(Moses Breaking the Tablets – Granger – New York)

By Charlie Johnston

The rule of law, simple fair play, is dead. Rather than a system for discerning and dispensing justice, it has become a blunt instrument to bludgeon political and ideological opponents.

First up, I will have a full update on the Cronin family later. They are doing very well and Joseph has been making slow, but steady and striking progress. Yesterday I learned that the day the Cronins got the temporary restraining order preventing the hospital from pulling the plug, the hospital responded by filing a complaint with Texas Child Protective Services of medical neglect by the Cronins. Yes, it is utterly Kafkaesque to claim that the parents are neglecting their child by refusing to let medical professionals kill him, but ‘tis a brave new world we have entered. It was, however, a serious move. Had the hospital been successful, it could have taken custody of Joseph and accomplished by political means what it could not by proper legal and medical means.

Of course, shortly after the restraining order was entered, Joseph demonstrated dramatically that he was not brain dead, and the hospital began to treat him for life rather than prep him for death. The family has since moved to New Jersey where he is getting consistent care, so one would think that would be the end of it. But on Tuesday someone with access to Texas records, probably from Texas, made the same complaint to the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS). I was terribly alarmed that, even having gotten to safety, malicious officials who had embarrassingly gotten it wrong were still going to try to snatch death from the jaws of life. Right now it appears to me to be pure spite. New Jersey has not shown the propensity of some states to try to wreck families and destroy children’s lives to make secular social workers feel good about themselves – and the preliminary indications are that the legally required investigation is on the square. But for 60 days, the Cronins will have to deal with another uncertainty added to their already great stress. There are some malignant personalities who, in a dispute, will gladly forgive you for being wrong, but will obsessively try to destroy you for being right. I am monitoring the situation closely through the middle of the week and then will go to a normal alert status. But I want you to know, if this takes an ugly turn, we may be on mission again. I don’t think so, but I’m keeping an eye on it. This is the first example of using government to grind axes instead of live justice.

In the second, some Democratic members of the U.S. Congress are threatening scientists who are publicly skeptical of “climate change” with investigation and loss to their affiliated universities of all research funding. Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona is leading the charge. He is the ranking member of the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. Ah, those lovers of “science” on the left. If you can’t ‘trick’ the data to support your ideological agenda, if you can’t rid yourselves of those pesky scientists who insist on actually using the scientific method to examine the matter, then use your raw governmental power to force them to say what you want or face utter ruin. This is what the left calls “trusting science.”

It will be beaten back, but it will have its effect anyway. More than a few scientists and researchers, mainly wanting to be left alone to their work, before publishing findings, will consider whether those findings are liable to land them before an inquisition at the hands of their government overseers, with the threat of losing their job and having their professional lives ruined. Some will choose to just ‘file’ the data rather than rock the boat – and we will progressively have less reliable data to work from. I guess that is what progressive actually means: forget truth, submit to our power.

You might have heard of the coming federal indictment of Democratic New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey on corruption charges and thought, well, they’re trying to be non-partisan and objective. Think again. Thus far, the substance of the charges is that Menendez advocated for the business interests of a donor. Strange thing…Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is a multi-millionaire, though he came to public life from a middle-class family and has never held anything but a government job. More than a few Democratic legislators made big paydays from their participation in federally subsidized green energy and banking schemes that went bust with the taxpayers on the hook. Al Sharpton owes some $10 million in back taxes and yet is a top Obama advisor. None of these Democrats is facing indictment or charges. None of these Democrats has Atty. Gen Eric Holder signing off on corruption investigations. So why Bob Menendez? What makes the small potatoes charges against him so urgent while others publicly pile up a mountain of corruption unmolested.

The answer is pretty simple. Menedez is Barack Obama’s most pointed, consitent and aggressive critics among Democrats. Menendez characterized the American position on the nuclear deal the administration wants to sign with Iran as just following talking points “straight out of Tehran.” The message is simple. Support Obama in whatever he wants and you are exempt from scrutiny no matter how much your dealings stink. Oppose him and the justice department will seek the death penalty for the political equivalent of jaywalking.

Meanwhile, as these serial abuses unfold – malfeasance of power, the most malicious and evil perversions of power go on – which, I note, are punishable by serious prison terms (but only if the law has some relation to actual justice) – Republicans do their impression of Emily Litella from the early days of Saturday Night Live. They denounce in thunderous, sepulchral tones and end by meekly whimpering, “Never mind.”

There is no political solution to the crisis we have entered – and this government is not worthy of the loyalty or participation of anyone who loves their country.