US Supreme Court

The Horrors And Fears Latinos Now Face Due To ICE Raids!

Ronald 9 Comments

Tragically, Latinos in America, whether born in America, or naturalized citizens, or those with a “green card”, or those who are undocumented, face the horrors and fear of ICE raids!

This is true in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC, and elsewhere, as thousands upon thousands of immigrants who washed cars, shopped for groceries, delivered food, walked dogs, drove their cars and attended schools and jobs, are being summarily arrested and facing deportation!

Mothers and fathers and even teenagers have been separated from their families without notice or knowledge of where such victims are being sent on the way to deportation.

This is a civil liberties crisis unmatched in American history, with an out of control Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency waging massive raids, with a hardline attitude by Kristi Noem, Tom Homan, Stephen Miller, and others, who are acting as authoritarians under their sycophantic loyalty to Donald Trump.

The Supreme Court has bent to the will of the Trump Administration, with six of the nine members of the high Court giving leeway to whatever is occurring, which is violating the Bill Of Rights, and the future will be determined in future cases being argued on the Court.

At the same time, lower courts have often blocked Trump actions, so we have a split judicial system, but with the Supreme Court soon to decide just how far these violations of basic human rights will be implemented long term.

The lives of these unfortunate victims are being upended, as people stay home from work and school, and are unable to pay their bills, and have to depend on others for grocery shopping.

“The American Dream” is being upended, and is, sadly, likely to get worse, under a Supreme Court more extreme than any in a century since the 1920s, as the advancements of the previous Warren and Burger Courts are being upended by the Roberts Court!

Chief Justice John Roberts: A Total Disappointment And Disaster!

Ronald 1 Comment

Chief Justice John Roberts has been the leader of the Supreme Court now for 20 years, fourth longest service of the 17 Chief Justices since 1789.

Roberts came on the court as a “moderate conservative”, appointed by George W. Bush in 2005 right after Chief Justice William Rehnquist died, and the day before Roberts was to begin hearings to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, replacing the retiring Sandra Day O’Connor.

Fate would have it that due to the death of the Chief Justice, suddenly Roberts would be elevated to a special status of being the leader of the Court.

Roberts came across for many years as “reasonable”, including when he “saved” the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) in a court decision in 2013.

Roberts always spoke of the need for balance and reasonableness, but in reality, that was a false, misleading image of him.

Now, 20 years in, Roberts is revealed as a phony, who has moved the Court toward the extreme Right, and shocked people with statements in recent years that reveal just how Right Wing he is.

For instance, he has said that racism is no longer an issue, which is totally preposterous and outrageous.

He has led a Court that has brought Donald Trump to have awesome power and has undermined the separation of powers, and he has contributed to what is becoming an authoritarian and Fascist Presidency, undermining American democracy and the rule of law.

So Roberts will go down in history as a tragedy and disaster, and his reputation long term will be in tatters!

And now, the Voting Rights Act is being challenged in the Court, which could destroy the idea of representation for minorities, and making the possibility of a white dominated House of Representatives, that could make the Republican Party dominant into the future.

And if that happens in this Supreme Court term, the Roberts Court will have sealed its reputation of returning American to the time of JIM CROW, and white supremacy, which was overcome by the Civil Rights Movement and the massive positive contribution of President Lyndon B. Johnson and the “Great Society” in the 1960s!

Release Of Israeli Hostages A Major Accomplishment For Donald Trump, BUT What About Preserving Democracy In America?

Ronald 12 Comments

The deal struck by President Donald Trump that has led today to the release of Israeli hostages is a major accomplishment, for which Trump deserves credit and praise.

However, Trump is over the top in his belief that a new world has emerged in the Middle East, as if this arrangement solves all of the issues involving the Palestinians and Israel, and the reality that Hamas has not been totally dissolved.

So the likelihood is for future warfare and conflict, and more bloodshed down the road, if not immediately.

This is a sad situation, but is a realistic assessment.

