The rescission of Roe is fueled by ultra-conservative religion behind which loom the dark forces of misogyny. Conservative extremists seek a restoration of the authoritarian social order of the 1950s.
I couldn’t agree more about the role of religion in undermining our democratic ideals. As to the irony, I suspect it’s even greater than you point out. I believe that a
sizable portion of those who name a religion when polled are agnostic on the question of god
I agree with just about all of this, though I'll point out that the Democrats have been complicit in this trend since at least the Clinton years. The charitable choice laws deserve more than just a passing sentence here. I'm likewise baffled by the idea that Biden, of all people, is inclined in any way to dumpster Reagan's legacy.
Just a couple of weeks ago, he nominated three utterly brutal prosecutors as judges for the DC Court of Appeals, and the DC Superior Court; this includes Vijay Shankar, who Trump tried (and failed) to ram through in his final days. Less than two years after the BLM protests, and despite crime remaining at historic lows, the Dem leadership is scheming to push through the hiring of 100,000 additional police officers.
The threat of fascism continues to grow, and in response Biden throws cops at the problem? The same people who, in red and blue states alike, lean overwhelmingly right wing? And what, exactly, does fattening up local law enforcement mean for pregnant women in states where abortion is effectively outlawed?
If Biden is trying to put the lid on Reaganism, it's surely not expressed through the actions above, nor can it be discerned in his approach to public health. The pro-business, anti-science Covid policy his administration has adopted is essentially a Trumpist one, and it's contributed to the utterly preventable slaughter of over a million of our peers, the bulk of whom perished on his watch.
Excellent analysis, as usual. Right on target, Joe. Try placing all of this within the context of the « closing of the frontier » in the wider sense that I describe it (and predict its consequences) in my « Critique of Western Philosophy and Social Theory ».
I so appreciate that you view seemingly discrete actions by government (legislative, executive, judicial) within a larger context albeit a scary regressive one.
For me living in the Greater Washington DC area, I followed what is commonly called The Bladensburg Cross case closely as it wended its way through the courts.
Briefly, a monument was judicially challenged as violating the separation of church and state because it was erected and maintained on state-owned land. The monument ostensibly to honor World War 1 veterans from Bladensburg, Maryland, is shaped like a giant stone cross that looms over a local, well-traveled highway.
The Supreme Court held that the cross is not a cross – it’s a patriotic symbol – therefore no religious violation. Huh?
Thus, we have traditional Supreme Court religionists who first had a conclusion around which they weaved facts, law, and rationale. Same with Dobbs, as you point out.
I couldn’t agree more about the role of religion in undermining our democratic ideals. As to the irony, I suspect it’s even greater than you point out. I believe that a
sizable portion of those who name a religion when polled are agnostic on the question of god
belief.
Well-researched case for an open society.
I agree with just about all of this, though I'll point out that the Democrats have been complicit in this trend since at least the Clinton years. The charitable choice laws deserve more than just a passing sentence here. I'm likewise baffled by the idea that Biden, of all people, is inclined in any way to dumpster Reagan's legacy.
Just a couple of weeks ago, he nominated three utterly brutal prosecutors as judges for the DC Court of Appeals, and the DC Superior Court; this includes Vijay Shankar, who Trump tried (and failed) to ram through in his final days. Less than two years after the BLM protests, and despite crime remaining at historic lows, the Dem leadership is scheming to push through the hiring of 100,000 additional police officers.
The threat of fascism continues to grow, and in response Biden throws cops at the problem? The same people who, in red and blue states alike, lean overwhelmingly right wing? And what, exactly, does fattening up local law enforcement mean for pregnant women in states where abortion is effectively outlawed?
If Biden is trying to put the lid on Reaganism, it's surely not expressed through the actions above, nor can it be discerned in his approach to public health. The pro-business, anti-science Covid policy his administration has adopted is essentially a Trumpist one, and it's contributed to the utterly preventable slaughter of over a million of our peers, the bulk of whom perished on his watch.
Excellent analysis, as usual. Right on target, Joe. Try placing all of this within the context of the « closing of the frontier » in the wider sense that I describe it (and predict its consequences) in my « Critique of Western Philosophy and Social Theory ».
I so appreciate that you view seemingly discrete actions by government (legislative, executive, judicial) within a larger context albeit a scary regressive one.
For me living in the Greater Washington DC area, I followed what is commonly called The Bladensburg Cross case closely as it wended its way through the courts.
Briefly, a monument was judicially challenged as violating the separation of church and state because it was erected and maintained on state-owned land. The monument ostensibly to honor World War 1 veterans from Bladensburg, Maryland, is shaped like a giant stone cross that looms over a local, well-traveled highway.
The Supreme Court held that the cross is not a cross – it’s a patriotic symbol – therefore no religious violation. Huh?
Thus, we have traditional Supreme Court religionists who first had a conclusion around which they weaved facts, law, and rationale. Same with Dobbs, as you point out.