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The '''John Birch Society''' is an American paleoconservative organization founded in 1958 by Massachusetts businessman [[Robert Welch]] (1900-1985).  Until the collapse of Soviet Communism in 1991, it focused on Communism as the enemy of American values, warning that Communism already exerted a powerful control on the national government.  

The '''John Birch Society''' is an American paleoconservative organization founded in 1958 by Massachusetts businessman [[Robert Welch]] (1900-1985).  Until the collapse of Soviet Communism in 1991, it focused on Communism as the enemy of American values, warning that Communism already exerted a powerful control on the United States federal government.  

 

At its peak in 1964 the Society claimed to have hundreds of chapters throughout the country, 100,000 members, 400 American Opinion bookstores to distribute and sell its magazine and pamphlets, and an active cadre of speakers that crisscrossed the country.  Welch ruled with an iron hand,<ref>Schoenwald, (2001) pp. 83-91</ref> sending out his agents to make sure the local units never engaged in operations on their own, such as endorsing candidates or lobbying for legislation. All the dues went to national headquarters in Belmont, Massachusetts and the members were to spend their energy writing letters that echoed Welch's thesis that that Communists were already in power in Washington and were about to fully take over the country.  Welch sponsored "Support Your Local Police"  

At its peak in 1964 the Society claimed to have hundreds of chapters throughout the country, 100,000 members, 400 American Opinion bookstores to distribute and sell its magazine and pamphlets, and an active cadre of speakers that crisscrossed the country.  Welch ruled with an iron hand,<ref>Schoenwald, (2001) pp. 83-91</ref> sending out his agents to make sure the local units never engaged in operations on their own, such as endorsing candidates or lobbying for legislation. All the dues went to national headquarters in Belmont, Massachusetts and the members were to spend their energy writing letters that echoed Welch's thesis that that Communists were already in power in Washington and were about to fully take over the country.  Welch sponsored "Support Your Local Police"  

The John Birch Society has always been a favorite target of liberals who want to embarrass the conservative movement by citing some ridiculous conspiracy theory on the right. Some liberals just laugh and employ misinterpretations of social anxieties to warn that Birchers are misfits; most warn darkly that the John Birch Society is a dangerous manifestation of the "radical right" that aimed to subvert democracy. In practice, the Society actually did little more than publish pamphlets and sponsor local discussion groups.

The John Birch Society has always been a favorite target of liberals who want to embarrass the conservative movement by citing some ridiculous conspiracy theory on the right. Some liberals just laugh and employ misinterpretations of social anxieties to warn that Birchers are misfits; most warn darkly that the John Birch Society is a dangerous manifestation of the "radical right" that aimed to subvert democracy. In practice, the Society actually did little more than publish pamphlets and sponsor local discussion groups.

Historian [[Richard Hofstadter]] claimed the Birch Society was the leader of the right wing in the 1960s.<ref>Hofstadter himself later turned right. Hofstadter, ''The Paranoid Style in American Politics and Other Essays'' (1967) p. 70</ref> In 1968 Governor Pat Brown of California, about to be defeated for reelection by Reagan, unleashed a 13-page report calling Reagan a puppet of the John Birch Society. (Reagan considered the JBS leaders to be kooky and kept them out of his campaign.)<ref>Rick Perlstein, ''Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America'' (2008) p. 113</ref>  As late as 1980, House Speaker [[Tip O'Neill]] warned that "John Birchers control the Republican Party," overlooking the fact that the only Birch Society member in Congress at the time was a Democrat from Georgia, [[Larry McDonald]] who caucused with O'Neill. In fact the John Birch Society never controlled the Republican party in any state at any level at any time.<ref>Steven F. Hayward, ''The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order, 1964-1980'' (2001) pp 101, 675;</ref> The John Birch Society has Been smeared as "racist" targeted by liberal YouTuber [[Reich-Wing Watch]] in his video "Rachel Maddow Exposes RACIST John Birch society" and by the Marxist [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] but the Society was never a hate group and explains it expels members showing bigotry and racism. The society accepts non-whites, Jews and Freemasons and the reason it was called "racist" by leftists is its opposition to some aspects of the civil rights movement due to its minor communist influence.

