I am 30.
Donald Trump has appointed more than 10% of the judiciary in less than 18 months because republicans obstructed Obama for years in a soft coup. They're appointing hard line ideologues and party loyalists rather than impartial judges (mainly as a backlash to how Souter turned out).
My entire life, the supreme court has been conservative. Neil gorsuch is only 50 - Republicans are deliberately nominating people in their 40s in order to stack the courts in their favor until the 2050s. So, I'm not really seeing republicans get the raw numbers in support that the democrats are, but, realistically, I'm probably looking at a republican judiciary until I die of old age.
We can't undo this. Laws can be repealed. Officials face election every 2, 4, or 6 years. The judiciary appointments are for life, and the only mechanisms around their decisions are:
A. The judiciary overrules itself. Not likely when it's been stacked with true believers immune to debate and discussion.
B. Impeachment in the house and conviction in the senate. Requires 67% of the senate. The US frowns upon using impeachment as a vote of no confidence over poor leadership, judgement, or political alienation.
C. Constitutional amendments. Require 3/4ths of the state legislatures, time limited.
It's actually really sick, but the most feasible way to undo this would be violence. Which is an absolutely abhorrent idea. We all know it's wrong, we are all against it out of principle, we all know it's a dark place that would backfire and destroy the very fabric of our society. That said, the systems and political norms we have in place do not provide for democratic means of undoing damage through the judiciary. It creates a dangerous environmemt where hyperpartisanship can thrive and tensions will continue to bubble up until they explode.
This is not a healthy country. One side is engaged in propaganda and applies zero sum game theory to every action it takes, while the other side is excluded from the Democratic process out of spite and gamesmanship. My Republican representative does not let the public talk to him. It feels like civic engagement from the left is outright ignored by the right, in the executivrle branch, on the house and senate floor, and now even in the courtrooms.
That is dangerous. Someone will embrace their violent impulses, justified or not, right wing, left wing, minority, or white, and we are all going to wind up worse off for it. Regardless of who is in power, who suffers, who thrives, who lives, who dies, a society can't go on like this when faith in its institutional integrity is eroded to this extent. The people can't be happy. No matter how secure they are in their day to day lives.
Edit: like fucking clockwork, sounds like an entire newpaper office was shot up.
