Jim Hightower's Radio Lowdown

Forget Justice, Our Supreme Court Rules for the Rich


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Interesting fact: While all federal officials take an oath that they will support the US Constitution, Supreme Court justices must also take a second (and very profound) oath of office.

As New York Times judicial columnist Adam Liptak reports, each of the nine “supremes” must swear that they will “do equal right to the poor and the rich.” Yes, class fairness is not only a core element of justice, but it’s supposed out to be a formal measure of Supreme Court behavior.

Every justice is aware of this consequential, ethical requirement, since each one took the oath. How damning, then, that the Court’s right-wing ideologues feel no twinge of conscience about flagrantly and frequently violating their own word of honor! Call the roll: Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett. In case after case that pits corporate power against workers, consumers, small business, voters, communities, our environment, farm families—i.e., you and me—this plutocratic cabal rules for the rich.

This month, an independent study of decisions by the Roberts Court revealed that two-thirds of its rulings favor wealthy powers over middle-income and poor people. Thus, our so-called “court of justice” is a primary pusher of inequality, especially through its farfetched decree that unlimited corporate political cash is “free speech,” and that corporations are “people.”

Chief Justice Roberts smugly proclaims that the Constitution tells him whether the corporate giant or “the little guy” should win. “That’s the oath” I took, he sniffs.

This is Jim Hightower saying… Bovine excrement! It’s obvious that plutocratic ideologues like him are using the Constitution like a ventriloquist dummy. And—hello, your honorableness—what about that other oath you took about equal fairness for the poor?

Do something!

There are groups that are working on holding the mighty Supremes accountable—what a world that will be! Check out:

* The Alliance for Justice

* Common Cause

* Brennan Center for Justice

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Jim Hightower's Radio LowdownBy Jim Hightower

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