Reading List

Madness spins unchecked, Echoes shatter silent minds— Ruin wakes, and smiles. Of all the things that transpired in the last two weeks, this judgement by the Supreme Court in the US will perhaps be the most damaging in the long-term. While the world’s attention is focussed on the economic damage of the Trump tariffs, the preeminent court in the US just gave the authoritarians even more power to act with impunity. At this point, why bother with laws? Why pretend like the courts matter? The partian judges who are fine accepting bribes now get to hand over judicial power to the fascists. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a dissent, identified how much is at stake: “The implications of the government’s position” are “that not only noncitizens but also United States citizens could be taken off the streets, forced onto planes and confined to foreign prisons with no opportunity for redress if judicial review is denied unlawfully before removal. History is no stranger to such lawless regimes, but this nation’s system of laws is designed to prevent, not enable, their rise.” ...

A mind slowly grows, Wisdom flows like rivers wide— Each step reveals more. This week has crushed my soul - a bit. I am bewildered by the speed at which the majority in the US is willing to shed constitutional procedures, rule of law, long-standing practices in government. The silence by the ruling party – the Republicans, is deafening. I am despondent, despite consolation, that we are not only enabling kleptocracy, but also cheering on the rise of fascism in the name of “efficiency”. It has been an appalling week. However, I remain a witness to the attrocities, and will continue to read and write about them. ...