There’s been a lot of hand wringing and drama from otherwise sensible people such as Dahlia Lithwick and David Kurtz over yesterday’s Supreme Court argument. It was terrible, rotten, and horrible BUT people need to stop expecting the Supreme Court to save us. The Roberts Court can’t even save itself.

In a sane world that argument would lead to a swift and unanimous opinion with a trial to follow forthwith. This is not a sane world. We have to deal with the craziness and rise above it instead of shrinking in its face.

I’ve written many times about the need to stop relying on the courts to save us from the MAGA hordes. Most notably in these two posts:

3/7/2024: On Our Own Now

9/19/2023: There Is No Deus Ex Machina

Here’s how I closed the second post:

Just as there was no Deus ex Machina in the 1860’s to secure the rights of freed slaves, there is no Deus ex Machina in 2023 to save us from a revenge crazed former president. We have to save ourselves by turning out to vote in record numbers. I find myself in the awkward position of quoting a right-wing general in support of this proposition:

Douglas MacArthur was talking about the Truman administration’s limited war in Korea, but it applies to our current political circumstance as well. There is no substitute for victory at the ballot box. Our homegrown fascists have to be defeated at the next election. Jack Smith, Alvin Bragg, and Fani Willis can’t save us. We have to save ourselves.

Repeat after me: There Is No Deus Ex Machina.

Back to 4/26/2024:

We’re on our own now.

Having said my piece, I plan to take a holiday from legal and political news this weekend. I need a break. I suspect I’m not the only one.

Stay tuned for the Friday Cocktail Hour.

The last word goes to Yes: