In light of the recent $1.6 million given to ultra-conservative Marble Freedom Trust, headed by Leonard Leo, Opus Dei operative (see yesterday’s Daily Meditation HERE), Robert Maguire, research director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, says that this donation “solidifies Leo as just an absolute gravitational force within the conservative political and legal world.” He adds: “He was already the man behind the scenes raising money for reshaping the American judiciary, and this amount of money just takes it to a stratospheric level.” *
Where did that $1.6 billion gift to Marble Freedom Trust come from and where has some of it already gone? It came from Barre Seid, a very wealthy philanthropist for right wing causes and sole shareholder of Tripp Lite who it seems gave $20 million to George Mason University’s law school to rename it for former Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia in 2016. It turns out Leo Leonard coordinated that gift. Clearly, they are financial and philosophical buddies.
Already, Leo has funneled some of the money toward conservative organizations that have pushed false claims about election fraud and also more restrictive voting rules. The Marble Freedom’s administrative trustee is Tyler Green, who was a former law clerk for Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas.
Maguire summarizes the situation this way: “This group is emblematic of the corrosion and the breakdown of our campaign finance system” that gives “wealthy donors, whether they be corporations or individuals, access and influence over the system far greater than any regular American can ever imagine.”
Surely that is the understatement of the century. But it is not accidental. That is what Chief Justice Roberts and his court, so many appointed by Leo (in league with Senator McConnell), set out to do. Remember how they instructed us every-day citizens that “corporations are people” and have every right to spend their millions and billions on politics—and can do it out of a shadowy place of dark money?
There seems to be a choice Americans can make: Either government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” or a government of corporations, by corporations, for corporations and their secret donors. In other words, fascism.
The upcoming election holds grave consequences. Time to get out the vote big time.
See: * https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/22/politics/dark-money-donation-conservative-group-invs/index.html.
And https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/30/fascism-biden-trump-american-history
See also: Matthew Fox, “Opus Dei,” in Fox, The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How It Can Be Saved, pp. 106-144.
Regarding yesterday’s cover image: We just want to clarify that Prophets of Rage is a musical group which is assuredly anti-fascist. Guitarest Tom Morello stated to Rolling Stone: “We’re an elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of election year bull….”
To read a transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner image: “Italian Social Republic troops inspected by Luftwaffe General Kurt Mälzer in Rome before deployment to the Anzio front.” (Not all fascists come in easily recognized guise.) Wikimedia Commons.
Queries for Contemplation
Are you committed still to working in whatever ways you can for a government that is “of the people, by the people, and for the people”? What can you do to get out the vote in spite of big money supporting voting suppression, white supremacy, and the rest?
21 thoughts on “American Fascism on the March”
Matthew, Today you speak again of Leonard Leo of Opus Dei. Robert Maguire, of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, says that “He [Leo] was already the man behind the scenes raising money for reshaping the American judiciary, and this amount of money just takes it to a stratospheric level.” Then you trace for us ways that Leo has been instrumental in the movement of money behind the scenes for various conservative programs. There seems to be a choice Americans can make: Either government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” or a government of corporations, by corporations, for corporations and their secret donors. In other words, fascism. And that’s why I am committed still to working in whatever ways I can for a government that is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” This means that “we the people” have to get out and vote and do what we can to protect the rights of others to vote.
Ben Franklin’s speech on the final day of the Constitutional Convention: “I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that “except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall be become a reproach and a bye word down to future age. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.
I therefore beg leave to move — that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service.”
Darryl, So would this mean that you would be comfortable with prayer in the schools???
