The Most Dangerous Day for Our Country in Our Lifetimes
"I can play the game; just tell me the rules."
As the world now knows, former President Trump was convicted today of 34 criminal charges. It was a shameless political verdict shaped by an unscrupulous prosecutor, aided by a corrupt and incompetent judge, and rendered by a jury that supposedly considered six weeks of testimony and 55 pages of complex jury instructions, and then deliberated for one day.
These are small minds, who do not give a flying fig leaf for the good of the Country. They and those gleefully cheering the result do not care about the damage that they have done to the nation. Some, although not all, doubtlessly lack both the intellect and a knowledge of history and human nature to recognize the fuse they have lit. And the fact that some are well known public figures does not mean that the foregoing does not apply to them. It applies to government officials of every stripe – congressional representatives, attorneys general and prosecutors, lying CIA and FBI grandees, and to the platoon of pygmies in that New York courtroom.
I weep for my Country. Not because one man was convicted, but because this New York judge, jury and prosecutors have flung this Country into a downward spiral from which we may never recover. I hope that I am wrong, but I fear that I am not.
One of my former law partners, a world class trial lawyer, when faced with an adversary who wanted to engage in unprofessional “hardball” litigation tactics would say, “I can play the game; just tell me the rules.” The Democrats have made the rules, and their opponents will have little choice but to play the game.
This is not a game that can or will be played by one side only. The rules are now set. When Republicans have the chance, they will play the game. Many, perhaps most, will think that a response is mandatory and that “taking the high road” is no longer an option. Instead, it would be regarded by the “progressive” left — that is to say those now in charge of the Democratic party — as weakness if they roll over and fail to respond. This is an existential threat to the stability of our political system and nation. That risk makes this the most dangerous day in the history of the Country, at least in our lifetimes.
Henceforth, weaponization of the justice system against a political opponent will be the norm. Political grudges will be resolved by political opponents in cherry-picked courtrooms where conviction is most likely. All this confirms that when controlled by scoundrels, our judicial system is becoming more like what we expect in places like China, Cuba or Venezuela, where political opponents are routinely imprisoned or worse.
Regardless of what you think of former President Trump – and I have criticized him sharply in the past both privately and in public – you, too, should fear for our Country.
Where do we go from here beyond a never-ending fight where the latest victors attempt to bankrupt and imprison their adversaries? Solving that problem has just become exponentially more difficult.
Today I published a separate article on "Decorum on social media" due to some of the recent comments to this article. Today's post went to all subscribers but some of the comments that necessitated it come from readers who are not subscribers but who have commented here. I am reproducing the post in full below for the benefit of everyone who is not a subscriber but who has read or commented on this article.
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In My Living Room
(Decorum on social media)
Recently there has been a spate of comments making personal attacks on other commentators, sometimes including cursing and obscenities. In some cases, I suspect that I personally agree with the underlying political views of the commentators, but that does not make such attacks any more acceptable.
This is a great disappointment because in the 10+ months that this Substack has been in existence we have not previously experienced such vitriolic personal attacks by one commentator on another.
I think of this Substack as my living room with about 2000 invited guests and several thousand others who just drop in from time to time, but all of whom come to discuss issues or just listen. I respectfully ask that everyone observe the same rules of decorum that you would while in your own or another’s living room.
In that setting, I think that you would not think it appropriate to respond to another guest’s comment with expletives or ad hominem personal attacks.
I know that some of the topics here, especially those relating to President Biden and former President Trump, generate strong emotions. Nevertheless, if another commentator makes a point, either of fact or opinion, with which you disagree, “F**k you,” or “You’re an idiot” is not a substitute for reasoned debate. And it convinces no one of anything, except perhaps that the commentator is a bit irrational.
So please resist the temptation.
Although I am publishing this for everyone to see, I want to emphasize that the problem has been limited to a miniscule proportion of readers. But, like a small amount of poison dropped into a pool of water, it can pollute the entire discussion and deter others from partaking. It also devalues this Substack, which I have worked hard to make a place that often discusses controversial ideas but hopefully in an analytical way.
Because I do not want such comments to poison the well, I have deleted those that I have seen. I may sometimes miss some. But I ask everyone to please observe the fundamental rules of civility: No cursing or obscenities and no personal attacks on other commentators. If you cannot observe these norms, then you are in the wrong place. Repeat offenders will be blocked without further notice or discussion.
Those jurors knew if they came back with anything but a guilty verdict the would be doxxed within the hour and have their lives, families, jobs, and likely even pets threatened.
I'm not inclined to be overly harsh toward them. Bragg and Merchan, however...