America’s Next Democracy Rating, and Chief Justice John Roberts’ View
Having just written articles on the Democracy and Freedom ratings of world countries, I was going to speculate on what our new ratings would be after the sham impeachment trial. This is especially true considering the relevance of the impeachment charges: cheating on the fundamental fairness of our elections, and the unprecedented Stonewalling of the checks and balances and oversight of our legislatures.
Before presenting the general Democracy ratings, in which the US received a high 86%, I gave my own rating of no more than 50%, given Mitch’s extreme blocking of the Supreme Court appointment by President Obama, which then went Republican under Trump. Since the court is 5-4 on conservative versus liberal, and decides the key cases, it is the key factor in our Democracy, and doesn’t match an 86% rating.
It then occurred to me how this must appear to Chief Justice John Roberts, who hears every word of the “trial”, and the arguments for the rules, which turn out to be no new documentary evidence, and no new witnesses. Chief Justice Roberts has made his theme firming up the reputation of the Supreme Court in both the eyes of the citizenry, and in its legal reputation. Roberts must have been bothered by the politicization of the Court by Mitch’s action.
I didn’t even include the Kavanaugh appointment, with a sham investigation of the rape case against him, which is now followed by another gross charge, which should have been examined in the same investigation. There was also Kavanaugh’s “I Love Beer” insulting rant during his Judicial Committee job hearing, showing a lack of judicial temperament. This is just the opposite of a good Democracy rating, or improving the reputation of the Court under Roberts.
Now, Chief Justice Roberts and the Nation have to witness a sham and fixed impeachment trial, the most important kind of trial that ever occurs in our nation, overseen by the Chief Justice himself. A trial in which no documents and no testimony is taken. Such fixed trials totally ruin any other countries’ Democracy and Freedom ratings. Besides the sanctity of our elections and Congressional oversight being at stake, the future of Ukraine, a country bravely standing up to indirect invasion by Russia was used as force to disgrace his probable rival of former VP Joe Biden and his son.
Chief Justice Roberts knows that before the trial, the Senate Majority Leader declared that the Defendant, Donald Trump, would guide him in setting the rules. This is unheard of in a real trial. The Chief Justice also knows that one and maybe two of the White House lawyers have told lies, which could result in their disbarment. He is also well aware that arguments before the Supreme Court can be as short as an hour, with questions by the Justices. Here he is facing 24 hours by each side, with 16 hours of questions. Besides, he is not allowed to give a ruling, after up to 9 months of careful deliberation.
Only the Chief Justice knows why the cases opposing the subpoenas of the House for documents and testimony were delayed until June, the end of the Supreme Court term. Maybe he is embarrassed that the court could not urgently rule to allow a fair impeachment enquiry.
Presuming, as indicated by partisan voting so far, that the President is acquitted along partisan lines in the end, I would drop my 50% rating of US Democracy down to 25%. This is somewhat weighted by Trump’s expected announcement today, that anybody can poison all but the largest bodies of US waters and rivers. When Trump is acquitted by a partisan vote, or at least far less than the 2/3 vote with 20 Republicans having to switch sides, he will be free to cheat all he wants in the fall election. That would lower my rating down to about 10%.
Hopefully, when Chief Justice Roberts returns to the Supreme Court, which he does daily, he will bring back a concern for Trump’s cheating on elections and stonewalling the Congress, and perhaps speed up Supreme Court actions on these cases.
