It has happened before.
Some historians believe the 1857 Dred Scott decision, “the worst decision in Supreme Court history,” precipitated the Civil War (see Wikipedia article here).
It certainly would be hard to outdo that one for inflaming passions, or identify an issue more likely to provoke political violence than slavery, given the social and economic conditions existing in the 1850s.
But after a recent spate of scandals and unpopular decisions, the Supreme Court’s public approval is at its lowest ebb in generations. This is occurring against a backdrop of declining confidence in government and societal institutions generally; but in the court’s case, it’s self-inflicted.
That’s a problem. Studies show “political violence is highly correlated with deep distrust of democratic institutions,” because citizens who don’t trust the system are more “inclined to take matters into their own hands.” (Read story here.) That’s basically what happened on Jan. 6, 2021. It’s essentially what happens when police brutality leads to rioting.
Acceptance of political violence rises as faith in institutions declines. While Republicans currently are the most approving of political violence, that approval is growing among Democrats, too.
Right now Democrats are vociferously defending our democratic institutions — except for the Supreme Court, which the left views as partisan and rogue. If that disillusionment grows, then we’re likely to see growing support on the left for use of force “as an alternative” for resolving political disputes, a researcher warned.
He sees America on a “collision course” in its electoral politics. That doesn’t mean violence is inevitable. But the current state of American politics may be like a dry forest susceptible to a match or spark from an unpredictable source. And the Supreme Court, by removing American democracy’s “protective guardrails,” may be pushing the country toward greater conflict.
Photo below: People like these rightwing militia members protesting inside the Michigan capitol building aren’t much different from the fascists, communists, and others who believe, as Mao once said, “political power comes from the barrel of a gun.”
