Remember when Hillary Clinton was widely ridiculed for alluding to the existence of a “vast Right-wing conspiracy”? It turns out she wasn’t wrong. She wasn’t even exaggerating.
And it explains a lot of what’s happening now.
A number of articles over the past couple of years have pointed out that Trump didn’t suddenly turn a once-respectable political party into the MAGA cult with which we’re now dealing. As Maureen Dowd recently wrote in the New York Times, in a column about our corrupt Supreme Court, there has long been “a determined group of religious zealots with a long-term master plan to pack the court with religious zealots.”
“These conservative Catholic and evangelical Christian operators believed they were fighting the biggest moral battle of the modern age, and forced America to debate on their terms,” they wrote. “But despite their public appeals, they did not convince broad swaths of Americans of the righteousness of their cause. Instead, they remained a minority, and leveraged the structures of American democracy in their favor, building a framework strong enough to withstand not only the political system but also a society moving rapidly against them. They took power to remake the nation in their image. And they were far more organized than their opponents or the public ever knew.”
Emerging reporting and research confirm the allegations. Talking Points Memo recently described one such organization–a secret, men-only right-wing society with members in influential positions around the country, intent on recruiting a “Christian government.”
More recently, a study by the American Association of University Professors documented the manufacture of the recent backlash against institutions of higher education. It uncovered a network of Right-wing “think tanks” that has been laying the foundation for those attacks for many years. In a chapter titled “Culture War, Think Tanks, and the Dark Money that Funds Them,” the scholars identified twenty-six national think tanks. Among them were the Center for Renewing America, the Conservative Partnership Institute, the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and–of course–the Heritage Foundation.
The report also listed thirty-eight state-Level think tanks, and forty-three organizations it categorized as “Cultural Conservative Think Tanks (including the Claremont Institute, a think tank that figured prominently in efforts to overturn the 2020 election).
Given the purpose of the study, the report focused on eleven of the think tanks that have participated in the culture war by attacking educational institutions.
Many of these think tanks work closely with one another, often sharing personnel and board members, amplifying each other’s work, pushing the same messaging, and supporting shared political objectives. As demonstrated in Appendix 2, this level of coordination is unsurprising given that these think tanks also receive money from the same libertarian and conservative megadonors. Furthermore, as described in the second section, seven of the eleven think tanks are members of the State Policy Network (SPN), an umbrella organization that networks national and state-level libertarian think tanks.
Appendix 2 identifies the wealthy individuals funding these organizations.
The report analyzes a number of “model” bills that aim to impose a conservative Christian worldview on public education and promote election denial, and it describes several of the most extreme–and effective–organizations. One of those is the Manhattan Institute, which “houses Christopher Rufo, Ron DeSantis’ favored “educator.”
Rufo–who is largely credited with weaponizing the term “critical race theory”
started his anti-CRT campaign in a City Journal column in July 2020 where he wrote about diversity training offered by Seattle’s Office of Civil Rights. Since then, Rufo has published over one hundred columns in City Journal, many focused on critical race theory, DEI efforts in schools, woke-ness, so-called gender ideology, and “left-wing radicals” in K-12 and higher education. He claims that “critical race theory is becoming the operating ideology of our public institutions.
DeSantis appointed Rufo to the Board of Trustees at the New College of Florida, Rufo where he helped end the college’s gender studies program (which he deemed “ideological activism”).
After his appointment to the board, Rufo tweeted: “We are now over the walls and ready to transform higher education from within. Under the leadership of Gov. DeSantis, our all-star board will demonstrate that the public universities, which have been corrupted by woke nihilism, can be recaptured, restructured, and reformed.”
The report–with copious citations–is 148 pages long, and for those with the patience to read it all, revelatory.
The White Christian Nationalists who emerged from the shadows to support Donald Trump have been working for a very long time to reassert what they believe to be the proper world order: a society dominated by White Christian men, in which Blacks, women, non-Christians and LGBTQ+ citizens are kept in their deservedly “inferior” places.
They are indeed a “vast Right-wing conspiracy.”
Why do they call them “think” tanks when there is no thinking going on? It’s all dogma from a cabal of ideologues who choose to wear the mantle of the “word’s” authority. I see that as nothing more than medieval cultism – no thinking allowed.
Oh, how far we’ve come since the days of the Inquisition…
I would suggest Fox, and the various portions of the right-wing nut-o-sphere is a main problem. They take edge-case ramblings and turn them into “main stream” talking points.
Rufo was a nobody who found a “scary” sounding, academic term (critical race theory) and shopped fear and paranoia about it around until Fox bit. They put him on air wall-to-wall. That’s how he got on those boards and in with DeSantis. Fox (et. al.), injects crazy into the blood stream that would normally be relogated to a street corner preacher with an end of the world sandwich board.
