Authoritarianism run amuck


I want bring attention to this video of the appalling treatment of a woman who complained of being sexually assaulted by a court official. It happened in a Las Vegas courthouse under the nose of a judge and I learned of it via Max Read.

Apart from the appalling treatment of the victim by the judicial system, which should make people outraged for its own sake, I feel that what happened also is emblematic of the rise of the authoritarian state. When the authoritarian mentality is entrenched at the highest levels as it currently is, then people in authority positions all the way down the line feel empowered to act like they are above the law and are not servants of the public but their masters, able to treat the law and people with contempt because they believe that they are acting on behalf of the state and the power of the state will back them up.

This is precisely why we need to hold people in authority at all levels, but particularly at the highest ones, accountable and demand transparency. The authoritarian mindset has to be fought all the time and everywhere.

Comments

  1. Hamilton Jacobi says

    What was going through that judge’s mind when she turned her back?

    Notice from the end of the video that the marshal is now using this in his defense, claiming that his actions were justified and legal because nobody in the courtroom tried to stop him.

  2. says

    Believe it or not unlike the Brits in The very best Exotic Marigold Hotel, who want to leave England I’d personally love to retire to England. I like that country!

  3. Mano Singham says

    I think the most of the British people in the film did not want to leave, but they felt that their reduced income wouldn’t stretch very far in England and they could live better in India.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *