The Teacher and Student
If I were writing a movie’s storyline, no one would buy it from me. We have two men telling the world to back off. Trump sees all four indictments as a witch hunt. Everyone is ganging up on the former president. It is the work of the deep state. All the deep state members are out to get our former but innocent president.
However, the un-Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court has taught Trump well. Thomas has been on the Supreme Court for three decades. Essentially, he and the other justices don’t answer to anyone. Every other court in America has a code of ethics, but the Supreme Court has no board or group overseeing them.
Trump learned Thomas’ mindset very well. Trump is above the law in his mind. He has faced four indictments in the past four months and has been found guilty of defamation against E. Jean Carol.
ProPublica has addressed ethical issues swirling around the head of Justice Clarence Thomas. Interestingly, Thomas’ response was essentially the same as Captain Renault’s response to Rick in the movie Casablanca.
If Thomas was shocked by the first ProPublica report, can you imagine the tsunami at a recent report? This is the headline of the new ProPublica’s findings.
ProPublica began their article reflecting on Thomas’ prior unethical escapade before writing this paragraph.
At least 38 destination vacations, including a previously unreported voyage on a yacht around the Bahamas; 26 private jet flights, plus an additional eight by helicopter; a dozen VIP passes to professional and college sporting events, typically perched in the skybox; two stays at luxury resorts in Florida and Jamaica; and one standing invitation to an uber-exclusive golf club overlooking the Atlantic coast.
Now, the question is, what will happen to Thomas? He has gotten away with gloss ethical misconduct. However, he is in his twilight years. He will act like Captain Renault, but all the gifts are mere memories. Flying around the world in private jets must have been nice, but his conduct in the past three decades has come back to haunt him. Beyond that, after this unethical justice dies, he will leave this world with a litany of his moral missteps.
Trump seems to have learned from Thomas: ignore ethics, take what you can, and diss your dissenters. The only problem with Trump is that he isn’t on the Supreme Court. Trump faces four indictments: the 1/6 Insurrection case, the Classified Documents case, the Georgia Election Interference case, and the Hush Money case. Politico has outlined the indictments as to their strengths and weaknesses in their essay: Tracking the Trump Criminal Cases.
As one of his defense strategies, Trump will use Captain Renault’s “I’m shocked.” He believes that he is above the law. Another technique is to attack the prosecutors, judges, and witnesses. Trump will try to do that, but he will fail. He will also claim that it is all a witch hunt. However, the witches are all too numerous.
As with Thomas, Trump is in his twilight years and will be remembered after he is gone as a loser.
Both Thomas and Trump need to read Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, again. Macbeth realizes that his clock is ticking and says,
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
The Root wrote a fascinating background of Clarence Thomas. The Evolution of Clarence Thomas.
Visit the On Seeing the Light page to read more about this topic.
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Visit the Best and Worst of Times page to read more about this topic.
Visit the The Last Lecture page to read more about this topic.
Visit the Dancing With Death page to read more about this topic.
Visit the Living a Life Well Lived page to read more about this topic.
Visit the Gilgamesh page to read more about this topic.
Visit the Donald the Dumb page to read more about this topic.
Visit the Stupid is as Stupid Does page to read more about this topic.
08/16/23