OMG, When circumstances seem hopeless! Are they really demanding what it sounds like they are demanding? What noone wants to give, especially losing lives. What will it take to stop them? Certainly not the DOJ or legislation. If they aren’t brought under control, if those institutions we’ve supported and depended on aren’t going to be decisive and strong, then what?!
Another source to view Maureen Dowd’s article without a NYT subscription: https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2024/06/05/opinion-verdict-is-supreme-court/
My dad, had he lived, would have been 90 this year. He was a Democrat for as long as I knew, a strong union member, and until his last 10 years, about as prejudiced as anyone I’ve ever known…the family called him Archie Bunker. But, he also predicted for decades there would be a revolution in this country, because he foresaw what the GOP has become, and that the real war is a class war; that to win, they will turn the Democrats against one another ( never too hard to do, I’m afraid). We have to stop being such purists with our candidate…until we can grow a crop that’s better, we MUST campaign, donate to, and vote for the one on the ticket.
Vernon – they think about ways to make the changes they want. If it’s crazy, but it works – then it isn’t crazy.
I would be careful about dismissing a model that has proven so wildly successful. Are they shady? Certainly. Are they running the show with distressing ease? Absolutely.
It’s not just the think tanks, they have also established foundations that spew their nonsense.
All of this courtesy of Koch and friends. They get together every year and go over their successes and their failures. If an effort is not successful, they decide what to do about it. They might change tactics or just decide that it needs more funding. They pledge millions to each project. Meetings are private and restricted to members only. Members must be billionaires. Of course, every foundation is tax exempt.
It’s not just the schools, either. They have taken over red state’s boards or departments of education. That way they have great impact on public universities through the selection of Presidents. Think Mitch Daniels (Purdue) and Ben Sasse (Florida).
This SK posting, and comments that follow, underscore what I and many others, have felt ever since trump descended that escalator in 2015: trump didn’t invent the politically abhorrent actions and tactics on the way to the presidency, he merely awakened and massaged the masses oh so ready to accept permission to act. His defiance of just about everything supporting our system of government, of life actually, was and is constantly on display ad nauseum. Most of us are sick and tired of it all, but beware, because all of those far right organizations Sheila enumerates are working hard to upend democracy as we know it. That list is longer than I knew, and I am genuinely fearful of their ability to foment change in a way that is deadly harmful to America. They scoff at the ideals that are the foundation of our thinking and of our way of life, and are changing it as we write about them. This isn’t going to stop with the defeat of trump in November; It is a lethal movement which must be exposed for what it is.
It didn’t all just “happen”. One only has to look at where we are now to see that the Catholic take over of the Supreme Court, the taxpayer support of religious schools, and the mindless support by the media of all things Catholic is not coincidental. It’s as if the National Conference of Catholic Bishops marshalled its forces in the early 90s (the time of the sex abuse scandal by the clergy were made public) to garner enough power to hold onto their little empire.
No, it didn’t all just happen.
I’m guessing none of those pushing the idea of a “Christian” , more accurately “Christo-fascist” nation have enough sense at look at Iran. Then again Iran is apparently the model they appear to want this nation to emulate.
We did not see it coming, but we are called on to defend the Constitution, reminiscent of our parents. Frankly, I’d rather be in our position of using democracy to defeat threats from within rather than their position of defending it from foreign threats.
If we each just took the time to bring a couple of Constitutional voters to the polls who otherwise couldn’t or wouldn’t make it, we would have our job done and proudly so. We would be among some pretty great company over the last two-plus centuries.
since reagan they have chipped away and fought and lied beyond any logical means to achive the last hurdle. 2024. (say 2025)talking with the locals and now back at work with some out of state construction workers, (blue collars)seems the above talking points dont even come to any conversation from them. its the same ol joe is whatever,and screw the other skins. its all thier fault.etc. theres obviously the big lie here and it isnt about trumps world. its about their world. seems if the rightwing whatevers including the so called christians will lie to the world about false prophacy and whatever else succeeds to get the gold ring, they alone have failed the insitution they so rule. any recount of any known religion has a sense of doing right. this is no more than a deliberate lie to gain power over the masses,by any means. make that christian sect, above the law. above the teachings of their so called christian world. that maga church has become a symbol of hate and power. its obvious now who has the reigns. the billionaires and the ultra wealthy. leo and the heritage,the wall street and hilary. yea, she wants to unseat a standing incumbant for her well to do lap dog. she rich to, schumer and the corp demos have become lap dogs to this stand by the christian right wing masse. they believe that the constitution still stands and some so called wall will stand between the magas and them. but they have yet to say it like it is, the rich want to sell you out. they want to make America their own play toy. Londons money market,the IMF WTO and such are already standing by for the change. unlike the UN will say it like it is these momey grabs obvioulsy are licking their lips at the thought of unreigned power by the dollar and sending the working class to economic slavery for their own needs. obvioulsly, latest story, the right wing and corp demos have relocated near 50 triliion dollars upward since reagan to 10% of our population. do the math. thats money we could have used to fight this takeover. best wishes.
