The Progressive Prosecutor Movement

The Far Middle episode 158 tips off with a sports dedication that bookends episode 121’s dedication to the great John Wooden. The episode's dedication centers around UCLA booster Sam Gilbert, a behind-the-scenes figure essential to UCLA basketball's success during John Wooden's coaching era. Gilbert, though controversial and often breaking NCAA rules, provided significant support and resources to the players, contributing to the Bruins’ dominance in the 1960s and 1970s. This duality between Wooden's public integrity and Gilbert's covert rule-bending serves as a lesson in the complexities of ethics and legacy. “What you associate with, they set your legacy sometimes as much as you do, whether it's going to be for the better or for the worse,” says Nick. The discussion around ignoring and breaking the rules then transitions to the progressive prosecutor movement that’s been methodically executed by the Left in America for the last several years. Nick references analyses by The Heritage Foundation’s Charles “Cully” Stimson as he examines the implications of rogue district attorneys and prosecutors refusing to prosecute certain crimes. “The progressive prosecutor movement believes that the criminal justice system is broken,” says Nick. “And the only way to fix it is to replace law and order district attorneys with soft-on-crime and anti-police district attorneys. And when you do that, a community is going to suffer an epidemic of crime and decreased quality of life. And it will hit the working poor and hit minorities harder, which are the very groups the progressives claim to be advocating for.” Highlighting examples from cities including Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia, Nick illustrates the negative impact (increased crime and declining quality of life) of prosecutors undermining the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches, essentially rewriting laws without authority. Nick connects the progressive prosecutor movement to the broader issues of ballooning administrative power, warning once again of the dangers of unchecked bureaucratic authority. “The other branches of government, they're not pushing back and doing their jobs,” says Nick. “It's not a small problem, it’s a massive problem…it’s a theme that The Far Middle has been discussing for years, and it's one growing worse by the episode.” In closing, Nick wraps with a nostalgic dive into rock history, highlighting songs from several bands including AC/DC, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, and other greats centered on crime and punishment. Zeppelin fans: For more on the London rockers, check out Nick’s closing tribute segment in episode 142 celebrating Led Zeppelin II, and his reflections in episode 96 on Led Zeppelin IV and in episode 47 on Physical Graffiti.