So while Trump can be praised for what he has done, and it has made him popular in Israel, the reality is that it does not make up for the total destruction of American democracy and the rule of law at home in America.

Trump has been engaged with his sycophants in the Cabinet, in the MAGA Republican Congress, and in the Supreme Court, in undermining the Bill of Rights.

It is clearly well along toward establishment of an authoritarian Fascist government, that is nativist, racist, misgonynist, homophobic, and imperialist oriented on the world stage, with his threats toward Latin America, Canada, and NATO, and his creating tensions around the world with his crazy tariff policies.

US Supreme Court Promotes Racial Profiling! A Disgrace For Court’s Reputation Of Upholding The Constitution!

Ronald 6 Comments

The US Supreme Court is supposed to uphold the Constitution and enforce the Bill of Rights.

In its past, it has often NOT done such, and now, in the present, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts, has reached a new low in its reputation and image.

It has endorsed racial profiling as permissible in seven Los Angeles area counties by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the National Guard. But once that is permitted, it can be expanded to everywhere, even though the Court said this was a “temporary” situation, not a final determination.

However, it is now open season for anyone who “looks” Latino, speaks with a Spanish accent, or has an Hispanic last name to be detained and put into a “hell hole”, at least in the Los Angeles area but likely to be expanded.

These victims of an oppressive government are denied due process, and subjected to lack of food, water, medicine, even a bed to sleep on while being held without trial, and in many cases, rapidly deported, by the order of Kristi Noem, Thomas Homan, Stephen Miller, Pam Bondi, and all of the other lawless Donald Trump lackeys!

Anyone who believes in basic civil liberties and sees America as the last great hope for oppressed people around the world has to be mourning and crying at what the American people, in their prejudice and bias and ignorance, have wrought upon the nation by electing Donald Trump to a second term, after the criminal actions he perpetrated in the first term!

Many Federal Judges Ruling Against Trump, But Will The Supreme Court Ultimately Uphold The Constitution?

Ronald 4 Comments

Donald Trump is on the losing side of many lawsuits, as judges at the district court and appellate court levels, including some appointees of Trump or earlier Republican Presidents, are making decisions that declare Trump is engaged in illegal actions. Constraints on his power is important not just for now, but also for future Presidencies.

These decisions include the illegality of the National Guard intervention in Los Angeles; the imposition of tariffs on many foreign nations; and the misuse of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport migrants to other nations, including El Salvador, South Sudan, Uganda, and elsewhere. And now, a federal judge has just declared that withholding $2 million in research funds from Harvard University is unlawful.

Altogether, Trump has lost 130 cases brought to court about his actions, including his abuse of executive orders, which have numbered close to 200 in seven and a half months.

The problem is that while this is good news, ultimately, the Supreme Court will have the final say on these matters, and it seems, sadly, unlikely that the majority of the very extreme right wing Court will deny Trump ability to do whatever he wants.

This means the Supreme Court seems on the road to allowance of the establishment of an authoritarian dictatorship, with no controls or regulations on the actions of Donald Trump. The Trump V US case of 2024 was a sign that the Court is not interested in putting reins on a President’s power, upending constitutional law, and the intentions of the Founding Fathers.

There is still hope of regulations being enforced, but it will be up to Chief Justice John Roberts, who has demonstrated how weak and ineffective he is; and likely, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who is very unpredictable and unreliable.

September: A Month Of Reckoning For Donald Trump!

Ronald 46 Comments

As the nation enters the month of September, President Donald Trump faces a month of reckoning.

Trump seems determined to intervene militarily with the National Guard in Chicago, and the Mayor, Brandon Johnson, and the Illinois Governor, JD Pritzker, are determined to prevent what has happened in Washington DC to occur in their city and state or any other state.

Trump’s tariffs have been challenged in court, and the issue of Presidential power to impose tariffs, which have alienated our allies and our rivals around the world, is moving toward the US Supreme Court.

The Democrats, although not in power in either house of Congress, are on the road to prevention of agreeing to a budget, which is due by the end of September, so we could have a major confrontation with Trump regarding his abuses of power, including his insistence on refusing to spend budget money that Congress has passed for foreign aid and other programs.

