The most terrifying case of all is about to be heard by the US supreme court | Steven Donziger

If the court upholds the rogue Independent State Legislature' theory, it would put the US squarely on path to authoritarianism

It is well-known that intense competition between democracy, authoritarianism, and fascism is playing out across the globe in a variety of ways - including in the United States. This year's US supreme court term, which started this week, is a vivid illustration of how the situation is actually worse than most people understand.

A supermajority of six, unelected ultraconservatives justices - five of which were put on the bench by presidents who did not win the popular vote - have aggressively grabbed yet another batch of cases that will allow them to move American law to the extreme right and threaten US democracy in the process. The leading example of this disturbing shift is a little-known case called Moore v Harper, which could lock in rightwing control of the United States for generations.

Steven Donziger is a human rights lawyer and environmental justice advocate. He is also a Guardian US columnist