This has to be a pivotal moment for respect for the Madisonian institutions, notably the US Senate and Supreme Court.
Not that I've had any respect for them in a long time, and had I known the whole history when I was younger, I would never have had any respect. All these institutions were designed to supress real democracy by defusing it, and to guarantee the continuation of slavery. When slavery was defeated, these same institutions worked amazingly well to protect wage slavery of varying degrees of oppressiveness.
The ONLY progressive Court in US history was the Warren Court, 1954-1969.* Not surprisingly, that conincided with a golden age, in which the US may have been among the world's most progressive, socially and economically, domestically at least. The progress during those years was enormous. Segregation was ended, voting rights extended, and widescale poverty eradicated on an unprecidented scale...with the poverty rate reaching the lowest before and since.
Not that there weren't other factors...much was enabled by New Deal politicians and programs from 1932-1974.
These were all getting unfair abuse by the early 1970's. You can almost pin the ultimate downturn to either the end of the Warren Court, or a particular decision regarding campaign finance in the early 70's, or virtually any major decision in the immediate post-Warren era, as the beginning of the free fall in social health we are experiencing today.
NOW, there are some positive signs, such as the once again acceptance, especially among younger people, of the word socialism.
Social Democracy was the essence of the New Deal era, and if we could merely get back to that level it would be huge social progress from where we are now.
And if we ever get the kind of majorities in Congress that Democrats had in the New Deal era, for real social democrats and not the usual quislings, we could impeach all the sanctimoneous corporate hack Justices on the Court, and start with all new progressives.
However, given the Madisonian design, increasing plutocracy and oligarchic control, the reverse may be more likely.
Vote! But don't hold your breath. Much more may be required now.
Not that I've had any respect for them in a long time, and had I known the whole history when I was younger, I would never have had any respect. All these institutions were designed to supress real democracy by defusing it, and to guarantee the continuation of slavery. When slavery was defeated, these same institutions worked amazingly well to protect wage slavery of varying degrees of oppressiveness.
The ONLY progressive Court in US history was the Warren Court, 1954-1969.* Not surprisingly, that conincided with a golden age, in which the US may have been among the world's most progressive, socially and economically, domestically at least. The progress during those years was enormous. Segregation was ended, voting rights extended, and widescale poverty eradicated on an unprecidented scale...with the poverty rate reaching the lowest before and since.
Not that there weren't other factors...much was enabled by New Deal politicians and programs from 1932-1974.
These were all getting unfair abuse by the early 1970's. You can almost pin the ultimate downturn to either the end of the Warren Court, or a particular decision regarding campaign finance in the early 70's, or virtually any major decision in the immediate post-Warren era, as the beginning of the free fall in social health we are experiencing today.
NOW, there are some positive signs, such as the once again acceptance, especially among younger people, of the word socialism.
Social Democracy was the essence of the New Deal era, and if we could merely get back to that level it would be huge social progress from where we are now.
And if we ever get the kind of majorities in Congress that Democrats had in the New Deal era, for real social democrats and not the usual quislings, we could impeach all the sanctimoneous corporate hack Justices on the Court, and start with all new progressives.
However, given the Madisonian design, increasing plutocracy and oligarchic control, the reverse may be more likely.
Vote! But don't hold your breath. Much more may be required now.
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