10And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. 11And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. 12And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. 13And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 16And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. 17He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. 18And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
1 Samuel 8: 10-18
Good news from Instapundit:
JUSTICE: Michigan State Supreme Court strikes down Whitmer’s emergency powers.
In a landmark ruling with far-reaching implications, the Michigan Supreme Court decided Friday that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer violated her constitutional authority by continuing to issue orders to combat COVID-19 without the approval of state lawmakers.
The court, in its 71-page ruling, found that Whitmer did not have authority after April 30 to issue or renew any executive orders related to the pandemic under the 1976 Emergency Management Act.
The justices also found Whitmer did not possess the authority to exercise emergency powers under the 1945 Emergency Powers of the Governor Act because the act violates the Michigan Constitution.
These findings aren’t appealable to the U.S. Supreme Court, since they’re matters of state law, so this decision is final. But Whitmer doesn’t seem like she’s accepting it: “The governor said the ruling doesn’t take effect for 21 days and, even after that, her orders will remain in place through ‘alternative sources of authority.’” Maybe those armed protesters will revisit the Michigan capitol.
Go here to comment. The year 2020 has revealed on what slender reeds our civil liberties rest upon, and how many politicians enjoy playing dictator and dictatress. The decision by the Michigan Supreme Court, although welcome, was four to three. For purely political purposes many courts in this year of punishment have been quite content to see their fellow citizens reduced to having fewer rights than chained serfs in fields in England circa 1100, who at least had the right to go to Church and at amuse themselves at an inn. Kipling warned us about this more than a century ago:
The Old Issue
“HERE is nothing new nor aught unproven,” say the Trumpets,
“Many feet have worn it and the road is old indeed.
“It is the King—the King we schooled aforetime !”
(Trumpets in the marshes—in the eyot at Runnymede!)
“Here is neither haste, nor hate, nor anger,” peal the Trumpets,
“Pardon for his penitence or pity for his fall.
“It is the King!”—inexorable Trumpets—
(Trumpets round the scaffold at the dawning by Whitehall!)
“He hath veiled the Crown and hid the Sceptre,” warn the Trumpets,
“He hath changed the fashion of the lies that cloak his will.
“Hard die the Kings—ah hard—dooms hard!” declare the Trumpets,
Trumpets at the gang-plank where the brawling troop-decks fill!
Ancient and Unteachable, abide—abide the Trumpets!
Once again the Trumpets, for the shuddering ground-swell brings
Clamour over ocean of the harsh, pursuing Trumpets—
Trumpets of the Vanguard that have sworn no truce with Kings!
All we have of freedom, all we use or know—
This our fathers bought for us long and long ago.
Ancient Right unnoticed as the breath we draw—
Leave to live by no man’s leave, underneath the Law.
Lance and torch and tumult, steel and grey-goose wing
Wrenched it, inch and ell and all, slowly from the King.
Till our fathers ’stablished, after bloody years,
How our King is one with us, first among his peers.
So they bought us freedom—not at little cost
Wherefore must we watch the King, lest our gain be lost,
Over all things certain, this is sure indeed,
Suffer not the old King: for we know the breed.
Give no ear to bondsmen bidding us endure.
Whining “He is weak and far”; crying “Time shall cure.”,
(Time himself is witness, till the battle joins,
Deeper strikes the rottenness in the people’s loins.)
Give no heed to bondsmen masking war with peace.
Suffer not the old King here or overseas.
They that beg us barter—wait his yielding mood—
Pledge the years we hold in trust—pawn our brother’s blood—
Howso’ great their clamour, whatsoe’er their claim,
Suffer not the old King under any name!
Here is naught unproven—here is naught to learn.
It is written what shall fall if the King return.
He shall mark our goings, question whence we came,
Set his guards about us, as in Freedom’s name.
He shall take a tribute, toll of all our ware;
He shall change our gold for arms—arms we may not bear.
He shall break his judges if they cross his word;
He shall rule above the Law calling on the Lord.
He shall peep and mutter; and the night shall bring
Watchers ’neath our window, lest we mock the King—
Hate and all division; hosts of hurrying spies;
Money poured in secret, carrion breeding flies.
Strangers of his counsel, hirelings of his pay,
These shall deal our Justice: sell—deny—delay.
We shall drink dishonour, we shall eat abuse
For the Land we look to—for the Tongue we use.
We shall take our station, dirt beneath his feet,
While his hired captains jeer us in the street.
Cruel in the shadow, crafty in the sun,
Far beyond his borders shall his teachings run.
Sloven, sullen, savage, secret, uncontrolled,
Laying on a new land evil of the old—
Long-forgotten bondage, dwarfing heart and brain—
All our fathers died to loose he shall bind again.
Here is naught at venture, random nor untrue—
Swings the wheel full-circle, brims the cup anew.
Here is naught unproven, here is nothing hid:
Step for step and word for word—so the old Kings did!
Step by step, and word by word: who is ruled may read.
Suffer not the old Kings: for we know the breed—
All the right they promise—all the wrong they bring.
Stewards of the Judgment, suffer not this King!
Good news from Michigan. But there should have been mass rebellion following shortly after the lockdowns. But folks were paid (bribed) not to execute their rights with Government borrowed money. How many next times can the government afford?
Yeah, she ain’t backing down.
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https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/10/whitmer-vehemently-disagrees-with-supreme-court-ruling-says-emergency-orders-remain-in-place-for-21-days.html
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The next lawsuit needs to be over the authority of the Health Department to require masks, close schools, limit restaurant capacity, social distancing, etc.
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If the HD can do that, no reason they can’t ban smoking, vaping, alcohol consumption, carbonated beverages, and added sugars, among others.
Remind me again which party has been hyperventilating for four years now about “the rule of law.”
We’ve had a pretty good idea since the Diamond Princess passengers completed their courses of treatment that what needed to be done was to isolate those over 60 and those over 50 with an elevated BMI. We’ve also learned in recent months that the virus is seldom spread in open air. Any public health measures which are not animated by these two observations are abusive.
I think hundreds of public health officials endorsing buts to nuts public demonstrations (when their preferred cause was being promoted) pretty much discredited the lot of them.