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Judicial Betrayal (Thomas Sowell on John Roberts)
Creators Syndicate ^ | July 3, 2012 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 07/02/2012 11:26:31 AM PDT by jazusamo

Betrayal is hard to take, whether in our personal lives or in the political life of the nation. Yet there are people in Washington — too often, Republicans — who start living in the Beltway atmosphere, and start forgetting those hundreds of millions of Americans beyond the Beltway who trusted them to do right by them, to use their wisdom instead of their cleverness.

President Bush 41 epitomized these betrayals when he broke his "read my lips, no new taxes" pledge. He paid the price when he quickly went from high approval ratings as president to someone defeated for reelection by a little known governor from Arkansas.

Chief Justice John Roberts need fear no such fate because he has lifetime tenure on the Supreme Court. But conscience can be a more implacable and inescapable punisher — and should be.

The Chief Justice probably made as good a case as could be made for upholding the constitutionality of ObamaCare by defining one of its key features as a "tax."

The legislation didn't call it a tax and Chief Justice Roberts admitted that this might not be the most "natural" reading of the law. But he fell back on the long-standing principle of judicial interpretation that the courts should not declare a law unconstitutional if it can be reasonably read in a way that would make it constitutional, out of "deference" to the legislative branch of government.

But this question, like so many questions in life, is a matter of degree. How far do you bend over backwards to avoid the obvious, that ObamaCare was an unprecedented extension of federal power over the lives of 300 million Americans today and of generations yet unborn?

These are the people that Chief Justice Roberts betrayed when he declared constitutional something that is nowhere authorized in the Constitution of the United States.

John Roberts is no doubt a brainy man, and that seems to carry a lot of weight among the intelligentsia — despite glaring lessons from history, showing very brainy men creating everything from absurdities to catastrophes. Few of the great tragedies of history were created by the village idiot, and many by the village genius.

One of the Chief Justice's admirers said that when others are playing checkers, he is playing chess. How much consolation that will be as a footnote to the story of the decline of individual freedom in America, and the wrecking of the best medical care in the world, is another story.

There are many speculations as to why Chief Justice Roberts did what he did, some attributing noble and far-sighted reasons, and others attributing petty and short-sighted reasons, including personal vanity. But all of that is ultimately irrelevant.

What he did was betray his oath to be faithful to the Constitution of the United States.

Who he betrayed were the hundreds of millions of Americans — past, present and future — whole generations in the past who have fought and died for a freedom that he has put in jeopardy, in a moment of intellectual inspiration and moral forgetfulness, 300 million Americans today whose lives are to be regimented by Washington bureaucrats, and generations yet unborn who may never know the individual freedoms that their ancestors took for granted.

Some claim that Chief Justice Roberts did what he did to save the Supreme Court as an institution from the wrath — and retaliation — of those in Congress who have been railing against Justices who invalidate the laws they have passed. Many in the media and in academia have joined the shrill chorus of those who claim that the Supreme Court does not show proper "deference" to the legislative branch of government.

But what does the Bill of Rights seek to protect the ordinary citizen from? The government! To defer to those who expand government power beyond its constitutional limits is to betray those whose freedom depends on the Bill of Rights.

Similar reasoning was used back in the 1970s to justify the Federal Reserve's inflationary policies. Otherwise, it was said, Congress would destroy the Fed's independence, as it can also change the courts' jurisdiction. But is it better for an institution to undermine its own independence, and freedom along with it, while forfeiting the trust of the people in the process?



TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: 2012; abortion; benedictroberts; deathpanels; history; historyvslaw; johnroberts; judicialtyranny; lawvshistory; obamacare; rapeofliberty; scotus; sowell; thomassowell; tyranny; unconstitutional; zerocare
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To: jazusamo

What he did was betray his oath to be faithful to the Constitution of the United States.


21 posted on 07/02/2012 12:02:48 PM PDT by houeto (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: ILS21R
What he did was betray his oath to be faithful to the Constitution of the United States.

If an oath is to be taken seriously, it needs to be upheld seriously. Almost every Congressman, Senator, members of the Executive branch, and a small majority of the USSC have breached their oaths, but we're all just sitting here accepting as "just another day in DC."

I'm tired of this. Oaths mean nothing. They're "just words," as Obama once said. A man's word is worthless in this day and age, sacrificed at the altar of political correctness and expediency.

At some point something has to give. Why bother taking any oaths or making any promises if it means that you'll just turn around and do the opposite at some point? This country is lost.

22 posted on 07/02/2012 12:09:05 PM PDT by rarestia (It's time to water the Tree of Liberty.)
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To: jazusamo

” - - - Many in the media and in academia have joined the shrill chorus of those who claim that the Supreme Court does not show proper “deference” to the legislative branch of government.”

Hmmmmmm, - - - - this “shrill chorus” must not have been reading their own public opinion polls on what the public “deference” is to our sorry, incompetent, pathetic, public servants in the US Congress who have not even passed a Federal Budget in over 3 1/2 YEARS!

