Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died • Hacker News Board

Re: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died

#441

Post by bscphil » Sat, Sep 19, 2020, 12:55 AM UTC

nerdponx wrote: post #327

tyre wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Precisely. There is a desire, specifically and especially on the left, to get so caught up in their principles that people believe it is the primary source of change. For example: What should be the first acts and priorities be of a democratic administration? Healthcare? Nope. Climate change? Nope. A federal holiday for election days? Yes. Passing legislation mandating mail-in ballots? Yes. That’s how you think about…

Democrats have popular support for their policies but cannot for the life of them think strategically. You think they don't understand this stuff? Democrats have been deliberately "failing" to get shit done for 20 years. They keep holding out progressive and populist policies, tantalizingly close to enacting meaningful change -- but nope, somehow it always seems to be a matter of political strategy, badly run campaig…

I don't think you need anything that conspiratorial, it's not that centrist Democrats really don't want to get anything done, it's just that they really are basically okay with the current neoliberal consensus.

Re: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died

#442

Post by anigbrowl » Sat, Sep 19, 2020, 12:55 AM UTC

apocalyptic0n3 wrote: post #96

koolba wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The distinction being that the opposition controlled the senate under Obama and he was too weak a president to take up the case that he had a right to have his nominees even considered. They didn’t just stop him from picking a justice, he abdicated his power by not pushing back.

What do you mean "too weak"? It's literally impossible for the President to push through a judge who the Senate refuses to even vote on. There's nothing Obama, or any president, could have done. It's not within their power.

Used his political (not official) powers to shift the public discourse more effectively. He did not make much effort to attack McConnell's brinkmanship.

Re: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died

#443

Post by COGlory » Sat, Sep 19, 2020, 12:55 AM UTC

toomim wrote: post #299

gautamcgoel wrote: post #241

This will probably be downvoted, but I think it was incredibly arrogant and selfish of RBG not to retire when Obama was in office so that he could pick her successor. She knew she was getting old and had already had brushes with cancer. If she really cared about feminism and liberalism, why not let Obama appoint a younger justice to the court, someone who would fight for those values for years to come? It's not like…

It's sad to me that people like you think it's more important that your politics are represented in the Supreme Court than that the justices do a good job working together and holding a consistent integral legal standard for the country to follow. As a fan of the Supreme Court, I think it's one of our least-political institutions. It's certainly the least political branch of government, especially if you compare it t…

Ginsburg herself tarnished the legacy of the supreme court by becoming political

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2016/07/ruth-bader-ginsb...

Re: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died

#444

Post by malandrew » Sat, Sep 19, 2020, 12:56 AM UTC

theshadowknows wrote: post #162

Absolutely. My family is feverishly working on how to leave this hellscape of a country we’re in. The United States is dead.

As an immigrant to this country, you have no idea how good things are here in the US. It would be nice to trade those unhappy with the US with those that would be grateful to be here.

Re: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died

#445

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Sep 19, 2020, 12:56 AM UTC

colordrops wrote: post #347

mhh__ wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They do not give a fuck Something that the Democrats need to realize is that they (especially Obama) assumed too much good faith in the congressional GOP. You can stick to your principles while doing it but, when you are against a party who now considers its last nominee (Romney) a radical BLM leftist, when they go low you need to be ready to kick them in the head.

This idea that either the Republicans or Democrats have faith or principles is absurd. The Democratic brand is one of principles and altruism, but their actions do not reflect this.

[deleted]

Re: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died

#446

Post by jessaustin » Sat, Sep 19, 2020, 12:56 AM UTC

mindslight wrote: post #116

bluedevil2k wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you’re underestimating the independence that justices feel when they’re appointed. The new appointee would owe nothing to Trump. Look at Roberts ruling for Oabamacare and Kavanaughs recent rulings.

You're ignoring the kompromat. It's presumably why most of these Republican senators have given up all shreds of conservatism and stand by watching Trump turn our country into a dumpster fire.

Do you think kompromat exists only for Republican senators? How would this happen?

Re: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died

#447

Post by redbluff » Sat, Sep 19, 2020, 12:56 AM UTC

ibejoeb wrote: post #310

TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but, for example, Jacinda Ardern isn't Donald Trump or Boris Johnson.

Is the point to say that Ardern is somehow above it all? She just suspended the election, citing Covid, even though there were no transmissions for over 3 months.

Err - what? The whole reason the election has been delayed is because of community transmission in Auckland. Additionally all parties have agreed to the suspension. In fact it was the opposition who called for the intitial suspension.

Re: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died

#448

Post by pm90 » Sat, Sep 19, 2020, 12:56 AM UTC

nerdponx wrote: post #327

tyre wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Precisely. There is a desire, specifically and especially on the left, to get so caught up in their principles that people believe it is the primary source of change. For example: What should be the first acts and priorities be of a democratic administration? Healthcare? Nope. Climate change? Nope. A federal holiday for election days? Yes. Passing legislation mandating mail-in ballots? Yes. That’s how you think about…

Democrats have popular support for their policies but cannot for the life of them think strategically. You think they don't understand this stuff? Democrats have been deliberately "failing" to get shit done for 20 years. They keep holding out progressive and populist policies, tantalizingly close to enacting meaningful change -- but nope, somehow it always seems to be a matter of political strategy, badly run campaig…

This kind of thinking assumes that the ruling party can unilaterally make policy changes, which is not possible in the American system currently (e.g. fillibuster).

w.r.t Sanders: he lost in a small d democratic primary. It wasn't the leadership: it was the voters that chose Biden over Sanders.

Re: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died

#449

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Sep 19, 2020, 12:56 AM UTC

CDRdude wrote: post #85

koolba wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The distinction being that the opposition controlled the senate under Obama and he was too weak a president to take up the case that he had a right to have his nominees even considered. They didn’t just stop him from picking a justice, he abdicated his power by not pushing back.

What do you mean, too weak a president? The president can’t push back on that—-the senate confirms justices, that’s in the constitution: ... and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States...

[deleted]

Re: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died

#450

Post by zepto » Sat, Sep 19, 2020, 12:56 AM UTC

tyre wrote: post #313

jamiequint wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hillary won the popular vote by 1.1% and currently the Republicans hold a razor thin Senate majority and have been substantially outpaced by Democrats in the House, so I'm not really sure where you get the idea that there's a "far disproportionate share of power/representation". It seems pretty proportionate to me.

You look at the core beliefs of the Republican Party: Anti-Abortion: about or above sixty percent of Americans support legal abortions Climate change: two thirds of Americans view it as a top priority and that the benefits of action outweigh the costs Guns: sixty percent to two-thirds of Americans support stricter gun control. 90–92% support mandatory background checks Taxing Wealthy: again, sixty percent to two thir…

The first two are accurate because they are relatively clear.

The other two depend very much on how you ask the question. It’s nowhere near as simple as you make out.