"Wrapped in the Flag"-The John Birch Society, The Koch Bros and the rise of new RW politics.

[Triana]

This woman's name is Claire Conner. She has a new book out about the unholy coalition of Tea Party, libertarian, big business, the gun lobby, the religious right and the newly reborn John Birch Society. It took 50 years, but these folks are back and they are strong.

See more at http://www.claireconner.com. In Claire Conner's new book, Wrapped in the Flag: A Personal History of America's Radical Right (coming from Beacon Press on July 2, 2013), you be able to read all about this right wing gang.

You can follow Claire here: https://twitter.com/wrappedinflag

Claire's family were staunch Birchers but she tore away from them and became a progressive. In her book, she tells how and why she isn't at all surprised about the re-emergence of this extremist cult and how she immediately recognized their rhetoric in the words of John Boehner, Ron Paul, Rand Paul, Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry, Antonin Scalia, and many others prominent in the U.S. political landscape today.

Here, she explains why she wrote the book.

I consider her book very important work because most people are CLUELESS about what we're dealing with in today's mean, conscienceless political climate - and where it came from - and that these extreme ideas are NOT "new"!


You can see the rest of her videos here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/claireconner1?feature=watch

[blkmusclmachine]

1. Part of the Christian Dominionist/7 Mountains Theology:

Convert, or die.

[LeftofObama]

2. K & R!

[DhhD]

3. Ted Cruz, extremist extreme right wing senator from Texas.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/politics/Dallas-congregation-cheers-Cruz-proposal-to-abolish-IRS-213765541.html

[Triana]

7. Yep. He's one of them. All these extreme policies are John Bircher crap. n/t

[DhhD]

4. House Representative R Ron Paul speaks at the 50th birthday of the John Birch Society.

[Triana]

5. That should clue people in, but still not enough are aware

of the connection. These extremists and their psychopathic agendas were thoroughly rejected in previous decades, but they went underground, re-grouped, formed all sorts of "Think tanks", lobbying groups (Americans for Prosperity) and political wrecking balls like ALEC, etc., none of which bears or mention The Koch Bros name or The John Birch name anywhere - but the ideologies they are promoting are theirs and the same ones soundly rejected by most Americans again and again previously. They just refined their propaganda skills a la big tobacco, Goebbels, etc. and stupid people are swallowing it. Worse, Citizens United now allows them to spend unlimited dollars bombarding people with it.

I put this here hoping many would share it, follow Claire, buy her book for themselves or friends, family, neighbors - spread the word 'cause not enough folks know about the origin of this latest RW "metamorphasis".

[bayareaboy]

6. There used to be a John Birch reading room and bookstore in ...

Oakland, a couple of doors down from The Lakeview Theatre. I never saw anyone go in or come out. And I looked, because I had never seen them folks and I regarded most of what my Father cautioned me when I was young about the wing-nut folks who lived around Trestle Glen, but I still needed to see one. when I turned about 18, I had a job where on one day of the week, I had lots of stops in the area, and I still didn't see anyone going in the store.

So I guess they found a better way to get to wing-nuts

[Thinkingabout]

8. Do you ever wonder why the a$$$$holes run for office? They don't believe in gubermint but they

Want to be a part of it and get a check.

[Triana]

9. Thay have an agenda, part of which is destroying gov't for everyone

but themselves and getting stinking rich off of funnelling all that public money into private hands.

[Thinkingabout]

10. Yea, I know but they suck up as much funds as possible, you know it is bad when you name your son

after their main hero and perhaps to poison your kids with the crap. Kinda wish they would get back to a site besides DU, they will never convince me they are right.

[ernie1241]

11. FBI FILES ON BIRCH SOCIETY

FBI FILES ON BIRCH SOCIETY AND ITS ASSERTIONS:
This 204-page report explains why J. Edgar Hoover and senior FBI officials within the Bureau’s Domestic Intelligence Division concluded in FBI memos that the JBS was “extremist”, “irrational” and “irresponsible”
http://sites.google.com/site/ernie124102/jbs-1

CONSERVATIVE CRITICS OF ROBERT WELCH and BIRCH SOCIETY:
Contrary to claims made by the Birch Society about the alleged "left-wing" origins of JBS criticism, the most potent adverse comments about the JBS have always originated from the right-side of the political spectrum. This report presents a representative sample of such comments.
http://sites.google.com/site/ernie124102/jbs-4

Critics have included such prominent conservative Americans such as:
Sen. Barry Goldwater, Cong. Walter Judd, Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer, Russell Kirk, Eugene Lyons, Willmoore Kendall, James Burnham, Robert Bork, J. Edgar Hoover, Herbert Philbrick, Frank S. Meyer, Cong. Gordon H. Scherer, William F. Buckley Jr., Patrick Buchanan, Fred Schwarz, Lee Edwards, the editors of the conservative newspaper, Human Events, George Sokolsky, Roy Cohn, Anthony Bouscaren, plus even many former Birchers such as: Alan Stang, Gary Allen, Milorad Draskovich, John Rees, William Norman Grigg, Mrs. Robert Welch --- and many many more.

[Triana]

12. Great finds! Thanks!

[jwirr]

13. This is something we need to pay attention to. The only thing stopping it now as far as I can see

is the rising number of minority voters that will make us the majority.

