"US risks edging near to dictatorship"

[CelticKid]

Sandra Day O'Connor, a Republican-appointed judge who retired last month after 24 years on the supreme court, has said the US is in danger of edging towards dictatorship if the party's rightwingers continue to attack the judiciary.
In a strongly worded speech at Georgetown University, reported by National Public Radio and the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Ms O'Connor took aim at Republican leaders whose repeated denunciations of the courts for alleged liberal bias could, she said, be contributing to a climate of violence against judges.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/...html?gusrc=rss

[Pseudolus]

Headline: "Judge Says Judges Should Be In Charge"

[SamTheEagle]

Originally Posted by Pseudolus

Headline: "Judge Says Judges Should Be In Charge"

Indeed. Her dictatorship comment is pretty funny considering she was 1/9 of a dictatorship for 25 years.

[The Diabolical Biz Markie]

I know, Sandra...democracy sucks when the people want something different that what you want.

The fact is, the president appoints the judges on SCOTUS, and this president got elected--in part--because of how his constituents thought he would handle the appointment of SCOTUS judges. It is the one area in which he inarguably succeeded in doing exactly what he said he would do (that, and that dopey drug benefit...).

[Moe Szyslak]

Originally Posted by The Diabolical Biz Markie

this president got elected--in part--because of how his constituents thought he would handle the appointment of SCOTUS judges.

You mean there were other reasons for electing him?

[Moe Szyslak]

Originally Posted by The Diabolical Biz Markie

I know, Sandra...democracy sucks when the people want something different that what you want.

It is also funny that you say this after years of whining about activist judges. AWWW, did you not like that the people wanted something different than you did?

[fallout]

Originally Posted by Moe Szyslak

It is also funny that you say this after years of whining about activist judges. AWWW, did you not like that the people wanted something different than you did?

Judges <> the people.

But you knew that, didn't you?

[CelticKid]

different that what you want.

something different than you did

different FROM!

[ShebaPoe]

The US is totalitarian with some window dressings of a democracy. Do you actually think it matters which of the two parties you vote for? There only ARE two parties to divide, polarize and then conquer.

Every government of any form has an enemy: the governed. There are all different systems of marginalizing them, and the US's is another variation on this theme.

[Maxprime]

I think it's dumb that the President appoints the judges - doesn't seem like a check/balance to me. But it's what the framers wanted so what do I know? It does help prevent politicians from being elected instead of good judges (not completely prevent, but it helps). I think the framers underestimated how important the SCOTUS would become (judicial review wasn't explicitly laid out and took that case - Monroe?)