Get ready for four more years (at least) of Trumplandia
This topic contains 40 replies, has 10 voices, and was last updated by 
TheEncogitationer 3 weeks, 6 days ago.
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October 29, 2020 at 1:29 am #33941
” I don’t think it is brain science that a justice should be as apolitical as possible and not serve on the bench forever.”
I yeah, I agree in principle. However I think the more important point is the separation of powers.IE that the judiciary needs to be independent of the political process. Imo making judges at any level political appointees is in breech of that principle. The US system has made it possible for a politician to stack the Supreme Court. Surely something to be avoided regardless of who is in power.
Some judges are political appointees in Australia too.
Just thought I’d mention it; Australia has no term limits for Prime Minister. BUT our system is very different from the US. The Prime Minister is not chosen by the people. He/she must first be elected as a member of parliament in their own right. Next, they must be elected leader of their party. Then they become Prime Minister if their party wins government. BUT the party can ,and does, remove them from power at any time, by electing a new leader of the party. This ahs happened in Australia six times in recent years. (three times on each side)
It is impossible for a person to become Prime Minister the way Donald Trump became president.
October 29, 2020 at 2:57 am #33948It is impossible for a person to become Prime Minister the way Donald Trump became president.
To the extent of determining the prime minister, Canada and Australia are very similar. Technically, it’s impossible to vote to determine the pm in a general election. Realistically, people often cast their vote with the intention of putting a particular leader in power, and it’s effective (to the extent voting is effective) because a PM isn’t going to be removed save by resignation, dissolution, or inability to serve (e.g. death or illness) save for the most extreme of circumstances.
You couldn’t literally become the prime minister the way Trump became president, but the system is still vulnerable to the same type of populism and demagoguery from a leader, even if many in their own caucus absolutely hate them. The Conservative Party of Canada faces this issue. The caucus wants to move away from socially regressive stances that really do the party no good. The party membership is split with a sizeable faction still voting for all the old bullshit. If a Trump-alike was selected as party leader, they technically would probably be able to remove them, but realistically they’d be stuck with them until that party leader lost an election, lost the confidence of the house, voluntarily resigned, or royally effed up.
October 29, 2020 at 4:40 am #33950Most countries have a supreme court with a limited time on the bench and even have courts where the justices are selected by an apolitical committee. I don’t think it is brain science that a justice should be as apolitical as possible and not serve on the bench forever.
Paradoxically, Davis, the reason they get lifetime terms is to free them from politics. That is the reason given.
October 31, 2020 at 9:51 pm #34014
October 31, 2020 at 10:06 pm #34015The US election is going to be a Gong Show.
November 1, 2020 at 3:25 am #34016The US election is going to be a Gong Show.
It’s going to be either a shit show or clusterfuck with GOP lawyers in the courts actively trying to disenfranchise voters after the election.
November 2, 2020 at 12:37 am #34028@krisytina
“but the system is still vulnerable to the same type of populism and demagoguery from a leader, even if many in their own caucus absolutely hate the—-”
Yup. That was demonstrated spectacularly in Australia some years ago by a racist and anti immigration popularist called Pauline Hanson . Not only did she win a seat, she went on to found ‘Pauline Hanson’s One Nation’ Party.
A former Fish and Chippery proprietor, Pauline gives the impression of not having mastered the ability of abstract thought.
For your interest/amusement/edification, below a clip to Pauline’s maiden Speech in parliament. You may not need to watch the whole thing to get Pauline’s number.
Australian politics are rife with factionalism. Imo, that’s what has led to so many leadership challenges and changes in Prime Minister in the last decade or so. Quite possible to end up with a popularist government.
Our Present government is conservative, Led by Happy Clapper Pentacostal Scott Morrison . In times of crisis Scott likes to pray
Trivia; The Australian Labor Party began as the political arm of the trade union movement.It was clearly left wing until the 1980’s when it became centre-left. Today it’s closer to centrist. Atheists have always been common in the Labor Party if not exactly the norm. Gay members and elected representatives have ben welcome from the 1970’s at least.
November 4, 2020 at 12:09 am #34093Regardless of how anyone thinks the whole process will play out, between today and tomorrow there will likely be a projected winner. Even with uncounted mail-in ballots, there should be mathematically accurate predictions for most districts.
Not sure what one says in an election as messed up as this. Good luck on the first hurdle in the final race, I guess?
November 4, 2020 at 12:24 am #34094Right now it is 10.42 AM Wed Nov 4 here in South Australia. Nothing concrete yet about the US elections.
Will check again this afternoon. I’m going out to buy some peanuts. I think watching Trump’s reaction will be pretty entertaining. I will sit here eating my peanuts and again give thanks to Joe Pesci that I do not live in America
I can’t help but wonder if 40% of US voters won’t bother voting in this election . I suspect it will be about the same as last time. Is it just me as an outsider or does any American think Trump and the morally bankrupt elected Republicans are a vivid example of a country getting the leaders it deserves?***
*** certainly true of Australia. The conservatives are in power. Our Prime Minister is a happy clapper Pentacostal who likes to pray in a crisis./
November 4, 2020 at 3:42 am #34101
November 4, 2020 at 4:27 am #34103Fellow Unbelievers,
I’ll just be glad the Election crap is over so I can finally watch the latest season of _Cosmos_. First two weeks of delay because of the 2020 World Series, now this! Elections, Baseball, and NASCAR are all a bunch of ’round-and-’round to keep us all hypnotized, so we each can’t take charge of ourselves.
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