Good Morning...Tinfoil Hat Wearers Form a Club

[Okla-homey]

December 9, 1958: John Birch Society founded

51 years ago today, in Indianapolis, retired Boston candy manufacturer Robert H.W. Welch, Jr., establishes the John Birch Society, a right-wing organization dedicated to fighting what it perceives to be the extensive infiltration of communism into American society.

Welch named the society in honor of John Birch, considered by many to be the first American casualty in the struggle against communism. In 1945, Birch, a Baptist missionary and U.S. Army intelligence specialist, was killed by Chinese communists in the northern province of Anhwei.

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The John Birch Society, initially founded with only 11 members, had by the early 1960s grown to a membership of nearly 100,000 Americans and received annual private contributions of several million dollars.

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Somewhere in Arizona

The society revived the spirit of McCarthyism, claiming in unsubstantiated accusations that a vast communist conspiracy existed within the U.S. government. Among others, the organization implicated President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren.

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However, after the debacle of Senator Joseph McCarthy's public hearings in the early 1950s, America became more wary of radical anti-communism, and few of the society's sensational charges were taken seriously by mainstream American society.

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Bircher's hate the notion of this thing

The John Birch Society remains active today, and its members seek "to expose a semi-secret international cabal whose members sit in the highest places of influence and power worldwide."

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[SicEmBaylor]

I've never officially joined the JBS, but I have attended many of their meetings. I have never met a group of people with a better understanding of the Constitution, the nation's political origins, or firmer grasp of current-events.
At their core, they are Patriots one and all.

HOWEVER, having said all that, I'd say about 25% of their ideas and theories are straight out looney as hell. But...nobody's perfect so you just have to take the looney with the "right on!"

[SicEmBaylor]

The really frustrating thing is that they're basically the only organized group of old-right classic-conservatives left. The mainstream movement has been overtaken by the neocons, so those of us who are neo-libertarians and paleo-conservatives really have no where else to go.

There are about 3 big conspiracy theories that the JBS just can't seem to let go of. If they'd dump the conspiracy theory bull**** and stop looking under their beds for boogey men then they'd be a real asset in the resistance against the neoconservative wing of the movement. As it is, most people can't get past the JBS loonies to see the many positives of the organization.

[olevetonahill]

WTF are these Palios Neos shat ?

[Okla-homey]

I've never officially joined the JBS, but I have attended many of their meetings. I have never met a group of people with a better understanding of the Constitution, the nation's political origins, or firmer grasp of current-events.
At their core, they are Patriots one and all.

HOWEVER, having said all that, I'd say about 25% of their ideas and theories are straight out looney as hell. But...nobody's perfect so you just have to take the looney with the "right on!"

Honest question, would a Venn diagram of JBS'ers and 9/11 Truther's show much overlap?

[FaninAma]

I've never officially joined the JBS, but I have attended many of their meetings. I have never met a group of people with a better understanding of the Constitution, the nation's political origins, or firmer grasp of current-events.
At their core, they are Patriots one and all.

HOWEVER, having said all that, I'd say about 25% of their ideas and theories are straight out looney as hell. But...nobody's perfect so you just have to take the looney with the "right on!"

I was a member of the JBS while I was in residency. I never ran into a "tin-foil hat" type when attending the meetings. The meetings are open to anybody who wants to attend. We even had a couple of African-American members....gasp.

The JBS does not favor any political party. They feel that both parties have sold out to powerful special interst groups and that the welfare of the country and its citizens is not one of the priorities of either party.

They do try to enlighten the country on the constant hemorrhaging of our economic power and civil liberties to a world socioeconomic community that uses big social government policies to create as much dependence on government programs as they can. In fact, the JBS is one of the most pro-civil liberty organizations I can name especially in the area of gun ownership, property rights, right to protection from overzelous police forces, etc.

As to the point regarding whether or not they are paranoid all I can say is get back to me after the US dollar is worthless, most of our country depends on the government for everything from eduation to food to medical care and Obama finishes the job Bill Clinton started in demoralizing our military.

And if all else fails, you could visit one of their bookstores and read a few of their better known publications like the ones that years ago foretold the problems we would have with the Federal Reserve bank and the devaluation of the US currency which will ultimately lead to our country's interest becoming subservient to the intersts of our debtors like the Middle East and China.

[FaninAma]

Honest question, would a Venn diagram of JBS'ers and 9/11 Truther's show much overlap?
Not just no but hell no.

[FaninAma]

The really frustrating thing is that they're basically the only organized group of old-right classic-conservatives left. The mainstream movement has been overtaken by the neocons, so those of us who are neo-libertarians and paleo-conservatives really have no where else to go.

There are about 3 big conspiracy theories that the JBS just can't seem to let go of. If they'd dump the conspiracy theory bull**** and stop looking under their beds for boogey men then they'd be a real asset in the resistance against the neoconservative wing of the movement. As it is, most people can't get past the JBS loonies to see the many positives of the organization.

Sic'em the only thing you might even term a cosnpiracy theory was the JBS' belief that there was an active effort to develop a one world order. I was dubious myself when I joined but they have a lot of direct quotes and documentation to support their veiw that there are very powerful people within the Unitied States who feel it would be beneficial if the intersts of our country would take a back seat to the intersts of a more unified world government.

You call it what you want.

Personally I think they are fighting a losing battle. I think the foundation of a one-world government are already firmly in place and that it will be drawn together through the persitient, ultimately successful, efforts to bring our economy to its knees.

[JohnnyMack]

There are about 3 big conspiracy theories that the JBS just can't seem to let go of.

And those are?

[soonerscuba]

Wasn't it the JBS that was against water fluoridation? They have a history of wingnuttery, but a lot of good points regarding personal freedom.

[SicEmBaylor]

Honest question, would a Venn diagram of JBS'ers and 9/11 Truther's show much overlap?

Yes, there are a few. I know in the local group there's 2 or 3, but it isn't universal by any means.

[SicEmBaylor]

Sic'em the only thing you might even term a cosnpiracy theory was the JBS' belief that there was an active effort to develop a one world order. I was dubious myself when I joined but they have a lot of direct quotes and documentation to support their veiw that there are very powerful people within the Unitied States who feel it would be beneficial if the intersts of our country would take a back seat to the intersts of a more unified world government.

You call it what you want.

Personally I think they are fighting a losing battle. I think the foundation of a one-world government are already firmly in place and that it will be drawn together through the persitient, ultimately successful, efforts to bring our economy to its knees.

Fair enough points. I tend to believe we're moving toward a one world government, but I don't necessarily think there are a group of puppet-masters at work. I think a one-world government is simply the natural evolution of progressive/internationalist politics.

HOWEVER, as I told Homey there are a a few 9/11 truthers in our group and that's definitely where I part company.

I do like the guys in our local JBS though. I was encouraged to have lunch with the President of the local chapter by one of my SCV compatriots. I'd always heard nothing but negative things about the JBS, but I sat down with this guy and ended up having one of the longest most substantive conversations about the origins of our government and the constitution that I've ever had. It was 10x better than any class discussion I've had.

So, I go to some meetings every now and then. I might end up joining, but I've had so much stuff on my plate that I hate to commit.

[TUSooner]

Homey, I fear you have insulted many of our current fellow posters. ;)

[Penguin]

If people do things that I don't agree with, this country will no longer exist. We are doomed!


Signed,

every American political party that has lost (or never gained) power at some point in American history

[FaninAma]

If people do things that I don't agree with, this country will no longer exist. We are doomed!


Signed,

every American political party that has lost (or never gained) power at some point in American history

Political parties are the worst thing that ever happened to this country.