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Culture War Roundup for the week of December 12, 2022

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Jones refused to mount a defense. He didn’t lose his rights, he declined to exercise them.

Granted, he declined to exercise them because he is crazy and/or deluded. But to claim he is the victim of the court is simply false.

Your claim is Jones wasn't denied the ability to defend himself because despite being denied the ability to contest liability on the merits, and despite his ability to talk about a wide range of relevant evidence during the damages trial, and despite his ability to make many arguments about damages during the damages trial, that Jones didn't lose his rights because he didn't mouth the words which required him to admit liability during his opportunity to make his own case during the damages part of a trial he was defaulted, by law, by the judge?

So other than the ability to contest his liability, his ability to file claims guaranteed by law, e.g., anti-SLAPP motions, his right to present relevant evidence, his evidentiary "rights" for complete evidence, among a long list of legal, civil, and constitutional rights, he "didn't lose his rights?" This is preposterously dishonest.

He did not refuse to offer a defense. He was denied the opportunity to offer a defense as a sanction.