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Strategies & Market Trends : Zeev's Turnips -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bosco who wrote (301)	12/9/2000 10:12:33 AM
From: Carl R.	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 644

As I spent yesterday evening in my car I was able to listen to the talking heads for a prolonged period. In retrospect I noticed a difference between this and prior decisions. Normally they have two legal experts, one a Democrat and one a Republican, commenting on the legal significance of the case. One typically defends the decision, and the other typically attacks it. In this case they had a few legal experts, but none were willing to comment. Basically they all seemed to be totally stunned by the decision, which obviously has no legal precedent, and they were throwing up their hands, unwilling to predict what would happen from here since legal principles no longer apply. By today they will probably regroup and find ways to defend the decision, but for yesterday they were speechless. I don't know what the USSC will do, but I expect that they will overturn the decision. Once again, they should probably not get involved, but how can they resist? They jumped in once, and I presume they will be tempted into the morass again, and this time they will get caught in the mud. The FSC decision, though without legal justification, will be politically popular with half the country. Since it is without legal justification, I expect one side to refuse to follow it, and the other to hail it. Our system of government is based on the premise that he all respect the authority and integrity of the various branches of government, and in my opinion that is increasingly no longer true. Instead anarchy will rule. As Zeev points out, this decision was Solomonesque. Just as Solomon offered to divide a baby in half so as to see which mother truly loved the baby, the FSC has offered to split the country in two. The difference here is that greed and animosity is rampant on both sides, and both sides will accept the offer. The headline in our local paper read "US Divide Increases". I frankly can't imagine any Bush supporter accepting the validity of this process. I can't imagine any Gore supporter supporting Bush if any recount shows that Gore won. Where do we go from here? Here is my scenario: The recounts will be done by Sunday, supposedly. By Monday many cases will be filed contesting the recounts in the various counties (such suits have already been filed in Broward and Palm Beach), but since there are no rules to govern this process, and no standards to decide what votes will count, the FSC will continue to make it up as they go along. Then the Florida court orders a slate of electors for Gore. The US SC reverses on Monday or Tuesday. The Florida legislature installs a slate for Bush. Then we go to the House for a determination. Meanwhile the US SC will overrule the FSC court periodically, giving everyone a justification for their position. If anyone actually takes office as President, they will not be recognized as valid by half the people. Then what? Will the government continue to work? Will we see Texas secede, as is their right? Will people continue to voluntarily pay taxes? Will the midwest and western states try to join Texas in seceding? Will someone step in to stop the downward spiral or will it just continue to get worse? I just can't imagine anything good coming from this. Nothing good has come so far, and I think it will get worse in the future. Carl