The Trump Supreme Court Is Nothing New
NLF Highlights for October
A new Supreme Court term begins today. If you’re still reeling from the from the calamitous rulings of the 2021-22 term, that’s understandable. But if you think the Roberts Court is an aberration in the over 200-year history of the court, think again. In an article included here, historian Steve Fraser, former Editor-at-Large of New Labor Forum, traces the anti-democratic roots of the court and its long legacy of protecting elites against demands made by “the passionate majorities.” In light of this history, rallying cries to appoint new, or even more, Supreme Court justices misses the larger problem of the Court itself.
This newsletter also brings you a warm invitation to join us in-person in Manhattan on October 21st to celebrate New Labor Forum’s 25th anniversary! The occasion will include poetry and NLF authors reflecting on this moment in labor history: “A Working-Class Resurgence? Reckoning With Labor’s Past to Forecast Its Future.” Journal authors and editorial staff look forward to the chance to meet readers and fellow travelers and raise a glass to a quarter century!
Finally, we end with the release of a new episode of our podcast, Reinventing Solidarity. NLF Book Reviews Editor Samir Sonti and economist Josh Mason wrestle with essential questions raised by current inflation: If strong demand has contributed to rising prices, what role have constraints on the supply side played? Why have interest rate hikes become the textbook response inflation? What other remedies should be on the table? Sonti and Mason offer nuance and refreshing clarity as they answer these questions.
Table of Contents
- The Trump Supreme Court Is Nothing New: A History of the Tyranny of the Supremes – Steve Fraser, New Labor Forum
- “A Working-Class Resurgence? Reckoning With Labor’s Past to Forecast Its Future,” Friday, October 21, 2022, 2pm – CUNY SLU Event
- Reinventing Solidarity Episode 35 – “Who Pays for Inflation?”
The Trump Supreme Court Is Nothing New: A History of the Tyranny of the Supremes
By Steve Fraser, New Labor Forum
Has the Trump Supreme Court gone rogue? The evidence mounts. Certainly, its recent judicial blitzkrieg has run roughshod over a century’s worth of settled law. A woman’s right to get an abortion? Gone (at least as a constitutionally protected civil right). Meanwhile, voting rights are barely hanging on, along with the 1965 Voting Rights Act that gave them life. State legislatures, the court ruled in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, may no longer rein in the wanton availability of firearms and so the bloodshed will inevitably follow. . .
Read the full article here
The fact that current inflation rates are higher than they have been in decades weighs not only on households and businesses, but has also shifted the political landscape. As we head into the 2022 midterms and then the 2024 Presidential elections, understanding the deeper causes of and available remedies to inflation is of paramount importance. In this episode, Samir Sonti and JW Mason offer their insights on questions posed by inflation: If strong demand has contributed to rising prices, what role have constraints on the supply side played? Why have interest rate hikes become the textbook response inflation? What other remedies should be on the table?
Listen here: SLU.CUNY.EDU/PODCAST
