Star Chamber Revisited

“This is a hearing.  I thought I was the one who was supposed to be heard.”

These words were spoken by Attorney General Barr several hours into his “testimony” at today’s House Judiciary Oversight Committee hearing where he was an invited and voluntary witness.  Nearly every Democrat, after making a statement or accusing AG Barr of a litany of bad acts, “reclaimed their time” and refused to allow him to answer or even comment.  Rather, they used their full time for their own speeches.

Such hearings are usually at least described as an opportunity for the committee members to gain information from their witness.  Hearings these days are often contentious, but the witness is usually allowed to answer questions and accusations.  Congress people have a limited time (usually 5 minutes) to question the witness and the witness is allowed to answer.  If a question is posed at the end of the allotted time, the Chair allows the witness to answer.

Not today.  Chairman Nadler even initially denied the witness’s request for a 5 minute break.  I felt like I was watching not the United States Government in action, but a hearing in the Star Chamber.  And it made me feel sickened and nauseous to see this behavior in the Congress of the United States of America.

One of my first published law review articles dealt with the First Amendment and specifically the free and open exchange of speech and press.  As part of the history leading up to the issues addressed, I researched the British Star Chamber, including looking at antique books containing English texts from the 13^th century.

Beginning with the Magna Carta in 1215, there was an increasingly intensified struggle in England for recognition by the crown of the fundamental freedoms of speech and press.  In 1275 a statute was enacted in England that provided for the imprisonment of anyone disseminating false “tales” resulting in discord between the king and the people.  The statute was rewritten several times through the 16^th century with re-enactments broadening the offense.  The Court of Star Chamber was created to administer the statute.

Star Chamber was a royal court and as such was not hampered by things such as rules of evidence or procedural safeguards. While originally designed to enforce law, it became synonymous with social and political oppression through the arbitrary use and abuse of the power it wielded. Amongst other things, the Star Chamber could inflict any punishment short of death.  It summoned juries before it when they rendered verdicts disagreeable to the government, and fined and imprisoned them. It spread terrorism among those who were called to do constitutional acts.  The Star Chamber’s tyranny was ultimately abolished in 1641. 

Honestly, as I watched the Democrats’ verbal tirades against Attorney General Barr, as I watched them refuse to let him speak, as I watched them use their time designed for questioning a witness to instead berate the entire Trump administration, often using a multitude of false statements, I couldn’t help but see a Star Chamber performing before my very eyes in 2020 America.

I really think every American should watch this performance.  Not because it is pleasant, but because you will see how the Democrats actually behave, despite their words to the contrary.  You will see them make or assert incorrect facts, use them to accuse the Attorney General of something, then refuse to let the AG speak.  You will see Chairman Nadler not allow the AG to finish an answer, a courtesy that most committee chairs afford to witnesses.  You will see the chairman refuse to take points of order about this.  You will see on the few occasions when the AG is allowed to answer and says something like “I will follow the law” that the Democrats assert that is not an “appropriate” answer and hence accuse him of failing to answer. 

Yes, this is America, but in this Democrat majority hearing it is apparently wrong for the Attorney General of the United States to say that he will follow the law.  Similarly, he is attacked for following the principles of federalism that govern our country and which place him in charge of enforcing federal law but leave Governors to address laws and issues of their individual states. 

Attorney General Barr was not really summoned to provide information.  The Democrats did not want to hear from him.  They summoned him because they do not like his policies – policies that are perfectly legitimate.  They summoned him because they do not like the President for whom he serves as AG.  They summoned him so they could have someone to throw their hateful campaign rhetoric at. 

Like the Star Chamber summoning juries whose verdicts they found disagreeable, AG Barr was summoned because his actions are to the Democrats disagreeable.  Actions like protecting federal property, enforcing federal law, calling violent riots out for what they are – not the peaceful protests that the Democrats would have us see. 

The Star Chamber fined and imprisoned those who disagreed with them.  I am sure that the Democrats would do that to Barr and many other Republicans if they could (and, indeed we have far too many instances of them using false information to go after and even imprison political rivals).  Today they did what they could in an effort to silence any dissent from their views and their agenda – they spent nearly 5 hours verbally attacking a good public servant.

Honestly, I have watched many Congressional hearings over the years beginning with Watergate.  They are often contentious.  But NEVER have I seen anything as appalling as this.  But this is what the Democrats have become.  They are not interested in hearing any view, any fact, any law, any statement whatsoever that contradicts their narrative and their agenda.  This is not an American approach to governing; it is that of an authoritarian dictatorship. 

