US Supreme Court to Move to the Right

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fountainhall

US Supreme Court to Move to the Right

Post by fountainhall »

firecat69 wrote:The Supreme Court will demolish all the advances made in the last 25 years if they get another appointee by Trump! If I did pray, it would be that Kennedy does not retire.
In the main Trump thread, firecat69 anticipated what has now happened. With Justice Kennedy retiring next month, Trump - and especially Pence - are relishing the fact that they can now put an arch conservative on to the bench to the delight of the evangelicals in their base. The USA will now experience many changes unless the Democrats remain united to a man/woman and a couple or more moderate Republicans join them.
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Re: US Supreme Court to Move to the Right

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One of the first worries, based on news media reports, is the Roe vs Wade decision. That is the decision that protects women's abortion rights.

Those not familiar with that case, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade

To me, the most worrisome part is the fact that Supreme Court justices are appointed for life, which means a far right Supreme Court could easily outlast the Trump presidency for decades - and when legal challenges reach the Supreme Court, they can not only rule in favor of the far right, but could also overturn any previous rulings the court ever made.

If Ginsburg also retires or passes on during Trump's presidency, don't be surprised is most, if not all, of the advances of LGBT rights end up overturned too and don't expect any new advances either. I have a feeling whoever Trump appoints to the Supreme Court will be some asshole who makes Scalia look like a liberal.

Ready for police to start raiding gay bars and beating people again? Ready for same sex marriages to prohibited and current same sex marriages to be annulled? Ready to be arrested in your own bedroom for having gay sex? Ready to be excluded from certain jobs on the basis of being gay? Ready to live in fear? I don't think it's farfetched to believe those, and more possibilities, potentially could happen - and if you are gay and living in the USA, you better be prepared for it.

I'm definitely glad I'm living in Thailand. If I ever return to the USA I doubt I would even be able to recognize the country I grew up in.
fountainhall

Re: US Supreme Court to Move to the Right

Post by fountainhall »

I have never understood the US political system. I thought there were supposed to be three more or less independent branches of government - legislative, administrative and judicial. Yet when the President has the power to appoint Supreme Court justices and his party has a majority in the Senate, he has the power to alter the balance of the Court and hence in the direction of the country in so many matters for decades after he has had to leave office.

From what I am hearing this morning, in the 2016 election far more of those who voted Republican were aware of the Supreme Court factor than Democrats. Equally, is it fair to ask why Obama and his party did not pay more attention to the Court whilst they had control of the senate, the more so as they knew full well that one Democrat appointee had turned 80 and another was well into his 70s. Even though he may not have foreseen losing the senate, could he not have put pressure on them to retire and ensure younger Democrat appointees and a Democratic legacy would be on the bench for several decades?
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Re: US Supreme Court to Move to the Right

Post by Gaybutton »

fountainhall wrote:could he not have put pressure on them to retire and ensure younger Democrat appointees and a Democratic legacy would be on the bench for several decades?
Even if he could have done that, what kind of pressure could he put on them? They are appointed for life, which makes them kind of immune to pressure.

Even Trump doesn't seem to be trying to pressure any of the Supreme Court justices. I'm sure he would like nothing better than for Ruth Bader Ginsburg to retire, but apparently he knows better than to try to pressure her.

Presidential nominations to the Supreme Court are not supposed to be partisan. Supreme Court justices are supposed to make their rulings based on their interpretation of the Constitution - without regard to partisanship.

That's the way it's supposed to be. Only one minor problem - it rarely works out that way.
Up2u

Re: US Supreme Court to Move to the Right

Post by Up2u »

Reminder it was Justice Kennedy that voted with the majority and gay marriage became the law of the land. Well he will be gone soon. Hope the electorate remembers that elections do have consequences this November.
firecat69

Re: US Supreme Court to Move to the Right

Post by firecat69 »

fountainhall wrote:I have never understood the US political system.
The truth of the matter is Hilary Rodham Clinton is responsible for this mess. She ran a shit campaign just like she did against Obama . She should never have been the nominee. But the Democrats got the Black Man and now they wanted to get a Woman. They paid no attention to the fact of all the Baggage she had and her history as a pitiful National Campaigner. Joe Biden would have won in a landslide despite the Russians . Bernie would have won also in a landslide. The Democrats at the top screwed us.

That said the prevailing opinion is no matter what Gay Marriage will not be changed . It is baked in and the overwhelming % of under 45 voters would never stand for it. But it will become even easier for people like the Koch Brothers to buy elections and if it is possible more and more money will rise to the top 1% .

It is a terrible thing to say but I am now rooting for a Big Recession which in fact may begin to happen as the Govt. has no money to pay its bills. It is almost a given that at the end of any Republican Presidency the economy is in trouble!

A recession would drive the next Presidency to a Democrat as it always does and the Legislative Branch would start to legislate instead of sitting on their asses.
firecat69

Re: US Supreme Court to Move to the Right

Post by firecat69 »

As to putting pressure on SCOTUS members to retire , I don't believe that would ever succeed. In truth they are like Gods and they answer to nobody, thus no pressure can be brought and most believe they will live forever . HeHe
firecat69

Re: US Supreme Court to Move to the Right

Post by firecat69 »

Gaybutton wrote:One of the first worries, based on news media reports, is the Roe vs Wade decision. That is the decision that protects women's abortion rights.

'm definitely glad I'm living in Thailand. If I ever return to the USA I doubt I would even be able to recognize the country I grew up in.
Now let's be real . Many reasons to choose what country you live in and everyone makes their own decisions based on economics etc.

But Thailand is hardly a Bastion of Gay Rights!
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Re: US Supreme Court to Move to the Right

Post by Gaybutton »

firecat69 wrote:Thailand is hardly a Bastion of Gay Rights!
I didn't say it was, but I feel far more at ease being gay in Thailand than I ever did in the USA. For me, Thailand beats hell out of the USA unless all I want to do for sex is look at pictures and masturbate or pay a fortune for guys on the clock. For me, when you say "Let's be real," that's real . . .
I'll stay right here in Thailand, thank you very much.

Besides, gay rights are by far not the only issues that keep me from wanting to return to live in the USA. As far as I'm concerned, it's all yours. You can have it.

I agree with you about a recession. It's sad that it might actually take a recession, rather than common sense and intelligence, to convince people not to vote for Trump, but if it happens, that just might work.
firecat69

Re: US Supreme Court to Move to the Right

Post by firecat69 »

Well you have no knowledge of how things have changed for Gays in the USA because you have not lived there for many years. And don't bother telling me you visit for a week or 2 every year . That is not living there. As far as availability of Cheap Paid Gay or any Sex , certainly Thailand wins by a large margin and of course that is the reason why I visited many times a year for 17 years and actually lived full time for 2 1/2 years . Believe it or not there are many places in the world for Cheap Sex . There are many other things to life besides Sex at least for most people and each individual has to decide where they will live and what is important to them.

I live in a far nicer Condo for far less money then similar if even available would cost me in Thailand. Most of the time I have far better highways to travel on and restaurants that serve the food I want are at least as inexpensive as Thailand and in some cases less.

You have your issues why you chose to live in Thailand and I have my reasons why after lots of arguments within myself why I choose not to.

I am not more right then you but you certainly are not more right then me in any aspect of our decision.

I will continue to visit Thailand but like you said, you can have it for living there full time.
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