government and public institutions can be misused when law = institutions , rather than daily community relations
As he checks the boxes of every authoritarian consolidating power, Americans continue to focus their attention on reality tv, to laugh at his use of makeup and parodies of him on SNL and to tell themselves it won't happen here.
It is imperative that Trumps authoritarian, Stalinesque moves get rejected at every judicial level, including and most especially by SCOTUS. That is the only hope we have for reining Trump and his MAGA henchmen in.
Is this the "Lawfare" about which he so bitterly complained? Authoritarian playbook rules being followed once again. Even his executive order from February 18, 2025 qualifies -
Presidential Actions
Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies
The White House. February 18, 2025
Sec. 7. Rules of Conduct Guiding Federal Employees’ Interpretation of the Law. The President and the Attorney General, subject to the President’s supervision and control, shall provide authoritative interpretations of law for the executive branch.
In other words, the law is exclusively interpreted by the president and no other opinion will be tolerated. Once the authoritarian empties the courts of capable representation and assumes absolute authority over what the law says, there will be no need for a legal system. Just like the legislative branch.
There is no easy way to combat this if you are a big law firm, unless you can find another big firm that has not been targeted to strike down these EO’s as unconstitutional. Unless….maybe having a big firm like Perkins hire a sole practitioner, with big law working quietly in the background, to file all of these before judge Howell or judge Chutkin as they roll out? Heck, a law student with special certification can probably file it, which would look pretty good on one’s resume after graduation, especially if they won.
As long as the request included granting a stay of any enforcement pending appeal by the WH, this could keep all these firms humming along, as long as Trump’s people obeyed the order. While Trump may have presidential immunity (though likely not for this, I believe, as there is no policy reason for this petty, vindictive behavior—he;s just exacting retribution on his enemies), those working for him or on his behalf do not enjoy such immunity, and would risk contempt, monetary penalties and imprisonment for failure to comply with any order.
The good thing about big law is that it can be pretty nimble, creative and fast when it needs to be. Associates are more like soldiers than anything else, and are willing to work 20 hour days to crank out first class product for as long as it takes to win. Most government employees don’t do this—and with the DOJ gutted, the ones who are left will be mediocre, overwhelmed or both.
Steele maintained that the raw intelligence set out in his memoranda would be found to be 70 or so percent true. In light of recent events, I would say his score has just shot way up.
This is the result of electing a low-IQ piece of human detritus President. You don't think that the Mango Mussolini is remotely smart enough to come up with these bits of revenge on his own, do you?
1)Trumps EO’s against law firms who made his life difficult by doing their jobs better than his lawyers did (note to Trump—maybe actually pay your lawyers if you want to keep the good ones), was nothing but petty vindictiveness and thus a violation of his oath of office, and
2) Judge Beryl Howell needs to be our next SCOTUS nominee. That judge gets it right Every. Single. Time.
The Perkins and Covington cases will undoubtedly end up in the Supreme Court and it should be interesting to see if they revisit US v Trump, the case that gave him unlimited leeway in matters under Article II.
The issuance of security clearances fits that bill and hopefully some of the Justices (I have no hope for Alito and Thomas) will re-think the issue of the President's intent when exercising that authority.
I love the comment by President Trump announcing they are going after more law firms because they were very dishonest people. That is the most laughable and saddest statement ever. He probably would have been able to retain premier law firms if he didn't have the reputation of not paying the bills of his legal representation.
Trump is threatening allies, arresting opponents, intensifying his tariff threats, and attacking law firms. The pandemonium will continue until the world outside his head is as chaotic as the world inside his head. Trump only feels less agitated when the world around him is chaotic. That’s why he creates chaos.
In the natural world, organisms seek equilibrium, balance, homeostasis. Trump is an entropic organism. He maintains internal order by disgorging disorder into the world around him. Trump reaches homeostasis not by reducing his internal chaos but by increasing external chaos.
A useful analogy is temperature regulation. If you are cold, you can reduce your discomfort by exercise, raising your body temperature. Or you can put on more clothes. Trump puts on more clothes, ideally stolen clothes, because only when he causes others to suffer does he himself feel anything approaching pleasure.
“…We have a lot of law firms that we’re going to be going after because they were very dishonest people….” Yeah, not like good honest respected lawyers like Roy Cohn was!!!
You’re right. In military terms, it would be like Generals, who know they can’t win on the battlefield, bombing their enemy’s energy infrastructure, food supply, and water supply to starve them out. Dirty politics are reaching their ugliest under Donald Trump, who is doing politically what a mob boss would be doing gangland style.
This text is a reminder why for example Gandhi warned about how the government and public institutions can be misused when law = institutions , rather than daily community relations
As he checks the boxes of every authoritarian consolidating power, Americans continue to focus their attention on reality tv, to laugh at his use of makeup and parodies of him on SNL and to tell themselves it won't happen here.
