The Writer’s Section at Socotra House was ready for the weekend even if we still had a full day to prepare for it. That is normal, though there are some indications that change is on the way.

Vic had an article about the impact of the new D-E-I standards applied to all aspects of American social life. That is abnormal compared to the way things worked normally here. We are told it is transformational, but not precisely what we are shedding in order to get where we are going. It is some kind of unspecified Utopia where every outcome is the same, regardless of contribution to the enterprise.

We are refreshed by the honestly in that concept, since it is the way things worked in traditional human affairs. Power was apportioned by heredity or the sword. There are advantages to strong central control. It can move swiftly and crush opposition to reach end-states determined by the Sovereign. Quick, efficient and determined is how our species organized itself for a very long time.

That took two cups of coffee for the group. Taking on the revolution to the new, old Normal was a little extreme for a light-hearted edition of The Daily. Thew topics under discussion? There were a bunch beyond public discussion which included hiring and retention standards in the schools, business and government. The Supreme Court is in Decision Season, the month or so when they release the results of their annual deliberations. So that was news, but verged on the unmentionable.

This morning, that summed it up. We are left with matters of little interest to the readership and thus the Legal Section said we could talk about it. Briefly. That is normal around here.

We complied, since we were not that interested either. There is more in progress than we are permitted to discuss. That combines both the old and new normals, with the new one reflecting normalcy that is more ancient than the old one.

Splash gave it a try as the Chair of the Writer’s Section looked at the irascible circle of Old Salts. “Yesterday our Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that the federal government will “have to cover the costs incurred by Indian Tribes in operating their independent health care programs. They are sovereigns, you know? It used to be normal.”

We asked Jasper, Chief of the Socotra Legal Section, whether mention of the decision violated his prohibition on legal commentary in this season of LawFare conflict. He harumphed in his office and dispatched his pert Intern Melissa to the meeting to deliver his verdict.

She was composed and calm, saying: “We think it’s OK. No one actually understands the implications of the Court decision on Becerra v. the San Carlos Apache Tribe. You recall Mr. Becarra is the Secretary of the department of health and Human Services, and the indigenous people of San Carlos used to be independent and sovereign people.”

The salts nodded in apprehensive agreement, since if the new policy for the group is to only comment on things we do not understand is a return to an older normal that the one we are used to.

Rocket tried to explore the implications. “That approach might be useful, since most readers will not get beyond reading the first two sentences in the review and go do something constructive, like have breakfast.”

Splash apparently believed that was the signal to rise and get something to eat, which is fairly normal, either old or new or old new, which would have been “abnormal.” He looked as composed as Melissa, even if hungrier. “The decisions on the Silly Season this year contains cases relating to Presidential immunity in some previous Administration. Since the standing of the defendant in those matters is clear, they could be used to issue opinions on the legality of current events under the Legal circus tent.

DeMille scowled, unwilling to take up controversy before his egg McMuffin. “The Indian health cases were written by Chief Justice John Roberts, joined by all three liberal justices and one conservative.”

“Does that mean those two categories actually refer to the party orientation of the non-partisan Justices?”

“Not exactly, but that is the root cause of the fight about the Court. By making it a partisan organization that votes on party issues rather than the fine points of law, the Constitutional division of powers is dramatically undermined.”

“Like Congress outsourcing it’s role in oversight to the very Administrative agencies they are supposed to be overseeing?”

DeMille frowned, not having a good morning, which in itself was fairly normal in his morning relations. “It is not an accident. This is a strategic campaign by people who thought it through. They had the will and determination to start with the capture of the education bureaucracy, K through grad school.”

Vic laughed. “And the professions.”

DeMille made a rude gesture. “And now we have a war in Law and Medicine and every other institution with an impact on our daily lives.”

“So will we ever be able to get back to normal?”

“You could argue we are just getting back to normal after 250-years of abnormal social behavior. That abnormal state of human affairs being free under an impartial and fair system of justice.”

“What a relief,” said Rocket.
Copyright 2024 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com