How did we get to where America is today? Much credit must go to today’s SCOTUS. Is it the most corrupt Supreme Court in history? Let us count some of the mortal, i.e., deadly sins they have foisted on our democracy.
In an insane opinion, Citizens United declared that corporations are people, giving them and billionaires practically unlimited rights to buy elections. This decision will live in infamy alongside the Dred Scot Decision. It too is causing a civil war in America.
It is the reason why politicians are up for sale and busy voting for the rights of corporations. It is why ordinary citizens feel totally unrepresented in the government. Many turned in 2024 to a con man to bail them out…and how is that working?
SCOTUS deliberately dragged its feet for many months to guarantee that Donald Trump would not face charges before the 2024 election for his dominant role in the January 6 insurrection. That action told America everything they needed to know about Trump’s interest in democracy.
They also delayed the trial for his crimes in stealing security documents and putting them unguarded in the public places of his Mar-a-Lago palace.
Now, with presidential powers at his fingertips, he thinks nothing of invading cities with his “personal” militia, otherwise known as ICE, employing Gestapo-like tactics. And, they, like the Klan of old, cover their faces so their unmentionable deeds remain anonymous.
Completely contrary to the Constitution, SCOTUS has given this same narcissistic felon, convicted 34 times over, complete immunity to commit whatever crimes his demented brain drums up. In just the past months: making war on his own citizens as is happening now in Minnesota; invading another country (Venezuela) to seize their assets for his billionaire friends; threatening to do the same to others (Greenland, Cuba, Mexico, Columbia watch out). Meanwhile we mark the anniversary of his inauguration, launching his reign of terror by releasing 1600 proven insurrectionists, many of whom had tortured and killed policemen protecting the national capital from him and his now freed insurrectionists. All while the president sat and watched it all on television, cheering on those who wanted to hang his vice president.
He feels empowered to seek revenge on politicians who do not agree with him by threatening them with jail.
SCOTUS has gutted the Voting Rights Act — achieved at an immense price of people going to jail for non-violence and some being murdered — all to ensure that people of color have fewer opportunities to vote than white people.
In the same vein and with the same purpose, SCOTUS has allowed Texas and other states to lift any restrictions whatsoever on gerrymandering elections.
This SCOTUS let slide obvious corruption where members accept gifts proffered by super-rich oligarchs and their corporations, many of whom are actually facing trials before them.
And they wonder why trust in the court is at an all-time low.
All six of them came to the Supreme Court by way of recommendation of Leopold Leo, now a billionaire, who was and is in bed with the fascist Catholic group, Opus Dei. That is their constituency and their base, and what made them who they are.
They have proven they don’t give a damn about democracy. Or the Constitution that, for 250 years, has stood as an ideal in bad times and in good. This is one of those truly bad times. If Dante were alive today, he would paint a special place for them as hypocrites and democracy-haters in the netherlands of hell, with Chief John Roberts at the top of the heap.
Shame, shame, shame on this scurrilous Supreme Court so busy defending MAGA in all its many mortal, that is, lethal sins. Its epitaph ought to read: “What, me worry?” as they smile like Alfred E. Neuman while American democracy is bleeding for all the world to see.
There was a day in my lifetime when SCOTUS appeared to be on the side of truth, justice, and the Constitution. Not now.
Dr. King, whose feast day we celebrated this week, lived and fought in those times. Tomorrow, we will reflect on the final essay he wrote before his martyrdom.
Banner Image: “Show of Force.” Backlit by glaring headlights, ICE agents menace Minneapolis residents on a dark January night. Photo by Ken Fager on Flickr.
Queries for Contemplation
Do you also see the Citizens United decision as a key moment in the slide of American democracy? Is there a hint there as to how to get democracy back?
Related Readings by Matthew Fox
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul & Society
Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ
Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet
Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth
A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice
Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality
Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision For a New Generation by Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox
5 thoughts on “How MAGA’s SCOTUS Lit the Fire Burning American Democracy ”
Yes! Thank you Matthew for continuing to follow and expose along with other journalists and truth/justice seekers/warriors the injustices of our unsupreme court and the corrupt authoritarian Trump regime with its cult MAGA followers, greedy billionaire oligarchs, and cowardly sycophant enabling Republican congress!
God’s Spirit of LOVE~WISDOM~TRUTH~PEACE~JUSTICE… Is PRESENT and within All Americans protesting, resisting, and voting against this morally corrupt and racist historic shadow side of American society to preserve and evolve our democracy and humanitarian spiritual values….
Canadian here. Your only way out is electing strong no nonsense democrats to all 3 branches of government with huge, huge majorities. MAGA Repyblicans must be destroyed at the ballit box, if you get to have elections. Then rapid legislation to reverse the catastrophic damages, of course reverse all the orange ant-Christ’s executive orders, and prosecute both him and all of his henchman. It will take years and years of truth and reconciliation to scratch the surface of ICE Gestapo crimes Pass the humane border bill. Stack the Supreme court and and pass anti-corruption laws to govern it. Legislate Citizen’s United out of existance. Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights bill. End gerrymandering. It will take decades and decades to try and fix the economic damage and damage to your international reputation, but it will now never be the same. The world has moved on. Prosecute ICE. Restore USAID. Restore environmental protections. It will take decades to restore skilled public service in government.
I agree with your analysis and I am appalled by the daily scenes of power abuse and misuse. However all this did not happen in a vacuum. In each presidential election since 1976, the number of abstaining eligible voters has always been significantly larger than the winner votes.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout_in_United_States_presidential_elections.
The alarming consequence of such a democratic “vacuum” is that the winner (in whom so much power is invested) is elected by only 3 out of 10 eligible voters, and if one could really calculate the influence of big money on the results, the much praised “We, the People. . .” would end up sounding a bit “iffy”.
Matthew, I hope that you send your comments on the Supreme Court to each of them personally.
Thank you for the forthright and prophetic words in today’s meditation. This SCOTUS will go down in history as one of the most shameful ever in the history of our country, and further, of mankind’s effort to achieve a just and lasting peace. Thank you also for continuing to distance true Catholic theology from the Opus Dei right-wing fascists.
We have to pray that the Holy Spirit will move to defend the world, not just the USA from these people.