“I therefore beg leave to move — that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service.” I know that these were actually Benjamin Franklin’s words, but do you agree ??? We know the Supreme Court has been leaning that direction. I’m just sayin’
Richard I tried to respond to your very important questions. but the automation would not permit me to do so. Thought you should know I tried x 3
In view of today’s query, I question whether there exists a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. What I see is a government for a specific select group of people, mainly the rich and powerful, whom have their own personal agenda and whom are for themselves. In all honesty, it’s difficult not to become cynical with regards to the whole political process and governing bodies. However, choosing not to participate in the political process, through the right to vote, seems a reactionary decision based on these unsettling feelings of cynisism. Sometimes the tension of remaining focused on what is within my own power to do and what I am powerless to change… all that which is beyond my control… is extremely challenging to live in the midst of. It’s very hard to not get stuck in the Via Negativa. This is why I am grateful for these DM’s that help me remember, see and practice working the other three pathways within Creation Spirituality.
Jeanette, Today after reading the negative things going on in our government, I agree with you, it is hard not to become cynical when not knowing what to do about it. So you say: “It’s very hard to not get stuck in the Via Negativa.” Again, I agree with you. I however have felt that way about the government since the 60s, and one thing I used to do to help me keep my perspective over the years was, even though I was a protestant minister at the time, I always wore a crucifix. When people would ask me why I wore it, I would say that any time I feel bad or sad or lost, etc, I would just look at the crucifix and say to myself, “Well, Rick, You could be dying a slow painful death on a cross.” It helped me…
This is a scandalous situation. How on earth can it be challenged and recalibrated? It looks like making a mountain into a molehill.
Good luck to whoever makes an attempt at it.
Until dark money is removed from politics and the judiciary sadly
fascism is already here.
Voting is now critical indeed existential to our future.
Leonard Leo has also defined the Catholic Church in America and made Pope
Francis impotent.
GDEM, You write: “Leonard Leo has also defined the Catholic Church in America and made Pope Francis impotent.” In response to this I would say that while conservative Catholics almost think Pope Francis is the anti-Christ–and this; at the same time believing that the Holy Spirit leads in the selection of Popes–the rest of the world loves him. He is one of the most popular Popes in “the eyes of the world”–and I believe the rest of the world looks to him for his wise leadership–not that he’s infallible… 🙂
May we continue to be aware of God’s Spirit of Love~Wisdom~Truth~Peace~Justice~Healing~Strength~Creativity~Mercy~Compassion~Beauty~Joy… within, through, among us in the Sacred Present Moment of our daily lives of our small communities, our virtual communities, and as much of daily outdoor Mother Nature as possible….
Blessings 🔥❤️🌎🙏
Compulsory voting for all voters for elections is the most effective way of letting the man in the street have his say …. It’s been that way in Australia and it works ! .. who has the capacity to take that on and get the shift that you need in politics in the U.S. ?… ( leaving aside your constitutionally enshrined freedoms – it’s a no brainer if you want a genuine democracy
I agree with you, Leah !
There’s an unexamined fallacy in human thought never more rampant than in religion, politics, and the media. It’s the chief cornerstone and symptom of unredeemed minds (separation consciousness), and primary hallmark of what differentiates the blind from the clear-sighted (cosmic consciousness). Known as dualistic, binary, either-or, or black and white (polar) thinking, its fallacy is a false dichotomy, the belief that two mutually exclusive positions cover the totality of a given situation, in contrast to a comprehensive one. The perceptual equivalent of “fake news,” it sees only through black of binary lenses to the exclusion of color, shades of gray, nuance, or multivariant thought. Polarized lenses are good in bright sunshine, but useless for bright thinking. Polar thought at best leaves one making a choice between the lesser of two evils – like liberal or conservative, democrat or republican, Fox News or network news . . . Pharisee or Sadducee. Its why the two-party system is a failure, why money always buys political influence, why people in power don’t change, why populism is at its highest in 80 years, and trust in our government “to do right” is at an 18% low. It’s also why many spiritually conscious souls steer clear of it, investing their whole-making energies elsewhere.
Joe, Think of what you and the rest of us can do about it–to make things better. Perhaps you could share that on our Daily Meditations Facebook Page !
typo – says 1.9 million rather than 1.6 billion in the opening sentence.
To honor the election process I’ll honor my own tears and sense of outrage and the tears and outrage of others regarding the ongoing assaults on democracy in our nation and in the world. Also, I’ll vote as thoughtfully as I can, with gratitude for being able to vote, and I’ll encourage others to vote. Last but no means least, I’ll practice simple calming exercises to help myself and others stay as grounded and open to the presence and guidance of Love as possible, no matter what happens.
