I worry for you, my friends.

[Pedro]

 Viewing from across the pond, things in the ‘Land of the Free’ are not looking all that good for freedom at the moment.

SCOTUS has overturned the nearly 50 years precedent of  Roe v Wade, a 100 yr NY state gun control measure, and has previously taken a pop at the nearly 60 year old Voting Rights Act. Further ‘Judge’ Thomas has effectively already invited challenges to Gay Marriage, LGBT rights, and the availability of contraception. The cynic in me suggests that the rest of the VRA, the nearly contemporary CRA , desegregation (Brown v Board of Education) etc will be challenged soon after.

While the overturning of these rights and freedoms is bad enough in itself, I fear the most egregious damage is the disregard of set precedent - the overturning of the doctrine of stari decisis - settled law. Ultimately this will mean in any court, not just SCOTUS, the law is whatever the presiding judge decides it is at the time a case is heard, depending on his mood, prejudices and, dare I say it, political expediency and  bribes.

So, yes, I fear they are coming for y’all here, who I count among my friends. 
 

It grieves me to say it but maybe the second amendment/NRA crowd have a point about resisting overbearing government. Except It’s not their natural supporters who are most at risk!

 

While I have problems with organised religion, particularly the hubris associated with the monotheistic religions- God created man in his own image - I found this from an Anglican priest in Nova Scotia, Canada interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WFpaqWJKx0 -What has SCOTUS done? 

 

 

[Nigel Gordon]

I also fear for the freedoms which America is supposed to hold dear. It claims to support freedom of religion, but that only seems to apply provided you are an adherent of a narrow interpretation of Christianity. If you are a liberal Christian, then your beliefs have no value. May the gods help you if you are a Pagan. Your very fundamental belief has just been trodden on by SCOTUS, that the woman is free to follow her own conscious.

Fifty-five years ago I was doing an A-level in Government and Politics. Although this was based on British Constitutional theory, we looked at other political systems around the world. One thing we looked at was the US political structure. My Government and Politics lecturer stated that "America has been fighting a Cold War version of the Civil War since the day Lincoln was assassinated." I am sorry to say that the current situation probably goes to show that sentiment not to be so wide of the mark.

[Altimexis]

One of the most consequential cases has yet to be revealed, but a decision will probably come this next week. If SCOTOS decides that states have the right to usurp federal environmental regulations, as is expected, the consequences will be no less far-reaching than Roe v Wade. I fear that SOTUS intends to take America back to the eighteenth century, when we were a confederation of independent states, except when it comes to the imposition of religious doctrine on the majority. Conservatives rail against the activist Supreme Court of years past, yet no previous court has been so blatantly activist in history. This cannot end well.

I'm recovering from a total hip replacement, done one week ago today, so I won't be as long-winded as usual. Suffice to say that the upcoming midterms will be among the most consequential in history. Unfortunately, most people blame Biden for inflation and gas prices that are half of those in Europe. One thing I'm certain of, though. New York and California will never enforce a ban on abortion, gay marriage or contraception. If the Republican minority even tries, it will be the end of America as we know it. We are in serious need of constitutional reform, but I don't know how we can get there.

[Nigel Gordon]

8 hours ago, Altimexis said:

We are in serious need of constitutional reform, but I don't know how we can get there

You are in serious need of an effective centrist party, the existence of which would force the Republicans and the Democrats to move back towards a central position rather than an extremist one.