The recent Supreme Court rulings and Anthony Kennedy's decision to retire show that we can't rely on our elites--or our institutions--to constrain Donald Trump's attacks on liberal democracy. (Thread.)https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/06/the-people-and-institutions-that-were-supposed-to-constrain-trump-are-failing-us.html …
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Remember when all the "serious" social scientists argued that Trump wouldn't really be able to get much done as President? "He’ll sit here, and he’ll say, ‘Do this! Do that!’ And nothing will happen," they said. Well, it hasn't quite turned out like that. 2/n
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Over the past year, the administration has proven more and more effective in turning Trump's preferences into America's public policy. From immigration to trade, and from foreign policy to health care, he is effecting big and worrying changes. 3/n
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And the problem is not just that the administration is proving to be more effective than we might have hoped; it's also that the institutions which were supposed to constrain it are proving far more pliant than we might have feared. 4/n
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The Republican Party has been fully Trumpified. As a result, Congress is failing to check his power. Institutions like the House Intelligence Committee, once reasonably bipartisan, are running interference for the president. Trump won't ever be impeached--whatever he does. 5/n
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But until the beginning of this week, we could at least invest our hopes in one institution: the Supreme Court. Though its majority took an increasingly conservative line, it looked likely to serve as a bulwark against the most blatant attacks on liberal democracy. 6/n
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This week has seriously undermined my confidence that the Supreme Court could save us from the worst abuses of Trump's power. 7/n
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First, SCOTUS voted to uphold the travel ban, violating the rights of Muslims. Second, SCOTUS voted to uphold voting maps blatantly gerrymandered to dilute the black vote. Both of these decision--taken on strictly partisan lines--are clear attacks on liberal democracy. 8/n
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Replying to @Yascha_Mounk
Andres Freund (Pol) Retweeted Yascha Mounk
The worst bit about the travelban decision wasn't just the final decision, but also that the majority's argument was really bad. Instead arguing natsec deference and INA exception, Roberts waffled about the racist shit Trump said. And *then* permitted.https://twitter.com/Yascha_Mounk/status/1012173650563231749 …
Andres Freund (Pol) added,
Yascha MounkVerified account @Yascha_MounkFirst, SCOTUS voted to uphold the travel ban, violating the rights of Muslims. Second, SCOTUS voted to uphold voting maps blatantly gerrymandered to dilute the black vote. Both of these decision--taken on strictly partisan lines--are clear attacks on liberal democracy. 8/nShow this thread1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
And then they Roberts had the gall to be pissed about Korematsu comparisons? Just say that you don't see the law gives you a different choice, and you regret it. And it'd have been far less damaging.
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