Hence, Traitor John Roberts was not licking the boots of The Liberal Agenda Media who owns these public opinion polls.

Traitor John just might, could be mentally unstable due to his frequent epilepsy seizures.

Traitor John had a seizure of the brain which resulted in Dictator “You Lie” Obama seizing 1/6 of the US Economy.

Have an early Fourth of July, everybody!


23 posted on 07/02/2012 12:09:46 PM PDT by Graewoulf ((Traitor John Roberts' Obama"care" violates Sherman Anti-Trust Law, AND the U.S. Constitution.))
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To: MileHi
Some people are looking so hard for the silver lining that they just missed freedom walking out the door. Others are looking so hard at the tax, they missed freedom walking out the door. Great piece by Sowell.
24 posted on 07/02/2012 12:10:21 PM PDT by LuvFreeRepublic ( (#withNewt))
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To: jazusamo

Yep!


25 posted on 07/02/2012 12:11:33 PM PDT by BuckeyeTexan (Man is not free unless government is limited. ~Ronald Reagan)
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To: jazusamo

Indeed a well written & articulated article Dr. Sowell.


26 posted on 07/02/2012 12:12:54 PM PDT by Monorprise
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To: Vigilanteman

You have FReepmail.


27 posted on 07/02/2012 12:15:34 PM PDT by Abby4116
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To: jazusamo; Lurking Libertarian; JDW11235; Clairity; TheOldLady; Spacetrucker; Art in Idaho; GregH; ..
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

FReepmail me to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the SCOTUS ping list.

28 posted on 07/02/2012 12:18:35 PM PDT by BuckeyeTexan (Man is not free unless government is limited. ~Ronald Reagan)
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To: BuckeyeTexan

Thanks, BT!!


29 posted on 07/02/2012 12:20:42 PM PDT by jazusamo ("Intellect is not wisdom" -- Thomas Sowell)
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To: ILS21R

Couldn’t agree more! Sad times for America.


30 posted on 07/02/2012 12:23:32 PM PDT by Sunshine Sister
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To: jazusamo; Cincinatus' Wife

He betrayed is oath to the Constitution, but like Obama, he put the responsibility on others.

In his ruling he held the American people responsible for electing politicians who passed Obamacare.

He then held them responsible for getting rid of Obamacare by electing those who will get rid of it.

Some have seized on this clever twist and proclaimed, he’s right!

No, he’s wrong.

He had a responsibility to meet when it came before him in the office he now holds.

He tried to deflect his responsibility onto others who came first, or who will have the chance to act last.

It doesn’t work that way.

But how slimey to try that, Mr. Chief Justice Roberts.

How beneath the dignity of the office and the oath you swore.


31 posted on 07/02/2012 12:27:07 PM PDT by txrangerette ("HOLD TO THE TRUTH...SPEAK WITHOUT FEAR." - Glenn Beck)
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To: txrangerette
How beneath the dignity of the office and the oath you swore.

Amen to that.

32 posted on 07/02/2012 12:31:40 PM PDT by jazusamo ("Intellect is not wisdom" -- Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo

“Few of the great tragedies of history were created by the village idiot, and many by the village genius.”

That’s a keeper.


33 posted on 07/02/2012 12:32:34 PM PDT by popdonnelly (The first priority is get Obama out of the White House.)
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To: jazusamo

Wow. As usual, the good Dr. Sowell says all that needs to be said about a subject. I, too wish he were on the SCOTUS or in the White House.


34 posted on 07/02/2012 12:41:28 PM PDT by Sans-Culotte ( Pray for Obama- Psalm 109:8)
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To: rarestia
What he did was betray his oath to be faithful to the Constitution of the United States.

By his timid, bureaucratic reasoning that it is not the courts job to overrule the poor choices our elected legislators have made, he has in fact rendered the court irrelevant and put the people on notice that they are on their own.

35 posted on 07/02/2012 12:44:40 PM PDT by oldbrowser (Blue state sickness must not be rewarded)
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To: jazusamo
John Roberts is no doubt a brainy man

When the battle came, his powerful brain was as useless as a gun in a French soldier's hands.

36 posted on 07/02/2012 12:49:11 PM PDT by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: jazusamo

Well thought piece, as always.


37 posted on 07/02/2012 12:50:38 PM PDT by Gator113 (***YOU GAVE it to Obama. I would have voted for NEWT.~Just livin' life, my way~)
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To: txrangerette
He tried to deflect his responsibility onto others

Exactly as Obama does. It's a new definition of liberalism.

Mr. Sowell says so eloquently what I've been trying to say since last Thursday, which by all rights, should henceforth be known as Black Thursday.

Between Thomas Sowell and Mark Levin, what else do I need to know?

38 posted on 07/02/2012 12:54:22 PM PDT by Da Bilge Troll (Defeatism is not a winning strategy!)
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To: jazusamo

Yes, but what about the bottom line of the silver lining?


39 posted on 07/02/2012 12:55:39 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong!)
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To: jazusamo

Great article, thanks for the post.


40 posted on 07/02/2012 12:56:31 PM PDT by nerdgirl
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