And finally, the Epstein Scandal is coming to central casting, wanting to know the truth about Trump’s involvement, but likely not being able to gain the facts about that scandal!

A Time To Celebrate: 17 Years Of “The Progressive Professor”, But Also A Time To Mourn The Demise Of The American Experiment! :(

Ronald 4 Comments

Today, August 11, marks precisely SEVENTEEN years of this author and blogger publishing commentary on this blog, “The Progressive Professor”, that was created in 2008, with the support and encouragement of my older son, David Feinman, who knew I had a passion to share my thoughts on American history, government and politics with others!

In those 17 years, there have been to date 8,550 articles published, and 28,532 comments made by my readers and followers. The comments added have been invaluable, and have, immensely, improved the whole concept of the blog, so I wish to thank all of those individuals who have committed themselves to contributing their thoughts and ideas, to the benefit of all those who read the blog daily.

In the present political climate, one cannot be certain that there will be a continuation of the blog long term, as these are dangerous times to be expressing thoughts, many of them critical, of events and personalities.

We may be witnessing the collapse of American democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law, and we may not survive the Presidency of Donald Trump, with the ability to restore what we had over nearly 250 years–an evolving nation with many faults which moved toward “a more perfect union”.

That has been destroyed by a quarter century of deceit and right wing extremism, motivated from the time of the Presidential Election of 2000, when Al Gore was denied the Presidency in favor of George W. Bush by a Supreme Court which showed it had no principles other than promoting aggrandizement of the nation by the wealthy.

Barack Obama came along and gave us hope of recovery, but faced great and fierce opposition, and the right wing extremist factions worked to, once again, undermine the American experiment by denying Hillary Clinton the Presidency in 2016 in favor of Donald Trump, who had ill intentions from the beginning.

Donald Trump worked at destroying the American Republic, and the nation was only, miraculously, saved in 2020 by the good fortune of Joe Biden coming along at the right time.

But the right wing forces attempted a coup d’etat, an Insurrection, NOT as some people claimed just a “riot”, but now being wiped out as if it never happened, as those who were involved in criminal acts have been “exonerated” by Trump pardons.

But the “disease” promoted by Trump and minions–the spreading of nativism, racism, misogyny, and homophobia by religious extremists—managed to convince gullible and poorly educated Americans to vote in 2024 to overcome and destroy the Republic that they did not fully appreciate, a shocking development.

Now, the rest of us are forced to suffer the ignorance, stupidity, and bias of ill informed and ill educated people, and are seeing our civil liberties destroyed.

Personally, having retired completely from teaching at the university level after 53 years, this author and blogger is, fortunately, continuing to give lectures to adults and senior citizens in South Florida, but it is difficult to predict what will happen in the short run and long run regarding this blog.

I just wish to hope for the best for myself, and all those who read my blog, as we move forward to chart whatever the future brings, which at this moment, does not look promising.

The future seems, sadly, likely to see the promotion of authoritarianism; the collapse of the economy with destructive tariffs; and the triumph of evil in international affairs, as witnessed by the Russia-Ukraine War and the Israel-Gaza War.

Thanks again, for your support and encouragement, to all those who read and contribute to this blog.

Rachel Maddow Makes Clear: Authoritarianism Has Arrived Under Donald Trump! :(

Ronald 40 Comments

On Monday evening, the great Rachel Maddow on MSNBC made the clear announcement that Authoritarianism has arrived! 🙁

It is no longer an issue of whether it is occurring, or is in process.

When one looks at the multitude of events and statements over the past six plus months, America is in dire straits in so many ways.

The Republican Party in Congress and the majority of the Supreme Court are in unison with most of what is being perpetrated by Donald Trump, his Cabinet, and others.

While there is opposition still existing, we have seen caving in by many law firms, corporations, and even more troubling, by several leading universities, and even concessions by ABC and CBS, and the end of the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, which helped support public televsion and radio since 1969.

