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Congressional Democrats have pushed for ethics reform legislation, efforts publicly rejected by Samuel Alito

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[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 172 points 1 year ago

They can call for him to resign all they want. He won't. And he doesn't have to. We have a SCOTUS who is accountable to no one and can get away with anything. They're like the Mullahs of Iran.

[-] agressivelyPassive@feddit.de 28 points 1 year ago

I'm not American, so maybe that's a stupid question, but is there really nothing the rest of the government can do about it?

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 62 points 1 year ago

Maybe if congress got its shit together they could impeach him, but that won't happen.

[-] kescusay@lemmy.world 59 points 1 year ago

Bingo. Each branch is supposed to act as a check on the power of the other two, but the current Congress would rather use its impeachment power to go after Hunter Biden - excuse me, Joe Biden - for being a Democrat.

By all rights, Thomas should have earned immediate impeachment and removal the moment his frequent acceptance of bribes came to light. But bribery is no scandal for Republicans anymore. For most of their supporters, literally the only crime a Republican can commit is agreeing with a Democrat on anything.

[-] lateraltwo@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

This is Hunter Biden's America, smh

[-] evatronic@lemm.ee 16 points 1 year ago

Not as long as Democrats' voters stay home because "both parties are the same" and Republicans ' voters turn out in droves.

Stop electing Republicans and you'll see a lot of problems solved.

[-] PreachHard@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I think you really overestimate the "both parties are the same" group/impact. The Dems need to do more to capture and inspire votes. Stop blaming people for not voting for them. You're supposed to earn their vote with good policy. It's not good enough to just be not as shite as the republicans.

[-] whofearsthenight@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

I don't think they are under-estimating, or even close. It's like taking a solid b student and grading them next to the kid eating paint chips and torturing small animals and pretending it's the same. Even in modern times, look at economic accomplishments of this admin, legislative accomplishments, etc. Fighting for things like a higher min wage (though it failed.)

Stop blaming people for not voting for them.

Fuck no. Every time in my life we've voted in Republicans it's led to one catastrophe or another. Sure you can make an argument that Dems need to be pushed to the left, but the choices are between:

a) the party who isn't improving your life fast enough
b) the party these days that are literal fascists responsible for multiple financial collapses at this point, millions dead from wars they start, failure to manage a pandemic, extreme wealth concentration, that is looking at our planet on fire and still doesn't meaningfully acknowledge that our policy is causing it. Book bans, loss of bodily autonomy for half of the country, destroying education, ensuring discrimination in law, bringing back child labor.

If you're voting republican in 2023 or not voting democrat, you're a sociopath, billionaire (whoops said the same thing twice), or a fucking moron*. There is no path to a more progressive country that comes through allowing fascists to burn it all down.

* I suppose I could more charitably say "extremely, profoundly ignorant in a way that almost has to be a choice at this point."

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[-] Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world 31 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Ironically, in an attempt to make SCOTUS as non-political as possible, our Constitution sets a very high threshhold for removal of a sitting federal judge. You need 67 out of 100 Senators to vote for removal. Our senate is roughly 50/50 split, give or take a couple of people, divided almost evenly between the two parties. And those parties are so deeply divided that it's all but impossible to get up to the 67 people needed to remove a judge, making the threat of impeachment toothless. Any Republican right now who would side with Democrats to remove a Republican judge would be committing political suicide.

In other words, yes, Clarence Thomas can continue to receive bribes with literal impunity. The only other non-partisan methods of removing him are referral to our Department of Justice for a criminal inquiry. But our current leader of the DOJ is a spineless coward afraid of his own shadow, and even if he were to act, the entire process of investigation, charges, trial, impeachment, and removal would take so long that he'd likely be dead of old age before he was removed.

[-] Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 27 points 1 year ago

to make SCOTUS as non-political as possible

The most ironic thing about this phrase is the fact that judges have to say which party they root for.

[-] GlitchyDigiBun@lemmy.dbzer0.com 22 points 1 year ago

There are checks and balances. They only work when the government operates in good faith.

