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Americans can learn what they taught others: Democracy is something to believe in, to stand up for, and it generally wins when you do - because it's the right t
by mmooss 2y ago
Americans can learn what they taught others: Democracy is something to believe in, to stand up for, and it generally wins when you do - because it's the right thing.
Still, as a counterpoint to the OP: Trump has been investigated and charged, but his election prevented him from being convicted so far.
One reason Trump is not prosecuted now is that he controls the Justice Department, which makes prosecution decisions. In other countries, those decisions are made by judges. How does it work in Brazil?
It has always seemed odd to me that the political leader controls prosecutions in the US government, due to the obvious risk of politicization. In many/most states and localities, attorney generals and district attorneys are elected separately from the political head of government.
That said, there is a benefit to prosecutors being independent from judges; the judges also are human and have biases and can be corrupt.
- mitthrowaway2 2y agoEven if the president didn't control the Justice Department, couldn't he just pardon himself?
- mmooss 2y agoAgreed. That's a separate issue. Presumably if the US populace changed one (with a constitutional amendment), it might change the other.
- jauntywundrkind 2y agoYou can pardon for crimes, but my weak understanding is that violation of a court order is not something you can pardon or enable, by law at least.
- dragonwriter 2y agoThe executive branch can just not comply with civil contempt sanctions against its own members (not pay fines, and the Marshal’s Service can just not take people into custody for civil confinement), and either pardon or decline to prosecute (or both) for criminal contempt, and then the court order has no teeth.