This is the most depressing time in American history, and may be ranked historically as the most dangerous times since the threat of Fascism and Nazism in World War II.

It is hard not to be in despair, and a sense of fear has spread, as ICE agents arrest and detain people without just cause, and most having no criminal record of any kind.

Nativism, racism, misogyny, homophobia all are having their heyday! 🙁

American democracy is facing unprecedented challenges, and American national security is endangered, as America’s relationship with the world, including its long time allies, is endangered by the highest tariffs in a century, and a sense of lack of reliability of the nation to the world around it.

But, as Rachel Maddow makes clear, it is not a time for just despair, but rather for determination to resist in every way possible, including NOT allowing the naked attempt of Republicans to fix the 2026 Congressional elections and Congressional and Presidential Elections of 2028 and beyond.

There is widespread outrage being openly expressed all across the nation, and courage and principle must continue to be utilized in an active resistance!

The Supreme Court Has Become A True Disaster!

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The US Supreme Court, under Chief Justice John Roberts, has become a total disaster, a disgrace to its 236 year history since 1789.

The present Court, with a 6-3 right wing majority, is the most extremist since the 1920s, and seems to have the purpose to join Donald Trump in destroying the regulatory state and the promotion of civil rights that has occurred from the New Deal onward.

Two of the members—Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito—are the most extremist and corrupt members of the Court in the past century, highly arrogant individuals. And Chief Justice Roberts, who seems so concerned about his legacy in history as the leader of the Court, has given up trying to regulate the influence of these two members, and the three Donald Trump appointments, which with rare exceptions join in on most decisions, with an occasional, surprising split by Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh or Amy Coney Barrett.

The three Democratic appointments to the court–Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson–are clearly frustrated, as indicated in their often fiery, critical responses to many of the Court decisions. It must be hard to have civil relations, and one would think, that the frustrations could lead to private thoughts of resigning from the Court. But of course, they know that if any of them were to resign, that would mean a future 7-2 Court and even more extremist impact.

Right now, in a very difficult time, we must be proud of their defiance, and their commitment to staying and fighting, and hope for their continued health and prosperity, with the fear if one is forced to leave, what a disaster that would mean for constitutional law, already in disarray as things stand now!

Horrible Tragedy: Gutting Of So Many Federal Commitments And Agencies!

Ronald 7 Comments

Six months have passed since the second Trump Presidency began, and it is now perfectly clear that Donald Trump has waged total war on the federal government, both commitments of long duration, and of agencies and departments of long standing.

The Republican Party in Congress, and the Supreme Court six member majority, are complicit in these horrendous actions.

USAID (US Agency For International Development), which provided life saving aid to millions of poor people, including particularly children, around the world, has been destroyed.

PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Program For Aids Relief), the major accomplishment of former President George W. Bush, which saved at least 26 million lives in Africa from the AIDS epidemic, has been gutted.

The Department of Education, created under President Jimmy Carter after being part of a combined agency under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a commitment to federal engagement in education standards and support, has been cut dramatically.

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), created under President Jimmy Carter, had been on the chopping block until the recent Texas Flood Disaster, but still is in danger of being eliminated, as the federal government is moving toward leaving weather and natural disasters to the states to handle on their own.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service, created under Republican President Richard Nixon, are both crucial agencies facing massive cuts in personnel and ability to do their work to protect Americans.

Public funding of NPR and PBS, one tenth of one percent of the federal budget, is being cut completely.

Medicaid and SNAP (Food Stamps), both coming about under President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s, are suffering massive cuts, which will affect, in particular, rural states, but overall, the disabled, the elderly, and poor children, a total travesty!

Tens of thousands of federal employees in a multitude of agencies have lost their jobs, and with it, the federal goverment loses their generations of expertise on all kinds of issues of national security, health care, environmental protections, and so many other roles the federal government has engaged in since the Progressive Era, the New Deal, the Great Society, and commitments by Presidents of both parties in the past 50 years since the 1970s.