This week the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act and the Teapublicans are furious because the American people will now have access to health care like most of the developed world already does. Something Un-American about that, to be sure. Meanwhile, Facebook had a curious historic moment when its management team joined the 21st century. And finally, spitting and cursing and fuming into the night, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia gives a daily reason why there should be term limits at the highest court in the land.

The Stopped Clock Theory

This past week Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts proved that even a stopped clock is right twice a day. In his relatively short tenure Justice Roberts has already proven himself to be one of the most partisan right wing jurists in the history of the court. And while the Citizens United decision has unleashed untold harm to American democracy, the upholding of the Affordable Care Act will do much to preserve the lives and the quality of life for hundreds of millions of Americans.

Clearly, while the Roberts court taketh away, it occasionally giveth. Upon reflection there was no rational alternative but to uphold the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act but that hasn’t stopped Roberts and his Terrible Trio of AlitoScaliaThomas in the past – the daylight robbery of the 2000 presidential election immediately comes to mind.

Nevertheless, June 28, 2012 was a great day for the American health care system.
And now we are witness to the Teapublicans, led by their marionette candidate Mitt Romney, promising to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with promises of untreated disease, misery and hopelessness.

An interesting choice.

Facebook Ever Forward

Last week Facebook got around to joining the 21st century by appointing Sheryl Sandberg as the first female member of its board of directors. That sentence bears re-reading, several times. Facebook is acknowledged to be on the cutting edge of the new media for the new age.

Yet, its board of directors, all male until this past week, had a composition that would have made J.P. Morgan or Henry Ford very happy campers. Unfortunately,
Facebook is not unlike so many successful American corporations who feel that diversity issues are addressed by having a couple of left handed people on the board or one lonely woman or one Magic Negro.

Facebook has changed the way that we communicate. Perhaps it is finally time that Facebook also begins to change. And hopefully other corporations will take note.

Get Shorty

At the age of 75, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has had a direct and filthy hand in some of the most horrible decisions in the history of the court. While the Dred Scott decision is the all time worst, the theft of the 2000 presidential election ranks up there, as does the Citizens United decision. And Justice Scalia paw prints are all over these decisions.

Now, in a dissent to a decision partially upholding the abhorrent Arizona anti immigration law, Justice Scalia seized upon the opportunity to criticize and castigate the president of the United States for his executive decision regarding the children of so-called illegal immigrants.

This would be the same Antonin Scalia who pantomimed his displeasure during President Obama’s State of the Union address a few years ago. Clearly disgraceful disrespect for the president goes hand in hand with his disrespect for the Constitution and the people of the United States.

Have a great weekend!