The behavior of the Democrats should sicken every American.  I hope that many will watch this spectacle in its entirety.  I hope that before the November election that everyone gives serious thought to what giving the Democrats any more power would mean for this country. 

Here is the link to video of today’s hearing.   LINK

 

The Court of the Star Chamber by Cecil Doughty

Today's Miscellaneous Thoughts

Today I have just a few short comments about some of the current news.

Sports and Politics

               Ms. Rapinoe and her team are outstanding soccer players.  They should be proud of their abilities.  But, when you are playing on the world stage you represent more than just yourself and your ego.  You represent your country.  That means showing respect for that country and its flag.  You don’t throw the flag on the ground to do a personal and pre-planned victory dance.  You don’t trash your country and its leader.  You save your personal and political grievances for another time.

               Ms. Rapinoe’s statements against the president of the country she should be honored to represent are selfish and egocentric.  Her statements of not wanting to go to the White House upon winning, a place that is representative of our country to its citizens and to the world, is appalling and her making this about politics by suggesting she will honor invitations to Washington from Democrats shows a complete lack of understanding of what it means to represent one’s country on the world stage.  Rather, she wants to make it about herself and her political views.  Let her then become a politician rather than an athlete.

               I am not saying she does not have a right or responsibility to speak her views.  But there are times and places for all speech.  When one is representing her country as an athlete in a world competition, it is not the appropriate time or place to air personal grievances.

               Speaking of grievances, the victimhood she asserts about unequal pay is a bit suspect when one considers the full facts.  The women’s soccer has a union and a collective bargaining agreement which the women have negotiated separately from that of men’s soccer.  Under that agreement their salaries (like that of the men) are in large part tied to audience size.  Women’s soccer has a much smaller audience than does men’s.  Now, one can argue about why that might be so, but the point is, that is a fact to which the players have agreed to use as a defining factor in their salary.   Yes, in this country that Ms. Rapinoe loves to trash, she, a woman, had a right through her union to negotiate her contract and her pay.  So, yes, the pay is different for men and women, but not due to any discriminatory pay practices.  If more people watched women’s soccer, Ms. Rapinoe might make more money, perhaps even as much as male players.  But, then, behaving like a selfish brat is not a way to encourage a larger viewing audience.

The Mueller Re-do

               So, now we learn that the Democrat Congress is planning to subpoena scads of witnesses to have them re-hash the testimony that they gave to Mr. Mueller during the 2 years of his investigation.  During that investigation they lauded Mr. Mueller for his thoroughness and competence.  That was before they saw his conclusion which was not what they had hoped – President Trump was not removed from office and did not go to jail.

               So, now, they want to re-do the entire investigation.  At another huge cost to the American people.  Money that could go to far better causes, helping our citizenry or even those non-citizens whom the Democrats are so concerned about at our borders.  But no, they want to get rid of Trump.  They thought Mueller would do that; he did not.  So now they will try a re-do of the same investigation with the same witnesses, hoping beyond hope that someone will turn for them or at least say something in slightly different words so that they can accuse them of lying to Congress, and, somehow by implication find the President guilty.

               I also find it interesting that these subpoenas are being issued as the president’s popularity is soaring.  Apparently, the Democrats can’t counter all the positive news of the economy, environmental improvements in things as basic as water, better standing in the world, and many others.  And of course, they are embarrassed (perhaps – if that is something that is possible for a Democrat) by their mischaracterization of the Independence Day Celebration and their all out attack on patriotism, something which many Americans found appalling.

               The Democrats fear that the positive feeling in this country, in large part due to Trump’s policies, will get him re-elected.  So rather than present positive and realistic alternatives they will simply continue their witch hunt against him.

Lies for an Agenda

               Apparently when the Democrats are determined to make a point, the end will justify any means, including lies.  We have AOC and her cohort making up stories about the conditions on the border.  We have the Washington Post calling out Rep. Omar for at least two lies, because her American story “is complicated.”  And, of course we have the daily half- truths and manufactured innuendos about President Trump. 

This is what the Democrats do; this is how they try to gain power and win elections.  They certainly don’t look at facts, look at their constituents wants and needs, and work toward doing what is good and right for this country.  Their agenda seems to be different:  to remake this country into something it was never intended to be and in so doing to install themselves in positions of power that will control every aspect of our lives.