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[-] mookulator@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

They have to expand and term limit SCOTUS. Dilute his power, incentivize good behavior and force him out eventually

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[-] DragonAce@lemmy.world 115 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

We've known this dude was a piece of shit since the Anita Hill trial in the 90's. This motherfucker has been corrupt since the start, he doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself, just like every other rich fuck in this country. So hes not the exception here by any means, he just didn't really make much of an effort to hide it.

[-] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 30 points 1 year ago

He doesn't care, and none of the elite/handlers do, because it took 25 years for the blatant corruption to be exposed and make national headlines.

I could understand if it took a few years, but 20+ reinforces what most of us already know; journalism is a captured industry, and most "news" exists as a for-profit tool to manufacture consent.

[-] Krakatoa@lemmy.film 7 points 1 year ago

Keep us all angry and afraid fighting with each other while the plutocracy consolidates more resources and power.

[-] ScrollinMyDayAway@lemm.ee 79 points 1 year ago

And since his wife was active in the plot to overthrow the government, it's a safe bet he was in the know as well.

[-] assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world 39 points 1 year ago

I'm really hoping she's the unnamed "political advisor" that the special counsel is looking at to possibly charge.

[-] LeadSoldier@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

So many good possibilities. I'd be happy with Trump's wife or any of his kids too.

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[-] ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world 58 points 1 year ago

I don’t understand how this isn’t a criminal matter. If nothing else, it violates the Ethics in Government Act. Is there no law against soliciting and accepting bribes?

[-] Sethayy@sh.itjust.works 27 points 1 year ago

BRIBES yes, but gifts cause he's a super special boy? Not at all.

But like really you can't fix busted to hell, the system is corrupt to the top and taking out one mouthpiece won't change that

[-] horrorslice@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago

The Supreme Court is the only arm of the federal judiciary that is not bound by a code of ethics.

I read that in the article and learned something new.

Apparently they are above the law.

[-] Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

I don’t understand how this isn’t a criminal matter. If nothing else, it violates the Ethics in Government Act. Is there no law against soliciting and accepting bribes?

This was discussed yesterday on one of the talking heads shows. The problem is that there's little to nothing in the act regarding enforcement or punishment. So basically, it comes down to this:

EIGA: Don't accept bribes. Bribes are bad.
Thomas: Nah, I'll take them anyway. What are you going to do about it. EIGA: .....

Even if he were to be found guilty of a crime, it would be up to Congress to enforce the Constitutional provision about being in good standing. Which puts us right back to where we are now: If congress were willing to do that, they'd already be doing it and we wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place.

[-] krayj@sh.itjust.works 46 points 1 year ago

He should not be allowed to resign.

He should be censured, impeached, stripped of title and power, then replaced....and ultimately charged and tried.

[-] AccurstDemon@sopuli.xyz 39 points 1 year ago

Fuck corrupt politicians, in the ass, with a cactus

[-] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago
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[-] z3rOR0ne@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I'd prefer to fuck them with a dildo laden with fishing hooks, but to each their own.

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[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 38 points 1 year ago

As if this piece of shit would ever resign. He has immense power. He loves it. He'll never give it up. And he revels in our inability to do fuck-all about it.

[-] BilboBargains@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago

Is there any corner of American politics and business that isn't corrupt?

[-] Hype@lemm.ee 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

We don't use that word. Corruption and bribery sounds icky.

Try lobbying instead.

Well, there's Bernie Sanders and...

Well, there's Bernie Sanders.

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[-] Sabata11792@kbin.social 10 points 1 year ago

Nope, all working as designed.

[-] WorldieBoi@lemmy.world 29 points 1 year ago

At least lock up his sedition wife.

[-] DogMuffins@discuss.tchncs.de 23 points 1 year ago

Fuck this guy.

If it's all above board why didn't he declare it all when the first gift was revealed?

[-] stormtrooper@sopuli.xyz 13 points 1 year ago

Motherfucker doesn’t care. Fuck that guy and his wife. Fuck

[-] Kaliax@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 1 year ago

Traitors, both he and his wife.

[-] lasagna@programming.dev 8 points 1 year ago

Are those judges above the law? What a weird system.

[-] SheeEttin@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

No, but about half of the Senate isn't going to hold him accountable.

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this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2023
1346 points (100.0% liked)

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