Next month, millions of Americans will vote for authoritarianism, the subjugation of women and ethnic minorities, climate disaster, and possible open warfare—because, in their mind, doing this will magically lower gas prices by 50 cents.
But if Republicans do take control of Congress, you shouldn’t worry that they will slash Social Security. How do I know this? Well, I heard it from the same people who said the Supreme Court wouldn’t overturn Roe vs. Wade.
And that turned out fine, right?
Speaking of the Supreme Court, our favorite mishmash of insurrectionists, possible rapists, and belligerent bullies may decide to just let Republican men go ahead and pick our next president—the same way those GOP gentlemen decide what constitutes proper prenatal care.
The Supreme Court has shown a willingness—actually, more like a commitment—to “replace long-settled law with their own preferences,” and to “break precedent to achieve political ends.” As you can imagine, this judicial activism (which used to be a dirty word) has tanked the American public’s faith in the Supreme Court.
But the justices really don’t care. After all, a lifetime appointment is exactly that. So suck it, losers.
In any case, the Supreme Court’s indifference to the constitution, settled law, precedent, common sense, and basic compassion has filtered down the judicial system. Trump specifically appointed political hacks who had far less experience and were far more reactionary than the judges that other presidents had appointed. And that strategy has paid off.
Trump-appointed judges have ransacked our legal system, made it easier for corrupt neo-fascists to steal classified documents, and jettisoned parts of the country back to the 19th century.
That last part is no exaggeration. The law that now bans nearly all abortions in Arizona was written in 1864 and was passed by “a legislature of 27 white men” who also passed laws that “discriminated against Black people and considered girls as young as 10 able to consent to sex.”
Yes, if there is one thing that says “America,” it is white guys who have been dead for centuries getting the final say on how all of us live today.
So, can anything prevent right-wing justices from undermining democratic ideals? If they are already on the bench, that answer is a hard no.
The only development that can slow the judicial system’s right-wing plummet into chaos is a halt on unqualified, hyperpartisan appointments. And that would require fewer Republicans in office.
Unfortunately, the Republican Party rejects “not only the idea they could lose an election fairly, but also the fundamental principle … that all Americans have a right to consent to their government.” So, despite their deep unpopularity, they are in a position to take over Congress, whether Americans want them to or not. And they will get no less crazy if their governmental power increases.
You see, the GOP is now stuck in what some political experts call a “triangle of doom,” when “hardcore base voters” want their biases and beliefs confirmed, no matter how outlandish. Conservative media outlets want their viewers to keep watching, so they promote those same conspiracy theories and anti-progressive diatribes. And since GOP politicians “need to go on these media outlets to reach base voters,” the cycle repeats and intensifies, hitting all three points of the triangle until we reach our current stage, where the vast majority of Republicans believe Biden didn’t win the election and that the January 6 riots were either a “legitimate protest” or a left-wing plot.
And that doesn’t even get into the percentage who believe in Jewish space lasers.
There is nothing good about any of this, except for the obvious fact that “Triangle of Doom” is a great name for a rock band.
In essence, no matter what happens in the midterms, or in the next presidential election, we will be living with the grotesque consequences of a right-wing judiciary for decades.
It’s the ultimate contempt of court.
Featured image by Sheba_Also/CC BY-SA 2.0
