The number of justices was originally 5 and was changed repeatedly (got as high as 10 one) until 1869. Read Article III, it's clear. Congress can completely change the court, as it did in the past. It doesn't even say they have lifetime terms, but serve on "good behaviour" which has been interpreted as meaning that.
The judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour, and shall, at stated times, receive for their services, a compensation, which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office.
A whole lot of ideology has been laid down since the New Deal era to enshrine the Court as is, nine for life, nine on every decision, as the only way to have judicial independence and rule of law. That's not so. It's just a way to give this institution disproportionate and unassailable power that tends to be highly "conservative" (in the skewed American sense of the word) but also just arbitrary. More than 20 years now I'm hearing the bullshit about how Swinging Kennedy's moods and cranial activity are the determining factor in this supposed democracy. He literally got to choose the president in 2000! When these priests get together, worse, the majority believe they're at a seance, calling forth men who were all dead by 1830 or so to divine their true intent as it applies to questions of how to regulate the Internet or decide whom to torture within a global empire with franchises in 200 countries, etc. etc. Fucking insane.
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We meet at the borders of our being, we dream something of each others reality. - Harvey of R.I.
To Justice my maker from on high did incline:
I am by virtue of its might divine,
The highest Wisdom and the first Love.
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by Luther Blissett » Wed Jun 27, 2018 10:25 pm 
