It did not take long for political jockeying to begin following yesterday’s passing of RBG. Republicans want to confirm a new Justice now, Democrats later. Our country’s political system and the balance of power between its branches was a bold experiment carefully crafted by the Nation’s founders. This system has been able to maintain the rule of law in this country, the backbone of our democracy. RGB’s power and enduring impact derived in part from her commitment to the rule of law, in front and behind the bench. RBG shaped and encouraged the fight for liberal equality everywhere. In the last three and a half years, conservatives have been able to appoint a large number of federal judges whose convictions will be felt for decades. This is our political system.

At the same time, tectonic social and economic forces are reshaping our society. The digital economy is fracturing our way of life, exacerbating nationalism, pushing millions of gig workers into poverty and creating super-national corporations increasingly controlling what we see, hear and read.   Climate change is rapidly letting us know who is really in charge.  While we are bickering about red versus blue, these greater forces are the real threats.  We will not be able to move forward until we find a way to understand one another, find common ground, commit to the rule of law and, like RBG, develop a bias for action.