Jeff:
point made. seems back when we invaded Iraq, (irans etc)we went on about how bad it was a religion was to make a goverment like sadams. now we stand with our laundry around our ankles waving our christian – facist fists..
Theresa Bowers; not only the sex abuse scandal of the 1990s, the earlier articles were brief mentions in the news which quickly faded into the shadows. An Oprah Winfrey program reporting the Catholic sex abuse scandals in Chicago ended with Oprah reporting that the Chicago Archdiocese had been spending an average of NINE MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY to cover up the previous years of sex abuses. Watch the movie “Spotlight” about the Boston Catholic sex abuse scandals finally “outed” by the Boston Globe Newspaper. Cardinal Law finally admitted to 30 years of cover ups he was aware of; his punishment was a position within the Vatican till his death.
Not only the Catholic issue but, I have always wondered why that infamous blue dress with semen stains had been so carefully saved and protected to use later impeach President Bill Clinton. Republicans are hell bent on outing the sex scandals of their opposition and covering up Trump’s countless number of sex charges like a cat in a litter box. It is a little confusing when you look at both sides of the sex issue in the “…Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy”; are they for or against sex in general.
Key things are “long-term master plan” and coordination of multiple entities fueled with billions. Our “other side” has NONE OF THESE. Is it any wonder why “they” are winning inside a supposed democracy while every day their plans are more and more openly shared? When the history is written, it may note how the foes were disabled by “identity politics” and their own greedy dependence on big capitalism’s dollars.
Regarding tha so-called “think” tanks:
“ . . . Why do they call them “think” tanks when there is no thinking going on?”
They are not thinking about the WHY anything, but they are definitely thinking about the HOW to reach their goals.
JoAnn, there is a reason Hunter Biden wanted to be on a board in Kyiv, Ukraine. It’s the playground for drugs and hookers. You can’t get into those clubs unless you are “somebody.” Ukraine was (is) the most country in Europe because they wanted it that way.
Back to today’s post: As Jane Mayer and others have pointed out, this has been going on for decades. Once again, Trump’s racism against Obama birthed Trumpism MAGA hysteria, which rebranded the racist Tea Party—the Kochs already owned 150 university departments in the USA. As the federal and state governments limited funding on university campuses, the billionaires stepped in to make up the difference. All these oligarchs suddenly controlled the university system across the country. We saw much of it play out during the anti-genocide campus protests. Who do you think forced the presidents to call the state cops?
The oligarchic donors. It exposed the university system big time, but the legacy media ignored it while it distracted the people with pro-Israel people vs anti-genocide people. If this country had moral leaders and a media that consisted of truth seekers, we wouldn’t be in this mess. It’s a house built on sand, and the sand is shifting.
I’ve been searching online for legacy media coverage of Saudi Arabia’s announcement that it is NOT renewing the 75-year-old petrodollar agreement, but it is scant. The smart people on here should know what will happen next. For instance, Moscow has already ended their stock market trades in dollars. The unipolar world just ended, and it won’t be pretty:
https://www.islamicity.org/101965/saudi-arabia-just-ditched-the-u-s-dollar/
Not *country, but *corrupt. Darn, spell check. LOL
Calling Ukraine the most corrupt country ignores recent history. The people there threw out the most corrupt elements of their government and are now fighting tooth and nail to survive Putin’s attempt to reverse their successes.
Yes, Jeff. Ironically, Iran, is the model for these people. And, let ups nit forget, as long as we are talking about a long term project here, that it was St.Reagan who proclaimed that the country needed to get back to its spiritual being, and brought how many religious ideologues close to politics. Then there was GWB, Mr. “Village Idiot” who pushed his “Faith Based” BS on the country.
Oh, and how many huge tax cuts did St.Reagan give to the oligarchs who fund this idiocy.
Vote your asses off!!!!!!!!
And live long enough to pee on Mitch McConnell’s grave!
Right on, Sheila, as they say….but, you know, there is also the pro-corporate, unfettered capitalism, Milton Friedman acolytes….that are aligned with, largely behind the creation of the right wing think tanks but these folks prefer a lower profile. I exposed some of this, the groundwork for it, in the memo written for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (in confidence) by Lewis Powell before he ascended to the high court: https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2023/05/09/launch-long-game The game plan laid out for the attack on higher education, the funding of the “think tanks” and the placing of critical, conservative activists on campuses, among other strategies, is plain to see…..and it has worked. We weren’t prepared for it.
