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Thursday, May 13, 2010

Where Were They Wrong?

The John Birch Society used to take heaps of "stick" from the left and not much less from some elements of the right.

Time has a way of sorting out truth.

Here's JBS founder Robert Welch speaking in Los Angeles in 1974.

Can anyone tell me one thing he's got wrong?

12 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

These are the reasons I joined the John Birch Society

11:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Trevor, what he got wrong was his prediction that his objective would be further along in the 15 years after 1974...unfortunately it did not happen. We have declined much further since his speech and it is going to be painful to get where he envisioned. But we are trying.

12:42 AM  
Blogger Steven Montgomery said...

He also got wrong that government should be reduced by about 90%, not just 50. ;-)

3:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am so glad to see someone say this. Growing up, we were always given the impression that JB was a bunch of racist nuts, but I have never found anything to substantiate that. Now I suspect they were given the "Tea Party" treatment.

3:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with the previous commentator. I also thought they were a bunch of racists for a long time. There are so many incidents we need to re-review now we've woken up. The problem is we're the workers and depended on the government to sort things out for us. They get paid enough - well now they can worry because come NOvember most of them will be gone!!! Even a few of my Dim neighbors are voting conservative.

Talk to everyone you know or don't know...let them know what's going on...plant a seed.

God bless all here,

Annie

4:47 PM  
Anonymous ernie1241 said...

FBI FILES ON BIRCH SOCIETY:
This 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://ernie1241.googlepages.com/jbs-1

CONSERVATIVE CRITICS OF ROBERT WELCH and BIRCH SOCIETY:

Contrary to claims made by the Birch Society, the most potent criticisms of the JBS have always originated from the right-side of the political spectrum. This report presents a representative sample of such comments.

http://ernie1241.googlepages.com/jbs-4

PERSONS DESCRIBED BY BIRCH SOCIETY AS “EXPERTS” ON COMMUNISM:

Two former FBI Special Agents who endorsed the Birch Society after they retired from the FBI are often cited by Birch Society members and supporters as knowledgeable, reliable, and authoritative sources of information on the communist movement.

However, their FBI personnel files reveal that senior FBI officials did not have a very high regard for their post-FBI endeavors.

In the case of Dan Smoot, just prior to his retirement from the FBI he was censured, placed on probation, and transferred to a small, insignificant field office as a disciplinary measure.

Both reports include detailed critiques of statements and assertions made by these former FBI Special Agents.

Dan Smoot:

http://ernie1241.googlepages.com/smoot

W. Cleon Skousen:

http://ernie1241.googlepages.com/skousen

2:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A quick Google of ernie1241 shows that he loves to provide plenty of "stick" to JBS as well.

Hard to imagine someone spending 40+ years chasing right-wing boogeymen, but I guess everyone needs a hobby!

4:20 AM  
Anonymous Ricardo said...

I forget why it was that people were against the JBS. I never recalled hearing anything objectionable from them.

11:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I consider the Birch Society futile, because they are not for Capitalism but merely against Communism" Ayn Rand

11:44 AM  
Blogger ScottO said...

I'm sure everything that ernie1241 states about the FBI opinions is accurate. After all, they are employees of the bureaucracy. Why wouldn't they oppose an organization that wants to cut the bureaucracy by "at least" 50%?

I didn't check out any of the links, but I'd be willing to bet a dozen donuts that the "right-side" critics were really progressives in the Republican party.

4:25 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Ernie's parents must have donated his inheritance to The John Birch Society or something. His technique amounts to this:

1) Make a definitive negative statement
2) Indicate that is is validated by FBI documents
3) Hope the reader does not try to match his statement to what is actually in the tortuous to read FBI documents

Bottom line: The John Birch Society has been fighting for less government and more responsibility for over 50 years. Ernie has just been fighting the John Birch Society for 30 or 40 of those years.

Here are the really dangerous ideas promoted by The John Birch Society:
http://johnbirchsocietyvolunteers.org/principles

2:00 PM  
Anonymous Elijah said...

As wastefully as possible! He sure got that right! The federal monster pays farmers billions not to grow food while simultaneously spending more billions to convert desert into farm land! Don't even get my started on the pointless wars.
I think the criticism from the so-called "right" was mainly from the pro-war, pro-fascism cadre.
I agree with the past commenter who said 90 percent would be a better percentage by which to reduce government! But back when Welch gave this speech, gubmint was not nearly so gargantuan as it is today.
For anyone who wants to get the inside scoop on what is really going on in the US and around the world, I suggest a subscription to the JBS's affiliate magazine The New American. It is by far the highest quality publication that I'm aware of.
Out of the UN! Sound money! Less government! How could anybody in their right minds argue against that????????????? God bless the JBS and Mr. Welch (:

11:48 PM  

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