The family, The Fellowship. Sounds very innocent.

I am presently reading a book called The Family by Jeff Sharlet. It is about an organization which bases itself on fundamentalist christian ideas and links these to the need for unregulated capitalism and US domination world wide. This book explains that the organization began as "a businessman's anti labor alliance in Seattle...." in 1935. It has roots in the battles against the rise of the CIO in the 1930's. It explains that it organizes through prayer meetings and breakfasts to which it invites the most powerful capitalist representatives. It openly explains that its ideas are aimed at the elite not the poor, it pushes christianity for the elite. Its Washington prayer breakfasts have been attended by every president since Eisenhower.

The founders of this organization helped reestablish capitalism in Germany after the catastrophe of the Nazi period. The German capitalists had in the main backed the Nazis and they had to be rehabilitated to take charge of their nation once again. The Family stepped in to help. Christianity was used to whitewash these people. Calling the old Nazis and their capitalist supporters "idealists" they helped them back into power or to escape to other countries. More recently the Family rails against the "marxist/leftist/homosexual/islamic coalition" which according to them threatens the US.

This is no small and uninfluential group. And its ideas are dangerous. Order, it explains is what has to be achieved. then it has all the other demands that sound so innocent. "Shorter commutes" are better for families. By this is meant move the jobs out of the inner cities to the suburbs. Then there are the tens of thousands of christian cell groups that meet in peoples homes to expound their views.

Then there is the Colorado pastor Ted Haggard who got into difficulty with his sex life and taking drugs. His church is called New Life. He explained to the author of this book that he spoke with then President George Bush in a conference call every monday morning. At the time Haggard presided over the national Association of Evangelicals. This organization has 45,000 churches and 30 million members. It makes up the most powerful lobbying group in the US. 45,000 churches and 30 million members!!!

When the capitalists in this country get into deeper trouble and have to take on the working class in a serious way it is to outfits like the evangelical churches and their leaders in groups like the Family that they will turn. Reaction take son different colorings in different countries. But its aim is the same. to crush the working class and to keep the capitalist class in power.

Sean