Encore of Revival: America, July 13, 2020

In the Supreme Court ruling on Congress’ subpoena of the president, everyone claims the ruling was in their favor. Democratic members of Congress point out the court’s statement that one branch is not above the law. Trump points out the court’s decision to return the pro-subpoena decision of a lower court decision as unfinished homework. The subpoena will not go into effect before the end of the session of Congress that ordered it. Trump is accused by the media of a meltdown for saying so and Democrats call their defunct subpoena a victory.

What in the Hill is going on? In the court’s decision to return the incomplete ruling, Chief Justice Roberts briefly quoted Hamilton from Federalist No. 71. Consider a fuller quote:

The representatives of the people, in a popular assembly, seem sometimes to fancy that they are the people themselves, and betray strong symptoms of impatience and disgust at the least sign of opposition from any other quarter; as if the exercise of its rights, by either the executive or judiciary, were a breach of their privilege and an outrage to their dignity. They often appear disposed to exert an imperious control over the other departments; and as they commonly have the people on their side, they always act with such momentum as to make it very difficult for the other members of the government to maintain the balance of the Constitution.

This is a problem as ancient as legislatures themselves. Congress can’t skip process when giving a subpoena, even to a president, anymore than one can be immune from a subpoena, even the president. Both tried, both failed, but only Congress lost something of substance. This Congress will end before a decision is reached and there will be no tax records shown before the election. Still, Congressional Democrats delusionally declared victory. What Hamilton described in Congress may be called “narcissistic rage” by psychologists today.

As seen in response to the pneumoniavirus, Democrats think that crippling the economy and forcing dependace on the State will boost their popularity. But, such measures wouldn’t be needed if Democrats were as popular—and Trump were as unpopular—as the media touts them to be. Given their apparent view of the world, this makes perfect sense.

Neither party in Congress speaks for the worldview of any large portion of the people. Republicans in Congress are largely elitist; the vast majority of their voters are not. Democrats in Congress speak for a small segment of their own votership as well—those few who are anti-life, who fear everything, whose action unchecked would kill everything, who nonetheless fear that anything could kill them, and who believe that everyone else thinks the same.

This is interesting because the psychological behavior of “projecting” one’s own view onto others is a trait of Narcissistic Disorder. Thankfully, they are not the majority they think themselves to be, not even within their own party. It is ironic timing that psychology journals are reporting a condition being called “PTBO”, where people who are easily offended are clinically proven less effective in the workplace. We don’t need to say which political ideology the affected group of that study would likely fall into. Week by week, an ever greater majority of America wakes up to the insanity of Capitol Hill.

Trump

3 Key Takeaways from US Supreme Court Rulings on Trump’s Tax Returns // VOA

Supreme Court splits on Trump tax cases, potentially shielding returns until after election // Politico

Spin, spin, spin
Trump Reacts To Supreme Court Rulings On Financial Records // YouTube @ NBC News

Election

A Timeline of Kanye West Getting Political // Billboard

Biden-founded law firm, as well as a company tied to Pelosi, received PPP funds, docs show // Fox News

State & Local

Trump says he will pressure governors over school reopenings even as virus surges // CNN

Activism, Unrest & Protests

Frederick Douglass: Historic US black activist’s statue toppled // BBC News

Foreigners & International Relations

ICE tells students on visas they must leave US if schools go online-only // The Hill

Culture & People

The article: “PTBO”
You’re offended, I’m offended! An empirical study of the proclivity to be offended and what it says about employees’ attitudes and behaviors // ScienceDirect

Signaling virtuous victimhood as indicators of Dark Triad personalities. // PsycNET (APA)

Study Reveals That Easily Offended People Are Less Productive, Bad Employees : SocialJusticeInAction // reddit

Study Reveals That Easily Offended People Are Less Productive, Bad Employees // Summit News

The Isles

China ‘trying to influence elite figures in British politics’, dossier claims // Sky News