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milestogo

(23,305 posts)
Fri Jul 29, 2022, 10:47 AM Jul 2022

Samuel Alito mocks reactions to abortion ruling at religious summit

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has not only drawn vehement criticism from Democratic Party members and abortion rights activists in the United States — it has also been condemned by leaders of other major democracies, from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to French President Emmanuel Macron to Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. Even on the right, the Dobbs ruling is controversial in Europe; outgoing U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a member of the Conservative Party, has blasted the ruling as an assault on human rights.

As unpopular as the Dobbs ruling is in the U.S., it is even more unpopular in Europe. A Morning Consult poll focusing on five European countries found that net favorability of the U.S. had gone down to only 11 percent in early July when Germany, the U.K., Italy, France and Spain are combined. The Dobbs ruling and the massacre in Uvalde, Texas on May 24 were cited as key factors; before those events, the U.S. enjoyed net favorability of around 25 percent in those countries, according to Morning Consult.

But when U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito — who wrote the majority opinion in Dobbs — attended the Religious Liberty Summit in Rome in late July, he made it clear that he couldn’t care less what European officials thought of him. Alito gave the keynote address at the event’s gala dinner on Thursday, July 21, and he had a mocking, dismissive tone when discussing the reactions of non-U.S. officials to the Dobbs ruling.

Alito told the crowd, “I had the honor this term of writing I think the only Supreme Court decision in the history of that institution that has been lambasted by a whole string of foreign leaders who felt perfectly fine commenting on American law. One of these was Boris Johnson, but he paid the price.” Alito’s joke about Johnson drew laughter from attendees. The scandal-plagued British prime minister, who is resigning, slammed the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade as a “big step backwards.” Alito also mocked Prince Harry, who condemned the Dobbs decision during a United Nations speech — saying, “From the horrific war in Ukraine to the rolling back of constitutional rights here in the United States, we are witnessing a global assault on democracy and freedom.” Alito, in response to Prince Harry’s comments, mockingly told Religious Liberty Summit attendees, “What really wounded me was when the Duke of Sussex addressed the United Nations and seemed to compare the decision whose name may not be spoken with the Russian attack on Ukraine.”

https://www.alternet.org/2022/07/samuel-alito-mocks-reactions-ruling/

What an asshole.

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Irish_Dem

(82,785 posts)
1. The GOP SC is totally out of control. Their narcissism and sociopathy is on full display.
Fri Jul 29, 2022, 10:56 AM
Jul 2022

Life tenure does not appear to be a good thing.

RKP5637

(67,112 posts)
2. Yes, a Supreme Asshole on a Supreme Court. This guy is a disaster! Fairness, equality, what a cruel
Fri Jul 29, 2022, 11:01 AM
Jul 2022

joke. There is no balance of fairness in justice with this supreme court. Some have made it into just a political operative and some absolutely do not belong on the court. The Supreme Court is now a joke, but sadly with enormous power. Really, how can one respect this court.

milestogo

(23,305 posts)
5. Yeah so he should expect European feedback.
Fri Jul 29, 2022, 11:21 AM
Jul 2022

They should have openly ridiculed him for referring to 17th century common law in his opinion.

SharonAnn

(14,184 posts)
7. "Flamboyant Cruelty" Bragging about it. Disgusting that a Supreme Court Justice would do this.
Mon Aug 1, 2022, 09:18 PM
Aug 2022
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