The “Indiana Shampoo Tycoon” referenced is Charles Haywood of Carmel. He started the book banning group Unify Carmel. My guess would be he is a friend of Micah Bechwith. Google this guy and you will find his connection to these crazy loons.
I did not know there were so many “tanks” going against democracy – so sad AND frightening. I abhor the behavior of the evangelical “Christians” – it is giving what has been, and still is, in many places and thinking, a kind and caring religion. Now, it is getting a reputation of being just the opposite, unless you buy into THEIR beliefs. AND, frightening because there are people who follow the tenets of that way of thinking. AND, I can’t believe that those people follow Trump and support him – as he behaves, and is busy belittling all of the things that Christianity and all strong religions profess to believe. He has only one god, and that is Donald Trump. America, wake up – these are fragile times.
Are these “conspirators” the bastard progeny of the KKK and George Wallace? Their language would certainly be familiar to the KKK and Wallace.
Given that many of the same players appear in the various propaganda, excuse me, “think” tanks, and in their funding streams, I wonder how many actual humans are involved. Chris Hayes wondered 5-6 years ago (in connection with the Mueller investigation), whether the various organizations (trump campaign and Russians) were actually in the same boat, or in different boats rowing in the same direction. Same here: they want us to think they’re all different boats but I suspect we may in fact be blind people looking at the same elephant. (Mixing metaphors: my specialty.)
Whether or not they directly exert political power, they are successfully placing the Overton Window where they want it (“you can choose between fascism or authoritarianism – but democratic socialism is off the table”).
What we are seeing is oligarchy (“rule by the few”) or perhaps plutocratic oligarchy. Not sure if there’s a term for “rule by puppets of plutocratic oligarchs” which is where we actually are, IMO.
It’s the new McCarthyism…only this time in the hands of much better organized and smarter people not an alcoholic opportunist.
Can’t help but notice how many comments today acknowledge the “bad trouble” by the right-wing ecosystem, but have no criticism of the other side for doing little/nada to counter it. SAD.
Shelia, I sent you this link via email. In Florida our teachers are being forced to teach Christian Nationalism by Governor De Sanctis!
Under Ron DeSantis, Florida Teacher Trainings Included Christian Nationalist Propaganda
You hit the nail on the head. These very wealthy interests use the culture wars to win political and legal battles that protect (and obscure) their authoritarian business practices that line their own pockets, decimate the middle class, and widen the gap between rich and poor. If only the other 95% realized how these mega-billionaire interests are diverting our attention elsewhere so they can pick our pockets. Then when we are so impoverished, the authoritarians will blame our poverty on those in government trying to spread the wealth to everyone. They are copying dictators who first want control of the media and messages so they can stop investigations of their own wrong-doing and convince us to blame scapegoats for our lot in life. Voters – it’s up to us to protect democracy, a free press, and ALL our rights to vote.
For Robert DuComb,
The Kochs are Birchers growing up as members of the John Birch Society, or a combo of Wallace and the KKK.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Birch_Society
My blogs of the past few days and your column today address the same aspects of our current elections. I have been blocked/had posts removed (1) on Facebook that (2) are critical of Micah Beckwith, a Christofascist who wants to be Indiana’s GOP nominee for Lt Gov. I’ll attach my blog from this afternoon (removed w/in seconds by Facebook). If this is inappropriate, I apologize. Otherwise, please pass this on.
http://civildiscoursenow.com/profiles/blogs/getting-fb-to-block-posts-isn-t-owning-this-lib
It seems that people invested in working their way up in a hierarchical system are dead set against seeing other Americans in a democratic way. It’s a real judgy mindset and fosters a need for control. Libertine capitalists are promoting and taking advantage of turmoil caused by growing pains out of antiquated unscientific beliefs. I think American Catholics are evolving and don’t like their private lives micromanaged by orthodoxy. Most don’t like the idea of having to pay for the defense of pedophile priests. The idea that Churches image is more important than reality has to and is changing because people have been and are being harmed.
Maga’s adopting of authoritarian priest craft with myths that have to be believed to be included is trying to take the country back in time. Politicians and priests need to back off the personal private lives of citizens and work on solving practical and social injustice. Maga is going the wrong way.
It’s good to see politicians like Biden, Pelosi who gain personal strength from their faith and way of living, but don’t expect others to follow suite in their personal lives.
I think most Americans want to protect and stay on democratic trajectory of freedom and clarification of issues is helpful in realizing that.