I think we all need to be committed to doing everything we can to preserve the right to vote and strengthen our democracy I am writing letters for Vote Forward, which is a national and non-partisan organization to encourage people to vote. https://votefwd.org/ It is vital to be aware of local races and become as involved as possible. As Matthew points out, local school boards have become a target for right-wing folk, with all the suppression of free speech for teachers and censorship of reading materials that entails–it has happened here in Florida and in other states and is spreading. Although it is shameful and disgusting that so much money is available to suppress all human rights, it is also true that money does not buy every race, as the results of a local race for city commission here in Tallahassee prove. In my opinion, passivity and the attitude that God will provide or that we have no part in bringing about good change are just playing into the hands of power.
I vote these days mainly as an exercise in Resistance.
The Electoral College is controlled, after decades of manipulation by fascist wealth through the evangelical/republican cult, resulting in states’ election contrivance producing bills either already passed or in the process of allotting election decisions to state legislatures, with accompanying bills that remove the judicial from election oversight.
Red states gerrymandered districts and altered election laws to deny voting rights to minority constituency through such measures as declaring it illegal to offer water or food to people in long voting lines, to give someone a ride to a voting place; and/or requiring proof of citizenship and/or other identity provision. In order to vote my own mother who stopped driving and therefore had no legal driver’s license, was two years getting a state ID, without which, she could not even board a plane, let alone vote—a process that was deliberately delayed by the issuing department in what was an obvious effort to discourage efforts to obtain the ID–the elderly are perceived as friendly to progressive candidates. (Link below.)
Olive, I hope you don’t mind that I am going to thank you, but also Leah Billeam with her “Compulsory voting for all voters for elections,” Phoebe Knopf with her, ” I’ll vote as thoughtfully as I can, with gratitude for being able to vote, and I’ll encourage others to vote,” Sue Safford with her, “I think we all need to be committed to doing everything we can to preserve the right to vote,” and finally you Olive with your, “I vote these days mainly as an exercise in Resistance.” Thank you all for emphasizing voting, because it is the one things we all can do!
Thanks for your comment. Voting IS all we can do and I think sane people understand that.
In addition to the above, I’d like to post this information:
And, thanks to the efforts of Leo and the remainder of the koch machine, the Extreme “court” has now bypassed Congress in its drive to destroy the rights established in 200 years of constitutional precedent, incuding voting rights (see list of cases below).
In light of these fascist tactics that have already effectively overruled ANY government participation by The People, the act of voting holds only the thinnest thread of possibility of influencing election outcomes. In a small number of cases, too small to have much influence, the recent primaries produced one or two non-fascist candidates, but most results favored the extreme Right.
I will vote as long as I can, but I have no illusions about the effects or importance of my efforts.
Cases that establish federal election laws:
Moore v. Harper, 142 S.Ct, 1089, 1089 (2022)
Shelby County v. Holder, 133 S. Ct. 2612 (2013)
Abbott v. Perez, 138 S. Ct. 1, 198 L. Ed. 2d 776 (2017)
Brnovich v. Democratic Nat’l Committee, 141 S. Ct. 2321 (2021)
Rucho v. Common Cause, 139 S. Ct. 2484 (2019)
Summary of voter restriction laws passed:
(https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-october-2021)
In SCOTUS’ June abortion decision, Justice Clarance Thomas, expanded the abortion issue toward contraception. He wrote the Court has a duty to correct its errors that legalized contraception in earlier decisions. If this happens in the future, It will punish most American couples for exercising their right to plan their fertility and family’s size. in addition, it will further erode barriers separating Church from State. Fortunately, the House of Representatives immediately responded by passing the Right to Contraception Act (HB 8373) with a vote of 228 ayes to 195 nays mostly along party lines. Please ask our DM community to urge their Members of Congress to make contraception a core issue in the 2022 general election campaigns.