With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful

Glenn Greenwald's "With Liberty and Justice for Some" argues that the American justice system operates with a two-tiered standard, where powerful elites enjoy immunity from consequences that ordinary citizens face. Greenwald asserts that this erosion of the rule of law is a departure from the nation's founding principles. He illustrates this by examining historical and contemporary examples, including presidential pardons, corporate immunity (like that granted to telecom companies), and the lack of accountability for those responsible for the 2008 financial crisis. The text also details the increasingly harsh penalties and expanded incarceration rates for average Americans, particularly racial minorities and the poor, emphasizing a system that favors wealth and influence over equal application of the law.