• CraigeryTheKid@lemm.ee
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    6 months ago

    honestly the ‘pardon’ ability needs to go away completely. maybe it made sense before, and/or wasnt abused, but now it just seems prepped to be a tool to release your fellow felons in crime.

    • TipRing@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Clemency is a useful tool, it just needs reform. Some states require it to go through a committee rather than just handing the power to a single official. There are probably other ways to curtail abuse as well.

    • phdepressed@sh.itjust.works
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      6 months ago

      That’s only if criminals are elected. Biden used the pardon in 2022 and 2023 to pardon many minor weed related offenses.

      • lud@lemm.ee
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        6 months ago

        It’s still insane that politicians are involved AT ALL in the justice system.

        • shalafi@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          The pardon is a last-ditch effort at justice. I’m fine with it.

          POTUS can only waive off on federal crimes, the states still have hold on their own convictions. And even then, the governor can pardon.

          Even if abused now and again, it’s still good for the broader system.

    • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      They can be useful for things like spy exchanges, but I do agree the system as it exists is ripe for abuse

    • barsquid@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      It’s cool if it is a bullshit crime. Like smoking a joint, pardon everyone convicted of that.

    • exanime@lemmy.today
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      6 months ago

      The way American politics are going, you need a full reset. There is no power that is not being abused but powers are needed for a government to work

      • tootoughtoremember@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        What’s the most recent example of “full reset” for a comparable nation with the economic output, military power, or population size similar to America? The USSR? Any examples that are more successful?

        I’m not arguing that change isn’t needed, it is, but what’s realistic. Especially when going up against those with the greatest vested interest in status quo, those brainwashed to rail against what’s in their best interest or the greater good, or those too apathetic to engage with any of it.

        • explodicle@sh.itjust.works
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          5 months ago

          Democracy was widely regarded as a failed experiment in antiquity up until the French revolution. There are multiple realistic avenues towards a “full reset”, like everyone joining a union and then building new power structures around the existing ones.

        • skulblaka@startrek.website
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          5 months ago

          “Realistic goals” at this point have simply become to move away from America until it goes the way of the Roman Empire, then come back to rebuild the ashes.

    • MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
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      6 months ago

      The point of being able to issue pardons is that Biden should have been pardoning everyone who’s in prison for smoking weed. Too bad Biden’s a little removed who won’t use the office of president to do much good.

      Vote for him tho