That is certainly not what I want, and, while couched in lies their behavior may sound good, I think that if the people were better informed (which is difficult with a biased media), then few would support the agenda of the Left.

The Tragedy That Is the Democrats

Today I am just sad and bewildered.  How can so many people, indeed, an entire political party, hate this exceptional country so much?

As I read the news this week it feels like we are in the final throes of a war; the Democrats are waging their largest battle against the president, his supporters, and everything that traditional Americans hold dear.  They have joined forces with the media who have not a shred of credibility left as reporters of facts and who long ago gave up their once noble role of objectively keeping the people informed. 

This battle has many soldiers.  For example Adam Schiff, whose sole goal since 2016 has been to destroy Donald Trump.  His obsession is not unlike that of the fictional and monomaniacal Captain Ahab whose hunt for revenge sends him and his crew on a fanatical mission that ultimately leads to their destruction.  Schiff has now hired NBC reporters to help him dig up dirt to further his single-minded goal of destroying Trump.  They are joined in this mission by Jerry Nadler who has filed over 60 subpoenas and requests for information that are nothing more than a fishing expedition to find something, anything, that might be cooked into some sort of allegedly impeachable offense.  And all the rest of the Democrats have jumped on board to do whatever they can to win this crusade.

The Democrats hate Donald Trump in the same blindingly pathological way that Captain Ahab hated Moby Dick.    Why they hate him is unclear; to some extent it may be that he does not wear the cloak of refinement that they pretend to wear.  To others it is that they see him as the thief of the power to which they believed they were permanently entitled.  Others may be concerned that he stands in the way of their progressive or socialist agenda.   Whatever the reason, they are seeking revenge and are willing to destroy anything that stands in the way of the satisfaction they think they will feel upon Trump’s destruction.

They will accept as collateral damage the end of the rule of law, the end of defined borders, the murder of infants born alive, international peace and the strength of America on the world stage, the basic freedoms that make America what it is, including freedom of speech and the right to hold one’s own values and religion.  They are not interested in the Constitution or in defending it; they are not interested in fairness or equal application of law.  And most certainly they are not interested in facts.

They trash, ignore, deny, and degrade Trump’s many accomplishments, perhaps because he has accomplished what they couldn’t or wouldn’t over the past many years (wouldn’t because, like any good dictator, they need a permanent underclass to support their power; things like improved economy and low unemployment empower those whom the Democrats would keep down.)  They fight the president on things that they have supported in the past.  They schedule ridiculous hearings at the same time as a sensitive North Korean summit that could end a nuclear threat; they would prefer to disrupt a summit than to support our country – their only interest is their own selfish obsession.

The Democrats seem to fully hate America in the same way that a toddler hates anything and anyone that gets in the way of his gratification.  What we see is that the Democrats are as self-centered as a toddler; they want everything their way whether that is the will of the people or not, whether that is best for the country or not.  Like Captain Ahab they will destroy the entire ship of state and everyone in it to satisfy their irrational and selfish need for revenge.  Again, revenge for what?  The only logical answer is that they want revenge because Trump won the election.  Really?  Grown adults unable to accept the results of an election while they claim to care about the country?  This is laughable and yet we seem to let them continue to act out their tantrum while ruining the country in the process.

This is the same sort of tragedy portrayed in such classics as Oedipus, Narcissus, Shakespeare’s Lear, Satan in Milton’s Paradise Lost, to name a few.  Perhaps the reason the behavior is not recognized as dangerous is that those classics are no longer read thanks in great part to the Democrats seeking their ban from school curricula. 

The Democrats are taking advantage of the underclass they have created.  Education no longer teaches critical thinking but instead seeks to impose a particular thought into the students.  Religion is demeaned and those who maintain faith are often ridiculed.  I often think that the hatred that comes from the Left toward those who do think and question as well as those who hold a deep faith within is not so much disdain as jealousy.  These people whom the Democrats would silence are often happier and more tolerant that their attackers.  This flies in the face of the emptiness that seems to exist within the hearts of Democrats.  They don't understand how those who are not following them can be happier than their own dark hearts allow.

The Democrats need their underclass.  They need people whom they have convinced cannot succeed without their help.  That is how the Democrats hold their power.  Trump is showing people, all people, that they can succeed.  He is not defining certain races  or other groups as secondary but is making it possible for all to work and support a family, to get off welfare and take pride in themselves, to identify not by external group labels but by their individual talents and beliefs.  That, by the way, is America.  And that is what the Democrats hate.