(Way, Way) Back To the Future

The conservative members of the Supreme Court have been busy of late with their trebuchet (popular in the 6^th century), doing their level-best to launch us back to eras past. It began in 2010 with the Citizen’s United decision that made it OK for corporations (like aristocrats of the past) to flood our political system with money, thus electing/ influencing the politicians who will most benefit them. The justices themselves have been living high on the hog with “patronage” (in the millions) from high rollers like Leonard Leo and Harlan Crow who are right out of the Gilded Age.

In 2022, SCOTUS reversed 50 years of settled law by overturning Roe v Wade. The current fallout, in devastating health complications and 65,000 rape-based pregnancies, shows that this country is rapidly returning to some very dark days.

But wait: this kind of pain only has the True Believers of SCOTUS craving even more, as Torquemada during the Spanish Inquisition. Several justices have strongly hinted they’d like to overturn laws protecting contraception/IVF, interracial and gay marriage, no-fault divorce, voting rights. And after allowing the loosening of child labor laws, Justice Thomas would very much like to eliminate OSHA which protects workers on the job.

Now, SCOTUS just overruled a landmark decision from 1984, Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council. Essentially, where once experts in the EPA, SEC or other federal agencies were deferred to in related legal decisions, those complex issues will now be determined by judges or members of Congress.

Perfect. Imagine letting Marjorie Taylor Greene or Lauren Boebert be the arbiters of how much lead in the water is OK?

Overturning “Chevron” removes the power of federal experts from providing their input on legal decisions affecting our daily lives. Instead, politicians and courts will hold sway. Creating/upholding important laws will slow to a snail’s pace as uninformed politicians struggle to understand and balance the real-world impact of introducing a new drug or enforcing regulations to protect stock market investors while keeping their rich donors happy.

The overturning of the 40-year-old Chevron doctrine is another slap in the face of Expertise. Dr. Anthony Fauci has taken a beating from cranks who’d rather follow bizarre medical “advice” from a random website than his decades of experience in the field. Who needs “edumacation” anyway, you fancy Liberal Elites? At this rate, we’ll be back to using leeches.

And at this writing, SCOTUS hasn’t slowed their backwards roll one bit. Next stop: the 18^th century, as their ruling that former president Trump has legal immunity from criminal prosecution for “official” acts gives him the same power as King George III.

Before SCOTUS can get around to outlawing things like voting,  even fire or the wheel, vote in November, and choose the Democratic ticket all the way down the line.

Or this next blog may be written on papyrus.

Cindy Grogan is a writer, lover of history and "Star Trek" (TOS), and hardcore politics jun