‘All Animals Are Equal but Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others’
At the end of WWII, George Orwell published Animal Farm which contained numerous analogies to the political world he’d witnessed. As the satirical story unfolded, the animals created a democracy of equal decisionmakers that gradually devolved into an autocracy similar to fascism, where the pigs had more power to decide the fates of all.
That’s where my title quote comes from.
Yesterday, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee decided to gather more details from Harlan Crow, Leonard Leo and Robin Arkley II about their lavish gifts to at least two SCOTUS judges (technically ‘justices’ but I’ll call them judges till they demonstrate their rulings bother to consider actual justice).
Ever since the 2010 Citizen’s United ruling that made it clear that free speech rights of the wealthiest Americans exceeded what the rest of us possessed, I’ve been reminded numerous times of that specific line from Orwell’s novel.
As this Ann E. Marimow article in the Washington Post notes, three SCOTUS judges anticipate that a fresh ethical standard will be forthcoming, Chief Judge Roberts has indicated they’ll provide one while inferring it’s not in Congress’ power to create one. His defiant stance denies the Constitutional reality that Congress possesses a lot of power in determining the size and duties of all federal courts.
Currently all federal judges aren’t supposed to accept gifts valued above $415 and where exceptions exist, the judges are required to file disclosure reports which Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito haven’t been doing. At least these three extremely wealthy individuals have been dispensing gifts that are worth hundreds of thousands and even millions to the pair.
The Senate Dems said they’d be issuing subpoenas so they could question Crow and Leo directly. Crow’s attorney responded with “a letter saying the committee had not identified a “valid legislative purpose” for its investigation and did not have the power to probe his personal friendship with the justice.”
But it’s actually not within the power of Crow or his attorney to refuse to honor the subpoena unless wealthy pigs ‘are more equal than’ the rest of us animals. If the courts grant the wealthiest such an excess of power and rights, what that really means is the Bill of Rights and the other amendments that followed don’t describe equal rights at all.
Further:
Their testimony is being sought before the Thanksgiving holiday and it’s very important to see how this plays out since Clarence Thomas’ wife’s election-denying and insurrection supporting texts exist and Crow has also donated to the political organization she heads.
Keep your eyes peeled to see what happens if Crow and Leo and Arkley refuse to comply.
Our democratic republic is certain to fail if Congress and the courts accede to the arrogant refusals of the fattest of pigs.
Listen to this PSA from former Labor Secretary Robert Reich.
I’ve largely avoided discussing my thoughts about the horrific HAMAS attack or Netanyahu’s response. But in the past I’ve made it clear that I believe Netanyahu has a history of brutality, that he seeks dictatorial power and I believe the legal corruption charges are true. I’ve stated that I believe the majority of Israelis do not support the creation of more illegal settlements in Palestinian dominant territory, yet Netanyahu continues to gain enough votes to cling to power so my belief may be in error.
Amid all the current violence of war I don’t think there’s any reason to revisit those points. What I’ve observed in the past 45 years has brought me to these added conclusions:
1) The HAMAS attack was the worst Israel has endured in 75 years. More Israelis were killed than our much larger contry endured in the 9-11 attacks.
2. Many hostages were taken from Israel and other countries in that terror attack to further terrorize Israelis and in the hopes of HAMAS leaders, to be used as bargaining chips that might halt or slow the Israeli military response.
3) However, the leaders of terrorist groups usually view a delayed or non-response to be a sign of weakness which only encourages more terror attacks. I can call for humanitarian ceasefires but without a military response, terror attacks will multiply.
4) So a military response is essential. And yes, I fully recognize that military actions always cause unjust deaths of innocent civilians and that both sides in such wars will commit atrocities - including illegal torture - that constitute war crimes.
5) I don’t like these realities at all, I don’t approve of such brutalities but I’m not aware of any options presently that forestall the necessity of a military response.
6) I well understand that the Gaza Strip and West Bank Palestinian residents have long been subject to punishing Israeli government dictates that are ethically wrong due to the brutal policing and impoverishing results. But I don’t believe the best way to counter it is with the violence HAMAS unleashed several weeks ago. It isn’t logical nor effective and therefore is unjustified. They were fully cognizant of this likely military response.
7) I’m certain the civilian Palestinian population lacks the power to rid itself of HAMAS and its leaders. And since HAMAS continues to embed its fighters in civilian buildings including schools, medical facilities, businesses and residences, I see no easy answers to eliminate the risks, injuries and deaths of those civilians. Cautions can and should be taken by the Israeli military to reduce the dangers and casualties for these civilians but I’m not naive and don’t believe the casualties can be eliminated. Reduction is the best we can hope for and our leaders should persistently encourage that.
8) Having observed the details and events of multiple wars, I absolutely don’t trust social media strangers to provide many dependable facts about this one. And amid the propaganda fog of war, I can’t trust Israeli government accounts, Palestinian accounts or the other accounts of governments allied with either side, including our own. For one thing, propaganda and threats can be issued to provoke a desired response without the threats ever being carried out. Some may be looking for a response that gives away strategic locations, for example.
And since there’s no way to accurately determine the motives behind each threat or action, there’s no accurate way to measure the value or effectiveness of public pronouncements by political actors in this war.
9) Still, I strongly believe that violence begets violence and the best results can only be gained when one side or theother (or both) decide to end the violence cycle and negotiate a just and fair peace.
10) I don’t agree with efforts to demonize protesters of the violence on either side of this war or the critics denouncing the prior occupation tactics of Netanyahu’s government. Honest criticism is only that and doesn’t automatically indicate the presence of anti-Semitism or Islamophobia. Such accusations are also often more propaganda that isn’t useful to obtaining a reasonably just outcome.
It’s highly doubtful that I or any of my readers can exert much influence that will alter the decisionmakers in this war. But I consider it the most ethical option we have and offers the only hope of reducing the violence, bloodshed and gaining a longterm peaceful settlement of all the problems the Israeli and Palestinian populations face.
11) It may be true that Hezbollah, the governments of Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Russia and North Korea assisted in the planning or provision of weaponry to HAMAS. But once again, there’s no certain way yet to verify these claims. I certainly condemn any outside agitators that helped provoke or sustain this war.
12) Also, Netanyahu belonged in jail years ago and when his war atrocities cease, he still should be tried in the Hague and sent to prison for life.
A kind of tribute to the poet Gil Scott-Heron and much much more. This came out in 2012.
I appreciate the long statement on the Israel-Hamas war, which mostly mirrors my own thoughts (and I expect would mirror the thoughts of many other people who probably feel terrorized out of thinking altogether by our absolutely insane discourse about this thing).
And yes, Crow and Leo and all them are pigs.
I've stayed away from commenting on the Israel-Hamas War for reasons too numerous to mention. But your statement is pretty close to what I'd have posted.