If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade in the near future, as a leaked draft opinion Monday night indicated it likely will, the ruling will represent one of the least popular decisions in recent history by arguably the least representative body in American politics.
Excellent summary and analysis of how we got here. I clicked, despite my fear it would be some victim-blaming piece on weak Deocrats. Instead, it rightly points out sources/forces at work for decades to destroy important foundations of our small-d democracy.
“Four of the five justices reportedly behind the anti- Roe majority were appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote, and all of them were confirmed by senators representing a minority of Americans.“
Thus the tyranny of the minority, brought to us by the Electoral College and Senate, and fueled by the increase in low population largely rural states, has come to fruition.
OT: Hindsight is useful. It’s called the study of history. Looking at the shakeup and removal of most of Russia’s neoliberal meritocracy in 2012 and the rise of the siloviki, people focused on controlling the power ministries in the Kremlin, we see the institutional ossification that got us to Putin’s War today. So kind of surprising to read this today on an Indian-British website.
In particular a group called the ‘Siloviki’ – which comprises of former FSB officers who are active in Russian politics – is said to be pushing hard to replace Putin, together with former officers from the GRU, KGB and FSO, other Russian intelligence units.
Probably pure baloney, but the silovik reference raised my attention. The topic has been getting some discussion, but begs the question as to what kind of Russia does the world get post-Putin?
We can still save ourselves but we’re running out of time. We have to organize.
Our path requires sacrifice - yes, more sacrifice than we will be comfortable making. Our path demands unity, cooperation, forgiveness, and resolve. Our path calls for restraint, respect for our allies.
We have no choice. We face a determined, well-funded enemy. It’s Fascism. It’s here in our house. We have to drive it out, stamp it out. Or be smothered under it.
We are on the side of human dignity and hope. We are on the side of civilization and a peaceful world.
Will we embrace the challenge?
Absolutely a great read, well thought out and touches most of the salient issues that got us to this nightmare reality. Though I think it should also mention the work done by conservatives at the state level to keep the public quiet leading up to this.Public schools for the most part don’t teach and/or stress what was once known as " Civics " and far too many children have been raised with either no idea how government is supposed to work or what their responsibilities are in preserving it. At best their views are distorted by religious teachings that favor evangelical Christian dogma over all else. It makes the jobs of groups such as the Federalist Society so much easier if they don’t have to answer to the masses.
Some observers have pointed out that the court’s conservative majority doesn’t seem to think of itself as answerable to the American people
Some observers? Any who do not think that the court’s conservative majority doesn’t seem to think of itself as answerable to the American people have not been paying attention. Today’s conservative Justice is responsible to no one but their Corporate Masters, the Federalist Society, and the GOP; certainly they are not responsible to the American people.
There would have been no Bush v, Gore were it not for 2.7 million voters indulging in their performative virtue signaling centered on the preposterous lie (which they all knew) that there was “no difference between Al Gore and George W. Bush.” There is your democratic backsliding, small “d.”
I blame TFG and company.
OT
I blame Will Smith.
EXCELLENT article, Matt.
One more reference for educators of the future to offer their students as a cogent, accurate and well written piece of literature that actually tells the truth that “the oldstream media” refuses to cover because they are the problem itself.
The clarity that TPM gives some of us today will do the same for students of the future, and this is one of those articles.
Thanks again.
I’ll second that. Backgrounder pieces like this, when done well, are miracles of concision.
You add good points about what the bad guys have been doing for decades at the local level, and the generally superficial vagueness of what we politely call civics education. I’m pretty sure educators want to avoid controversy by shying away from stressing the need to make informed decisions and that being informed is more than confirming your biases. Also we’ve never made a widespread effort to teach critical thinking in this country, leaving kids and citizens generally pathetically easy to manipulate. If taught, that would of course be controversial too. All that said, there’s an argument to be made that there is rational governance happening at the local and regional level. It’s not extinct there, let’s say. It’s our national- and state-level politics where the rot is worst. But maybe it counts for something that there are problems being solved out there. We haven’t entirely forgotten how, or that such a thing is possible. Green shoots, right?
Me too. 
It’s a more perfect storm than just that. SCOTUS rulings ( and certainly future rulings ) are bent on maintaining GOP governing power even as majority support wants otherwise. To slap that Court down there must be a political sea change in America. But SCOTUS has prepared for that so now sea change won’t get America past voting restrictions that preserve power in the minority. Buckle up…
NO! Decades of GOP dirty tricks and lies brought us to this point. Packing the judiciary with right wing extremists brought us to this point. Stolen appointments by the GOP brought us to this point. Lies about when a President can name a judge to the bench brought us to this point.
Why do we always blame ourselves for GOP shitty behavior and lies? This is on the GOP!!!
Get it right. This not our side’s fault!
Expand the Supreme Court, impeach Thomas and Roberts, or any Supreme court judge that signed onto this dishonest betrayal to the American people. Even if it not successful we must fight. NO MORE BLAMING OUR SIDE!
Read the article. 
A reminder that the extremist SCOTUS majority are reactionaries, not conservatives. They have been turning back the clock to the 50’s by eviscerating the Voting Rights Act, rolling back reproductive rights, eliminating campaign finance reforms, and destroying the regulatory state.
Gore ran a piss poor campaign as did Hillary. There are always voters who don’t vote for one of the two major party candidates. It’s nonsense to expect them to vote for a major party candidate and then blame them for your loss when they don’t.
Feel the entitlement, as if voting is a lifestyle choice instead of a civic duty.
“Look what you made me do!” shouted the spoiled, entitled child. Hey, isn’t that Putin’s rationale for invading Ukraine?
Who voted for Ralph Nader? Almost exclusively white people born and raised in comfort - not poor whites, not Black voters. Same with Russian traitor Jill Stein.
“Ask not what your country can do for you” is so 1961.