Jacobin Radio Folgen

Suzi talks to Dean of Berkeley School of Law Erwin Chemerinsky about the just completed Supreme Court term, handing down decisions that overturned vast areas of law. The Court’s decisions ignored settled law and took away a Constitutional right in the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v Wade. Chemerinsky argues that this court did not follow a judicial methodology, legal principles, or precedents: instead, a conservative majority on the court is making the Republican Party platform Constitutional law. We get Erwin’s analysis and ask what can be done. Turning to the UK, Suzi talks to Tariq Ali about the saga of PM Boris Johnson’s resignation—brought down by Tory ministers who decided Johnson’s personality and unethical conduct had gotten in the way of his politics, which they mostly support. Tariq Ali says that the Tories have been ruthless in dumping Prime Ministers who might lose them the next election, like Thatcher, May, and now Johnson – but Labour is only ruthless in removing a Leader who poses a threat to the extreme center. Under Keir Starmer, Labour has not challenged Johnson’s political record, or presented an attractive alternative to the Tories, so Boris Johnson is going, but Britain is still stuck with the same rightwing politics. We get Tariq’s view.