After the revocation of the right to abortion in the United States, Serge Jaumain, professor of contemporary history at the ULB, analyzes the divisions within the country.
This Friday, the US Supreme Court revoked the right to abortion established in 1973 . This decision does not make pregnancy terminations illegal, but returns the United States to the situation in force before the emblematic “Roe v. Wade” decision , 50 years ago, when each state was free to authorize them or not. .
“We must remember that this is not a federal law, but a decision of the Supreme Court, which considered in its judgment that abortion could not be the subject of legal proceedings” , details Serge Jaumain. ” For 50 years, there has been no legislation, and so the United States lives with this judgment” .
The Supreme Court decided Friday to revoke this judgment and to return to the states the possibility of legislating on this point, provoking various reactions. Some 26 states have banned – or plan to ban – abortion, showing the deep rift within the country.
” Yet, and that’s what’s crazy, a very large majority of Americans are in favor of maintaining the legalization of abortion ,” continues the professor. ” We still have the shadow of Donald Trump hanging over here. He had 3 ultra-conservative judges appointed to the Supreme Court, which will influence decisions and society for a long time because judges are appointed for life”.
Assault on the Capitol, an attempted coup?
On January 6, 2021, the American parliament is stormed after the defeat of Donald Trump, who does not recognize the result of the election. An investigation was carried out into these events by a commission of inquiry for 9 months. Public hearings are taking place right now.
” What this commission shows is absolutely frightening” , according to Serge Jaumain. “ Now we see how a whole series of things were organized during this assault. There were militias organized militarily. The question is who is behind this. had orders coming directly from Donald Trump ?
The professor is also quick to recall an important point: ” There is not the slightest evidence of any rigging of the elections, despite the numerous investigations. Even a number of Republican judges (Donald Trump’s party) have arrived to the conclusion that there was no element showing a desire to rig the elections” .
Could Donald Trump be indicted? ” Many lawyers are asking the question” , details the guest of Maxime Binet. ” The evidence is starting to be quite numerous. Evidence of his indirect involvement. At the time of the assault, he did not move, while a president is elected to defend the institutions, but he decided to let it happen” .
