On the restoration of greatness

[Todd]

Your post only disagrees with mine insofar as I moved on to discussing the second sentence.

I disagree with this.  Whoever can fire you is your boss.  The Attorney General's ultimate boss is the President, not the law.

[ahinton]

I disagree with this.  Whoever can fire you is your boss.  The Attorney General's ultimate boss is the President, not the law.

Well, the law itself cannot fire anyone, that's for sure; that said, there is such a thing as suing for unfair dismissal and, since US is supposedly a democratic country, its President - the ultimate "boss", is himself also subject to the law and must therefore accept the consequences should he be found to have breached it just like any other US citizen must do.

[Todd]

Well, the law itself cannot fire anyone, that's for sure; that said, there is such a thing as suing for unfair dismissal and, since US is supposedly a democratic country, its President - the ultimate "boss", is himself also subject to the law and must therefore accept the consequences should he be found to have breached it just like any other US citizen must do.

Yep, wrongful termination suits are plentiful.  Perhaps Ms Yates brings such a suit, though since by law the President can terminate a cabinet member for any reason - the ultimate form of at will employment - and she engaged in public insubordination, it is hard to see her being successful.

[Karl Henning]

Is anyone surprised at this point that El Tupé's ego cannot endure dissent?

[Todd]

First, he doesn't necessarily have to, and second, since Yates was an Obama appointee refusing the new President's executive order, it's quite easy to see a purely political motivation mixed in with her actions, to go along with her obviously pious observance of the law.

[Brian]

Sidebar: looks like the ACLU, at least, is interpreting the judges' decisions as having nationwide effect, and encouraging people flying into the US to print out the court rulings. I'm sure that will go over great!

[Spineur]

Is anyone surprised at this point that El Tupé's ego cannot endure dissent?

Not really.  The trouble with the "you are with us or against us" attitude is that most people will end up by choosing the latter.

[Todd]

Sidebar: looks like the ACLU, at least, is interpreting the judges' decisions as having nationwide effect, and encouraging people flying into the US to print out the court rulings. I'm sure that will go over great!

And they've raised over $24 million since the ban went into effect.  So many billable hours to come.

[Florestan]

Unless I am mistaken, the figure of Attorney General in the US is a full member of cabinet , and resembles more what most European countries would call a "Justice Minister". As such, it is the President's prerogative to fire him or her.

Yes, you're right. My confusion arised from the fact that in Romania and in probably all European countries, the Justice Minister and the Attorney General are two completely different offices.

[ahinton]

And they've raised over $24 million since the ban went into effect.  So many billable hours to come.

There are always and will almost certainly always be many billable hours to come, wherever on earth there are lawyers; every nation on earth has to get used to that, provided that it actually has lawyers of its own or access to someone else's.

[Todd]

There are always and will almost certainly always be many billable hours to come, wherever on earth ether are lawyers; every nation on earth has to get used to that, provided that it actually has lawyers of its own or access to someone else's.

Your point?

[ahinton]

Your point?

...being precisely as I expressed it - no more, no less. As an example, the Brexit thing over here (yes, boring, I know) became subject to lawyers and Courts deciding that parliament had to debate the issue rather than just proceeding regardless - and we'll simply have to see what kind of pig's breakfast the upper chamber (House of Lords, unelected) makes of it as it progresses. In any situation when the law is paramount, the lawyers and Courts on which they depend have to be so as well otherwise it's worthless in principle because otherwise there's no one there to police or find cynically technical ways of overruling it. In short, you can't - especially in a so-called "democractic" country - have law without lawyers, Courts and the rest of the judicial paraphernalia and, as such, each and every citizen thereof is subject thereto. You bet - unending billable hours, for the Courts and the lawmakers as well as for the lawyers...

[Todd]

...being precisely as I expressed it - no more, no less.

Yes, yes, this joins "something" and "someone" as one of your generic ripostes.

Let me ask two different questions: What was your motivation for posting it?  Do you think I support or oppose the ACLU lawsuits and the myriad other lawsuits to be brought?

[André]

Is anyone surprised at this point that El Tupé's ego cannot endure dissent?

Before admitting to any error, the Narcissist-in-Chief will fire half the cabinet and all his top aides. It does not bode well for the future. Greatness might be restored if and when he goes. Meanwhile, it's Government of Trump, by Trump and for Trump.

[Florestan]

Do you think I support or oppose the ACLU lawsuits and the myriad other lawsuits to be brought?

The more, the better, ain't it? 

[André]

I'm not a US citizen, but I don't know exactly when they were 'great.' I think there are great things in the US but I feel that there is also a kind of patriotic pride which comes across as way more arrogant and narcissistic than I'd ever be comfortable with. If the USA was a person, I'd kinda back off a bit if they started acting like that.......

I watched an interesting TED talk on the topic of how 'good' a country can be, an according to all the parameters set by how beneficial any country is for their citizens and the rest of the world, the number 1 country turned out to be Ireland.

https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_anholt_which_country_does_the_most_good_for_the_world

Thanks for this. A beautiful conference by Anholt. Very, very inspiring. I particularly like the premises behind the Good Country Index. Sweden occupies the top position as per the 2015 ranking.

[Todd]

The more, the better, ain't it? 

Oh, yes, yes, a million times yes!

[Florestan]

Oh, yes, yes, a million times yes!

America's greatness in action? 

[ahinton]

Yes, yes, this joins "something" and "someone" as one of your generic ripostes.

Does it indeed?  - even assuming that there are, have been or might be any such "generic ripostes", whatever they might or might not be in your own mind or in the minds of anyone else.

Let me ask two different questions: What was your motivation for posting it?

To put it across. Simples.

Do you think I support or oppose the ACLU lawsuits and the myriad other lawsuits to be brought?

I do not know and cannot care until and unless you clarify to members here exactly what your view is on each and every such instance, insofar as you could or can do so.

[Todd]

Does it indeed?

Yes.