Comment by chasil

8 months ago

Jefferson might have been called a totalitarian had the word existed when he signed the judiciary act of 1802, which removed judges added by federalists.

I have learned about it this week.

https://gingrich360.com/2025/03/18/an-intolerable-judicial-d...

12 comments

chasil

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unholythree  8 months ago

Well Jefferson certainly wasn't ever wrong about anything. He certainly wouldn't have held any beliefs contrary to 20th or 21st century values. /s

Obviously the dude had a lot of good ideas, but just grabbing anything he said and acting like it's gospel is flawed for dare I say a pretty glaring reason...

  • chasil  8 months ago

    I'm not saying that Jefferson's words were elevated beyond his peers.

    His flaws certainly belie such an assertion.

    I'm saying that what Jefferson did was to remove problematic judges.

    Congress had, has, and will have the power to reshape the federal judiciary as they choose. They can erase all courts below the supreme, and they can add or remove justices to the highest court as they choose (excepting present members, which are lifetime). Thus the saying "pack the court."

    To challenge an executive that has friends in congress is a dangerous proposition for a federal judge.

    It could end badly.

    • reverius42  8 months ago

      > To challenge [the legality of an action by] an executive that has friends in congress is a dangerous proposition for a federal judge. > It could end badly.

      This implies that the courts cannot be an effective check and balance on the other branches. Aren't they meant to be?

      3 replies →

bb88  8 months ago

Relevant quote here:

    Jefferson wrote that making judges the ultimate deciders of law would “place 
    us under the despotism of an oligarchy.”

Seriously that's cognitive dissonance 101. "Elon Musk can't be an oligarch. He's a great Americ... I mean South African".

I also hesitate why anyone would want a 360 degree view of Newt Gingrich. In real life or otherwise. /s