Thread by @ggreenwald

Appellate Court Strikes Down Racial and Gender Preferences in Biden's COVID Relief Law

greenwald.substack.com/p/appellate-co…

This judicial ruling about the raging debates over group-based benefits vividly highlights the social, political and culture divisions driving U.S. politics.

The judge who authored the opinion, Amul Thapar, is the first-ever South Asian federal judge. His reasoning:

The majority ruling also emphasized the bizarre, now-common aspect that racial and ethnic groups who earn the most in the US are given preferences, while groups earning less (including whites and Middle Easterners) are "sent to the back of the line" for COVID relief).

The dissenting opinion from Bernice Donald, an African-American woman appointed by Clinton, then elevated by Obama, perfectly expresses the arguments in favor of such preferences: there is no other way, especially quickly, to cure systemic discrimination than targeted benefits.

This case is fascinating not only because it attempts to resolve one of the most inflammatory and divisive questions - whether it's remedial or bigoted to grant and deny benefits based on race - but also because of the parties and judges involved.

greenwald.substack.com/p/appellate-co…

Appellate Court Strikes Down Racial and Gender Preferences in Biden's COVID Relief Law [publicly available]

greenwald.substack.com/p/appellate-co…