Publishers Weekly
10/07/2019
Progressive radio host Hartmann (The Hidden History of Guns and the Second Amendment) delivers a full-throated indictment of the U.S. Supreme Court in this punchy polemic. The court is responsible for “literally billions of dollars of politically poisonous cash flowing from corporations and ideologically motivated billionaires into the bloodstream of our body politic,” Hartmann declares, blaming the U.S. Constitution’s elevation of property rights “above most everything else”; the justices’ lifetime appointments; and the 1803 Marbury v. Madison ruling, which gave the court the power to declare laws unconstitutional. Hartmann sketches the court’s contentious decisions, including 1896’s Plessy v. Ferguson (which upheld racial segregation) and 2010’s Citizens United v. FEC (which granted free speech protections to corporate campaign spending), and alleges that every Republican president since Richard Nixon (with the exception of Gerald Ford) has committed crimes in order to pack the court with conservatives. His suggestions to “break the right-wing stranglehold” on the court include imposing 18-year term limits and introducing cameras to public sessions. Hartmann cherry-picks his examples and vacillates between arguing that the court doesn’t reflect popular opinion and is too beholden to it. As a result, this crash course in judicial history is unlikely to change minds. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
With this masterpiece on the Supreme Court, Thom—the brilliant author of many important books—surpasses himself. It should be required reading for every person who cares about the future of our planet.”
—John Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
“Historian, legal scholar, and political analyst extraordinaire, Thom Hartmann presents a meticulously documented strategy for trimming the power of nine ideologically motivated political activists unaccountable to the will of the people. Hartmann’s most important and timely book to date.”
—David Korten, author of When Corporations Rule the World and Change the Story, Change the Future
“Thom Hartmann’s thoughtful analysis of the history of the Supreme Court provides a clear and actionable blueprint for how champions of principled democracy can work to evolve the court in ways that makes it more responsive, transparent, and accountable.”
—Garlin Gilchrist, Lieutenant Governor, State of Michigan
“Hartmann looks at the Supreme Court today as a tool of the right and their corporate interests. He reminds us that the Declaration of Independence promises ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’ not ‘property,’ and urges ‘we the people’ to lawfully subject SCOTUS to democratic governance.”
—Harvey J. Kaye, Professor of Democracy and Justice Studies, University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, and author of Thomas Paine and the Promise of America
“Thom Hartmann has created an elegant historical road map that reveals how one of the most influential judicial bodies on the planet evolved into such a powerful and mysterious entity.”
—Mike Papantonio, Host of America’s Lawyer
“Thom Hartmann provides a clear-eyed view of the right-wing assault on the courts -- and a principled vision for restoring justice for the many, not just the few.”
—Lee Fang, investigative journalist
“Thom Hartmann gives fascinating play-by-play coverage of the federal judiciary’s fall from the ‘most harmless branch’ of government to a clear and present danger to liberty and democracy. Do you want to understand how the plutocrats are trying to gavel down on We the People? Read. This. Book.”
—Alan Grayson, former member of Congress
“A brilliant, highly readable account of the least-understood democratic branch of our government, its growing power, and its hijacking by the right, this book is essential reading for anyone who’s concerned with the future of our democracy and the fate of our world.”
—Richard Eskow, writer, journalist, consultant, and broadcaster
“Hartmann has the amazing ability to bring important history to life. His new book is a must-read for people of all political persuasions to understand the history of the Court and its political impact. It is an eye-opener on the betrayal of America and what it means for our future.”
—Bob Ney, Political Analyst, Talk Media News, and former member of Congress
“In a provocative and easy read, Hartmann warns we have ceded enormous political and economic power to the wealthy classes, despite our founding fathers’ intention to place more corrective power in the hands of the electorate.”
—Bill Luther, former member of Congress
“Hartmann once again goes deep to understand the origin of the crisis in the Supreme Court, which didn’t stem from Trump alone. To understand the power of the Court, its dangerously dysfunctional state, and what you can do, read this book.”
—Dahr Jamail, author of The End of Ice
