Update: Obviously a surprise to me, but in a 6-3 decision, the Court decided to reject the independent state legislature (ISL) theory. I would simply add, “for now.” The current Court has shown no reluctance to revisit and overturn what its own members have stated is established case law. There’s no reason to presume they couldn’t do that sometime in the future even if they themselves are the Court that established or affirmed the precedent.
Original article:
You may have read that the United States Supreme Court has decided to weigh in on a case known as “Moore vs Harper.” And you may have read some dire predictions that the court will use the case to rule in favor of the “independent state legislature” theory.
What that means is that the court might give state legislatures the go-ahead to overrule their own states’ voters in presidential elections and assign their states’ electors to whatever presidential candidate they choose. That will effectively end American democracy, though I’m sure plenty of people will argue it’s still democracy because the states’ legislators were democratically elected—that is, democratically elected from wildly gerrymandered districts and with active voter interference and suppression. And in deeply red and radicalized states.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the case in early December. Their decision will likely be handed down in mid-June of next year. Because I know what the Bible says about the near future of America, I’m almost certain the Supreme Court will rule in favor of the independent state legislature theory. Several legal experts have expressed their concerns over this, and many amicus briefs have been filed urging the court to rule against the theory.
Those experts are concerned because there was no other compelling reason for the court to take this case. If the conservative justices were going to rule any other way, they would have simply declined to consider it and let lower court rulings stand.
I think the court’s far-right majority is eager to rule on this issue now while they have a supermajority. I think they and their Federalist Society colleagues and advisors feel urgency, and that they will not pass on this opportunity, because they aren’t certain they’ll get another chance.
If the court surprises and rules against the independent state legislature theory this session, I will be happy to be proved wrong. It won’t mean the fall of democracy has been prevented, but it may mean it has been delayed. I consider a delay a good thing, and a very good reason to continue to resist fascism even when the eventual outcome is known.
You may have read reports that members of the Supreme Court are worried about the court’s “legitimacy” in the eyes of the public. They (meaning the conservative majority) are not worried enough to back off from their extremist course. I think they’re worried because they want this coming decision (and others they have already made and will make) to be accepted as legitimate and honored and enforced. They want enough support from government and public institutions and the public to make those rulings stick.
And they’ll have plenty of support from sutlers of right wing messaging who will downplay any need to expand the court and overturn the decision, and probably characterize such plans as radical or subversive.
A surprising thing to me is how many Americans want this. They want democracy to end and fascism to take its place. A lot more Americans will join with them once a fascist regime succeeds in seizing power.
At the top of the list of institutions whose support the Supreme Court wants are the United States military and state and local law enforcement. The Moore v. Harper decision will give those institutions a fig leaf of legal cover for them to support and enforce the election coup attempt that will inevitably follow. If the military does get involved, which I think is likely, so much for the Posse Comitatus act.
I’ve written before about how Jeremiah 51:46 (KJV) foretells a second American civil war, one that follows a second “rumour”—an astonishing news story.
46 And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.
There aren’t many news stories that would be more astonishing than a few state legislatures awarding their electors to the minority vote-getter in a presidential election, giving him the majority in the Electoral College vote and a supposed legitimate claim to the win—a claim supposedly made legitimate by the Supreme Court endorsing the independent state legislature theory. (And there’s that word again—legitimate.)
Of course violence will break out, “ruler against ruler”—two leaders vying for the office of the presidency, both claiming an election win and entitlement to the position. Here’s something to note: the verse wording also suggests the violence will occur “in” the year of the second rumor. So it will be a short uprising. That suggests a vigorous military or paramilitary and law enforcement response, and a quick end put to it.
The violence will be all the excuse a new regime will need to suspend future presidential elections, or turn them into single-candidate show elections, at least on the presidential level.
From then on, the holder of America’s highest office will be a king, no matter what he calls himself.
The fulfillment of the rest of Jeremiah 50–51, Revelation 18, and Genesis 19:1–16 (which is about an entire nation’s participation in a culture of abuse, not the behavior of a statistically occurring gay community), will follow.
Turbulent times are ahead. That’s settled truth, because it’s Biblical truth. So move beyond worry about it. Love one another. Take care of yourselves and your families. Be unafraid. Put your faith to work for you. Hold on to your integrity and stand fast on principle, which surely has great promise of reward in the life to come.
Resist rising fascism, but refuse to participate in violence. Don’t legitimize violence by answering violence with violence (Romans 12:17, 1 Timothy 5:22). Look ahead to God’s promised and inevitable justice, and rest in it. Do what you can when you can, help others when you can, speak out against injustice and cruelty when you can. Hand the rest over to God in faith and trust.
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