[Triana]

14. We actually are the majority. Always have been. The Bircher extremism was rejected previously.

Slick marketing utilizing top psychologists used by big tobacco and the defense industry (psyops), sneaky lobbying groups, PACS which never mention the name of their funders and tons of money from a few wealthy corps and individuals being dumped on corp media to air ceaseless propaganda (thanks Citizens United), has sucked in a complacent, ignorant nation of Teabilly crackpots to help do their bidding against their own best interests - and ours. Still though, they are minority. This is why gerrymandering and voter suppression is necessary - in addition to increasing numbers of non-white voters.

There are at least two Tea Party/John Birchers on the USSC and they mean to help their extremists friends take over the country. That's why Citizens United and the gutting of the VRA as well as gutting affirmative action law. Citizens United II is coming, too. They're not done yet.

[jwirr]

17. I know but the times back then were better. The economy was picking up after the Korean War and the

good days were just beginning. What I am afraid of is that like pre-Hitler Germany we will let hard times talk many of us into blaming the minorities, etc. and turn to the hate parties for our solution as they did. It only takes a time when the good people fail to stand up. Getting out the vote - even if it must be for the lesser of two parties - is essential.

[Douglas Carpenter]

15. now that is some scary stuff. I looked up some of her other videos..very informative

[Triana]

16. I had some in my family. These people are psychopaths.

Or indoctrinated with some very dangerous Ayn Randian philosophy/ideology that would destroy civilized society and any nation.

[Douglas Carpenter]

18. I think Birchers go a bit farther than run of the mill hardline rightwingers or libertarians with a

with a strong conspiracy theory view of the world. If I recall, if one were to take Bircher ideology literally - they have a rather complex theory about a secret illuminati who originally met in Europe in 1776 and conspired the French Revolution and then went on to rake havoc on the world with other matters such as the promotion of Socialism and Communism. However, I don't know if these ideas are still embraced by most Birchers these days. But certainly the "Obama is a Communist-Muslim" is right up their alley in the kind of things they think.

I remember growing up having a friend who was the son of a prominent local dentist who was at least a Bircher sympathizer - He had all kinds of utterly reactionary notions - like thinking that it was just a travesty of justice that workers would get paid vacations. I think there is probably a tension in the Bircher movement between its isolationism and its ultra-chauvinistic nationalism and lunatic version of anti-Communism. I understand that on the theoretical level Bircherism would have opposed the Vietnam War. But their extreme anti-Communism and ultra-nationalism may have resulted in many Birchers supporting the war and considering any war protest to be Communist inspired.

[Serial Mom]

19. Birchers/Churches/Wealthy connection

I did just a little research on this connection during the "WI Uprising" #wiunion protests in Feb of 2011 when Scooter Walker became our governor.

His campaign Manager was Michael Grebe, CEO of the Bradley Foundation (founders of Allen Bradley Corp in Milwaukee) whose founder was associated with Daddy Koch and big in the Birch society in late 50s and early 60s.

Harry Bradley was one of the original charter members of the far right-wing John Birch Society, along with another Birch Society board member, Fred Koch, the father of Koch Industries' billionaire brothers and owners, Charles and David Koch.[4]
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “from 2001 to 2009, it [Bradley] doled out nearly as much money as the seven Koch and Scaife foundations combined.”[5] from http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Lynde_and_Harry_Bradley_Foundation

Connections of a lot of founders of JBS were big into churches, realizing if they controlled churches, they could control people and tell them to be 'thankful for what little they did have'. There also was a Mormon, Ezra Taft Benson, who although could not join the JBS, was a big promoter of it - there was a point where the LDS church allowed JBS publications in the halls of the tabernacle.

All of these wealthy "sons of robber barons" (in my mind) did not like what Eisenhower was doing... building the middle class, promoting civil rights and closing the inequity gap. The JBS came under fire during the Civil Rights Acts in early 60s and these wealthy people, along with Paul Weyrich (another WI guy) to create secret groups and "foundations" instead of JBS to begin to change the laws to work to their advantage (SPN, ALEC, Heritage Foundation, Kato Institute)

Link to great info from Prof at University of WI that had all his emails read by Walker minions - http://scholarcitizen.williamcronon.net/tag/paul-weyrich/

This takeover of laws to protect them and their wealth for generations started over 40 years ago.

[freshwest]

20. Thank you very much for drawing attention to this. I'm going to schedule some time to view them all.

Do you find it fits in with what Thom Hartmann posted here?

Thom Hartmann: Conservative Millennials, Boomers & Libertarians all being Conned

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=44227

There is a video there and he provided the full transcript with it, for those who prefer to read rather than watch videos.
I've referred to it many times as it goes into the metamorphosis of these ideas and techniques that have been used to snare generations. And he goes into the Koch family and the wealth that funds it from all sides.

[Triana]

21. I haven't watched the Hartmann segment but no doubt it fits in.

Thanks - I'm going to watch it now!

[NAO]

22. OMG! John Birtch Society lives -- jbs.org

I thought these guys were a historical curiosity who had been embarrassed out of existence. They are alive and well.

[Triana]

23. More than alive & well. They've morphed into the Tea Party & ALEC. Koch Bros are also Birchers.

They never went away. They went underground and became the Tea Party, AFP, ALEC, etc.