« Provocative Saudi-Led Regional Military ExercisesTurkey Shells Kurdish YPG and Syrian Forces: A US-Approved Provocative Act of War! »

Antonin Scalia’s Passing

February 15th, 2016

Stephen Lendman

Appointed Associate Supreme Court Justice by Ronald Reagan in 1986, he represented core hard-right neocon extremism throughout his tenure.

Its ending saddens no one for governance serving all its people equitably and fairly, not just its privileged few. Scalia was ideologically over-the-top. He supported rolling back civil liberties, defiling human rights, and ending social justice.

He opposed core voting rights, reproductive choice, government regulations, labor rights, affirmative action, same-sex marriage, gay, lesbian and transgender rights, environmental protections and other progressive issues - subverting justice in defense of privilege, endorsing fascism over democratic values.

Conservative Judge Richard Posner once called him “the most influential justice of the last quarter century,” arguably the most deplorable among an array of right-wing extremists he failed to explain, often writing for the majority in major cases, opinions subverting fundamental justice.

Scalia was no ordinary conservative. He was a right-wing extremist, morally and ethically unfit to serve.

In Atkins v. Virginia (2002), the landmark death penalty case, he argued against excluding mentally retarded adults from capital punishment.

He believed Roe v. Wade was wrongfully decided and should be overturned. He called the important 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between nations (inviolable international law) not binding on US courts.

Presidents should have broad discretionary power to govern as they wish, he said. Foreign laws should be rejected out-of-hand.

He called corporate political spending “free speech,” supported Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, making one dollar = one vote official US policy, empowering Big Money in America more than ever.

He was one of five hard-right Supreme Court justices annulling the 2000 US presidential popular vote, halting Florida’s ballot recount, installing their choice for president over the will of the people, revealing US electoral tragedy and farce.

He supported weakened Miranda rights, backed the right of police to strip-search without probable cause, and sided with Exxon-Mobil in reducing its lower-court ordered damages for its 1989 Prince William Sound, Alaska oil spill to an amount too little to matter, a small fraction of its daily revenue.

He deplored universal healthcare, maintained that states have no authority to protect patient rights or ban cigarette ads near schools.

He opposed immigrant rights, supported no judicial limit on detaining them, endorsed automatic deportation for aliens convicted of crimes, even when too minor to matter, besides numerous examples of wrongful convictions.

He was against employers being legally required to hire women and minorities, supported limiting their liability in sexual harassment cases, said rape victims can’t sue their attackers.

He opposed public education in America, a bedrock tradition, supported privatizing it, making it another corporate profit center.

He was against progressive taxation, believed private property should be exempt from government regulations.

The words “Equal Justice Under Law” adorn the west facade of the Supreme Court’s building. Since its 1798 establishment, its high-minded claim belies its deplorable history, most often supporting privilege, not equity and justice.

America was always ruled by men, not laws, operating for their own self-interests. “We the people” continues to mean its privilege class exclusively.

Scalia was Exhibit A. Whoever replaces him won’t change longstanding practice. Democracy remains pure fantasy, Supremes appointed to assure it.

-###-

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.htmlRadio Network

No feedback yet

Voices

Voices

  • Paul Craig Roberts Jobs Offshoring and Work Visas Are Means of Enriching Corporate Executives with “Performance bonuses” for Replacing American Labor with Lower Paid Foreign Labor, thus Reducing Aggregate Demand in the US From The Failure of Laissez…
  • By David Swanson Wouldn’t it be nice if the war in Ukraine were entirely one side’s fault, if the U.S. had one political party that did everything perfectly, if USAID had only ever caused either benefit or harm, and if all the self-contradictory…
  • Janet Campbell Image: Freepik When you care deeply about a cause, it’s natural to want to make an impact. But taking meaningful action in your community isn’t just about passion—it’s about strategy, persistence, and connection. Whether you’re advocating…
  • Paul Craig Roberts and Larry Sparano Discuss the Fight Ahead This is my interview by Larry Sparano of a few days ago prior to my learning, as I posted yesterday, that the temporary injunctions that judges are issuing against Trump and Musk’s activities…
  • Andrew Korybko Andrew Korybko's Newsletter The US could move its nascent “New Détente” with Russia further along by either forcing the G7 and UNGA Resolution sponsors to change their language about “Russian aggression” or refusing to attach its name to…
  • Paul Craig Roberts If there is gold in Ft. Knox, whose is it? Many bullion dealers believe that any gold in Ft. Knox is not ours. Over the decades the gold was “leased” to bullion dealers who sold it into the gold market, thereby protecting the value of…
  • Dr. Vladislav B. Sotirovic “Dresden was known as a city that was overcrowded by up to 500,000 German refugees from the east.” The Three Men of Slashing        It was in May/September 1945 when WWII ended – the bloodiest and most horrible war ever fought…
  • Robert David The so-called ‘free market’ was never free—it’s a stage-managed spectacle where financial elites dictate the rules, rig the system, and ensure that true competition never sees the light of day. What if the so-called 'free market' was never…
  • Chris Spencer Discover the powerful herbs and vitamins that support neurogenesis and neuroprotection, promoting brain health and resilience against cognitive decline. Key players like Bacopa Monnieri, Ashwagandha, Omega-3s, and Vitamin D provide…
  • Tracy Turner Discover how pro-Zionist media outlets shape narratives around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This article explores tactics such as framing and selective omission, which often portray Israel as a victim while overlooking Palestinian…
February 2025
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
 << <   > >>
            1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28  

  XML Feeds

CMS with Bootstrap
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted articles and information about environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. This news and information is displayed without profit for educational purposes, in accordance with, Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Thepeoplesvoice.org is a non-advocacy internet web site, edited by non-affiliated U.S. citizens. editor
ozlu Sozler GereksizGercek Hava Durumu Firma Rehberi Hava Durumu Firma Rehberi E-okul Veli Firma Rehberi