Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died.

[FromEden]

A legend. RIP. Can we kiss goodbye to abortion in the US now? Will we see further attacks on women's rights if the Republicans get to appoint a replacement? Scary times.

[BenoneBeauty]

Sadly I agree @deepwatersolo

[deepwatersolo]

So Trump has the numbers; Mitt Romney didn't hold out after all.

That's the thing. Republicans (the politicians) will always choose power over morals. And what do Democrats (again, the politicians) do? Chiding the Republicans with some stern words and then vote for Trump's defense budget. And Bush's war and spy program... And not even when in power they can be arsed to change things, like push through a SCOTUS nominee or rescind the Patriot act...

Utterly depressing.

[CaraDuneRedux]

[quote tobee]So Trump has the numbers; Mitt Romney didn't hold out after all.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-54254141[/quote]


Not surprised.

I'm hanging my slender thread of hope on the possibility that the Democrat minority can find procedural hold-ups to effectively filibuster the thing out.

[HoneysuckIejasmine]

Well of course, Republicans* don't have morals.

*This current crop of republican senators. I'm sure there are many Republican voters, likewise Conservatives, who feel a bit disgusted at what their party is getting up to.

[tobee]

So Trump has the numbers; Mitt Romney didn't hold out after all.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-54254141

[deepwatersolo]

Trump will not be able to get a replacement nominated and confirmed before the election. Even an expedited process would take too long.

Not before the election, but before the inauguration. I have seen analyses concluding that the process took an average of 85 days in the past.

It was a huge mistake of the Democrats not to fight for seating a replacement for Scalia when he died at the end of Obama's term. They didn't even put up a fight ffs. They were too sure Hillary would win. Hubris.

I also wonder whether RBG might have resigned back then had she had doubts about Hillary's success, but I can accept that she wanted to stay on the job 'til the end, no matter what. It was her calling. But that the Dems bungled the Scalia replacement is inexcusable.

[DreadPirateLuna]

Apart from everything else, what a tragedy that an 87 year old woman with terminal cancer had to keep working until the end to preserve justice and democracy. She and her family deserved better.

[cocopops]

That’s so sad. She was a legend.

[boatyardblues]

Thanks for the heads up about the RBG documentary on Netflix. I watched it earlier and felt doubly saddened that the US has lost such a formidable advocate for women’s equality. It was also great to see that she was a role model for so many young people.

[TeddyDahlia]

RBG said that her most fervent wish was to not be replaced until a new President was installed. Let’s hope enough Americans fight the fight to make that wish come true.

[Gwynfluff]

Very sad

[MichelleofzeResistance]

Please do draw the parallels with Naziism, I would be interested.

Is there any interest amongst GC women in cancelling anyone, de platforming them or book burning?

Death threats or rape threats for sharing an opinion or trying to hold a public meeting?

Blockading or harassing people trying to meet to discuss the law?

What you call 'hate' is female people saying that biology is a real issue for females, and to put this aside for the sake of male people means excluding females from services, language and spaces that they need. There's no desire to limit other people gaining their own spaces and meeting their own needs. Merely a request that the rights gained are not ones removed from others to their detriment and inequality.

How in your view does this express a fascist political view?

[CaveMum]

Such sad news.

If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend the documentary “RBG” on Netflix, which was made about 3 years ago. Trailer here:

There’s also a pretty good film about her life called “On the Basis of Sex” starring Felicity Jones.

[BenoneBeauty]

Thank goodness for that @TeddyDahlia!

[fatblackcatspaw]

from guardian obit 'From 1972, too, she began a close relationship with the American Civil Liberties Union, and co-founded its Women’s Rights Project. Within two years she had taken part in more than 300 gender-related cases. Her secretary persuaded her to use the word “gender” rather than the word “sex” as she felt it was less confusing to middle-aged male judges.' hummmm

[TeddyDahlia]

I worry for the future - I think Trump will win another 4 years regardless but this now gives him absolute control and likely he'll change the law so that he can go for a third term. God help us all.

It does’t - please be reassured. I share your anxiety about another 4 years of Trump, but another Republican justice wouldn’t give him absolute control. The rule of two terms is protected by the constitution. The Supreme Court cannot change the constitution. Only a majority vote of two thirds of both houses can do that.

That means that even if Trump does win a second term, the Republicans would have to have a majority of two thirds of both the House of Congress and the House of Representatives to change the constitution. That is not going to happen. And even if it did, all of those Republicans would need to vote in favour of changing the constitution. That is very unlikely because many Republicans don’t like Trump, and many Republicans might like Trump fine but are hugely protective of the constitution and wouldn’t vote to change it on the whim of a single president - even a Republican one.

[BenoneBeauty]

RIP RBG - a true icon, who fought staunchly until the end.

I worry for the future - I think Trump will win another 4 years regardless but this now gives him absolute control and likely he'll change the law so that he can go for a third term. God help us all.

[persistentwoman]

An incredible woman - and yes, my heart goes out to all our American sisters for their loss of a giant in our lifetime

[FromEden]

Yes Biden is terrible and I'm starting to think the dems don't want to win at all. Again. Even "hard left" Bernie would get more votes but maybe that's just my state.

I dont have a vote as a non american here but its just all so infuriating. on the plus side, I can leave if it gets too bad.

[CaraDuneRedux]

RIP Ruth Bader Ginsberg, a truly amazing woman and intellectual giant.

I agree with Teddy's excellent analysis (and also think that the process can be delayed just long enough such that Trump can't get anyone in place before the election).

However, I'm not actually particularly sanguine about the election. Biden is underperforming in some of the crucial swing states, particularly Florida. I think he's going to be Hillary mark 2. The Democrats seem to be making a similar mistake to the Labour party, in assuming that what the party's inner faithful want is what the voting public at large want. They lurch between (by American standards) far left in the form of Sanders, and (as perceived by the public outside of Washington policy wonk circles) elitist establishment place holders - Clinton, then Biden. What they don't seem to be able to find is a middle-of-the-road Democrat who can convince the public that she or he stands for fairness, compassion, justice (all the good Democrat values) coupled with a fairly light hand when it comes to bureaucracy, a sound economic policy and a fairly non-interventionist foreign policy ("red tape", taxation and foreign wars being the big bogey men for the voting public, and the places where the Republicans are really able to score hits in campaigning).

[titchy]

Thank you @TeddyDahlia - really interesting (and slightly hopeful) analysis.

[FromEden]

*pissed off women whoops

[FromEden]

I think we're going to end in seeing a women's rights movement that make the previous historical ones look mild, because it's going to end up affecting all women, not just the ones with a feminist interest

I agree. Im hoping it won't come to that but if they want millions of pissed of women taking to the streets, well thats how they get it.

[MichelleofzeResistance]

*How shallow and superficial change really was