If Doge was serious about saving taxpayers money, simply deport Trump and Musk .
This is very dangerous
And what a brilliant king we have been given through the combined wisdom of SCOTUS and the oligarchy.
It is imperative that Trumps authoritarian, Stalinesque moves get rejected at every judicial level, including and most especially by SCOTUS. That is the only hope we have for reining Trump and his MAGA henchmen in.
Is this the "Lawfare" about which he so bitterly complained? Authoritarian playbook rules being followed once again. Even his executive order from February 18, 2025 qualifies -
Presidential Actions
Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies
The White House. February 18, 2025
Sec. 7. Rules of Conduct Guiding Federal Employees’ Interpretation of the Law. The President and the Attorney General, subject to the President’s supervision and control, shall provide authoritative interpretations of law for the executive branch.
In other words, the law is exclusively interpreted by the president and no other opinion will be tolerated. Once the authoritarian empties the courts of capable representation and assumes absolute authority over what the law says, there will be no need for a legal system. Just like the legislative branch.
Accusing past governments of what you plan to do is also standard-issue authoritarianism.
There is no easy way to combat this if you are a big law firm, unless you can find another big firm that has not been targeted to strike down these EO’s as unconstitutional. Unless….maybe having a big firm like Perkins hire a sole practitioner, with big law working quietly in the background, to file all of these before judge Howell or judge Chutkin as they roll out? Heck, a law student with special certification can probably file it, which would look pretty good on one’s resume after graduation, especially if they won.
As long as the request included granting a stay of any enforcement pending appeal by the WH, this could keep all these firms humming along, as long as Trump’s people obeyed the order. While Trump may have presidential immunity (though likely not for this, I believe, as there is no policy reason for this petty, vindictive behavior—he;s just exacting retribution on his enemies), those working for him or on his behalf do not enjoy such immunity, and would risk contempt, monetary penalties and imprisonment for failure to comply with any order.
The good thing about big law is that it can be pretty nimble, creative and fast when it needs to be. Associates are more like soldiers than anything else, and are willing to work 20 hour days to crank out first class product for as long as it takes to win. Most government employees don’t do this—and with the DOJ gutted, the ones who are left will be mediocre, overwhelmed or both.
Steele maintained that the raw intelligence set out in his memoranda would be found to be 70 or so percent true. In light of recent events, I would say his score has just shot way up.
This is the result of electing a low-IQ piece of human detritus President. You don't think that the Mango Mussolini is remotely smart enough to come up with these bits of revenge on his own, do you?
Two things here are pretty clear:
1)Trumps EO’s against law firms who made his life difficult by doing their jobs better than his lawyers did (note to Trump—maybe actually pay your lawyers if you want to keep the good ones), was nothing but petty vindictiveness and thus a violation of his oath of office, and
2) Judge Beryl Howell needs to be our next SCOTUS nominee. That judge gets it right Every. Single. Time.
The Perkins and Covington cases will undoubtedly end up in the Supreme Court and it should be interesting to see if they revisit US v Trump, the case that gave him unlimited leeway in matters under Article II.
The issuance of security clearances fits that bill and hopefully some of the Justices (I have no hope for Alito and Thomas) will re-think the issue of the President's intent when exercising that authority.
I love the comment by President Trump announcing they are going after more law firms because they were very dishonest people. That is the most laughable and saddest statement ever. He probably would have been able to retain premier law firms if he didn't have the reputation of not paying the bills of his legal representation.
Trump is threatening allies, arresting opponents, intensifying his tariff threats, and attacking law firms. The pandemonium will continue until the world outside his head is as chaotic as the world inside his head. Trump only feels less agitated when the world around him is chaotic. That’s why he creates chaos.
In the natural world, organisms seek equilibrium, balance, homeostasis. Trump is an entropic organism. He maintains internal order by disgorging disorder into the world around him. Trump reaches homeostasis not by reducing his internal chaos but by increasing external chaos.
A useful analogy is temperature regulation. If you are cold, you can reduce your discomfort by exercise, raising your body temperature. Or you can put on more clothes. Trump puts on more clothes, ideally stolen clothes, because only when he causes others to suffer does he himself feel anything approaching pleasure.
“…We have a lot of law firms that we’re going to be going after because they were very dishonest people….” Yeah, not like good honest respected lawyers like Roy Cohn was!!!
You’re right. In military terms, it would be like Generals, who know they can’t win on the battlefield, bombing their enemy’s energy infrastructure, food supply, and water supply to starve them out. Dirty politics are reaching their ugliest under Donald Trump, who is doing politically what a mob boss would be doing gangland style.