Historian [[Richard Hofstadter]] claimed the Birch Society was the leader of the right wing in the 1960s.<ref>Hofstadter himself later turned right. Hofstadter, ''The Paranoid Style in American Politics and Other Essays'' (1967) p. 70</ref> In 1968 Governor Pat Brown of California, about to be defeated for reelection by Reagan, unleashed a 13-page report calling Reagan a puppet of the John Birch Society. (Reagan considered the JBS leaders to be kooky and kept them out of his campaign.)<ref>Rick Perlstein, ''Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America'' (2008) p. 113</ref>  As late as 1980, House Speaker [[Tip O'Neill]] warned that "John Birchers control the Republican Party," overlooking the fact that the only Birch Society member in Congress at the time was a Democrat from Georgia, [[Larry McDonald]] who caucused with O'Neill. In fact the John Birch Society never controlled the Republican party in any state at any level at any time.<ref>Steven F. Hayward, ''The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order, 1964-1980'' (2001) pp 101, 675;</ref> The John Birch Society has been labeled by the left as "racist", "fascist", and "anti-semitic". The John Birch Society has been falsely associated with the Ku Klux Klan and American Nazi Party by the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] and at the 1964 Republican National Convention, establishment [[RINO]] candidate [[Nelson Rockefeller]] mentioned the John Birch Society's name with the Communists and the Ku Klux Klan. But the John Birch Society was never a hate group and the society accepts non-whites, Jews and Freemasons.<ref>https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VjtYovgRxF4</ref> And the reason it was called "racist" by leftists is its opposition to certain aspects of the Civil Rights movement that were communist-influenced. The JBS opposed the civil rights movement because it was campaigning for federal government legislation which would restrict the freedoms of all Americans, of all races as well as create federal government programs which would expand the government's power. They did not oppose rights for blacks, they opposed restriction of rights in the name of "anti-discrimination" and expansion of federal government power and spending.

==Ideology==

==Ideology==

The Society works towards educating Americans about the original intent of the [[Founding Fathers]]. The John Birch Society strongly believes that the United States is a [[Constitutional Republic]], not a democracy.  

The Society works towards educating Americans about the original intent of the [[Founding Fathers]]. The John Birch Society strongly believes that the United States is a [[Constitutional Republic]], not a democracy. The John Birch Society opposes [[Communism]], [[Socialism]], [[Fascism]], and [[Collectivism]]. The John Birch Society supports free market Austrian economics as opposed to socialist Keynesian economics. [http://www.jbs.org/issues-pages/economy] The John Birch Society also advocates abolishing the federal reserve [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C6FMJRNfUUM].

Although the JBS is considered to be "right-wing", the group has vigorously attacked President [[George W. Bush]] as a pawn of neo-conservatism seeking a "New World order" that would swallow up America. That is only the latest of a long line of conspiracy theories it has promoted.

Although the JBS is considered to be "right-wing", the group has vigorously attacked President [[George H. W. Bush]] as a pawn of neo-conservatism seeking a "New World order" that would swallow up America. <ref>[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=txukr5zgHnw]</ref> That is only the latest of a long line of conspiracy theories it has promoted.

Since June 2012, there is a petition drive, supported by Senator [[Scott Brown]], to be  presented to President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner, to reopen the investigation into the shooting down of KAL 007 and reports of the survival of Congressman McDonald [http://www.change.org/petitions/president-barack-obama-speaker-of-the-house-john-boehner-conduct-an-investigation-of-flight-kal-007].

Since June 2012, there is a petition drive, supported by Senator [[Scott Brown]], to be  presented to President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner, to reopen the investigation into the shooting down of KAL 007 and reports of the survival of Congressman McDonald [http://www.change.org/petitions/president-barack-obama-speaker-of-the-house-john-boehner-conduct-an-investigation-of-flight-kal-007].

==Publications==

==Publications==

The official magazine of the John Birch Society since 1985 ''[[The New American]]''.  It replaced ''American Opinion'', which was published from 1958 to 1985.

''[[The New American]]'' is the official magazine of the John Birch Society since 1985.  It replaced ''American Opinion'', which was published from 1958 to 1985.

   

   

The Birch Society has an active publication and reprint program. Reflecting its distrust of national leadership over the last 70 years, many of the books blame the White House and national leaders for deliberately damaging the national interest—for example, by encouraging the Japanese to sink the American fleet at Pearl Harbor.

The Birch Society has an active publication and reprint program. Reflecting its distrust of national leadership over the last 70 years, many of its books blame the White House and national leaders for deliberately damaging the national interest&mdash;for example, by encouraging the Japanese to sink the American fleet at Pearl Harbor.

 

==Members==

==Members==

There are unofficial JBS chapters on many college campuses throughout the United States.

There are unofficial JBS chapters on many college campuses throughout the United States.

*Gary Allen. ''None Dare Call It Conspiracy.''  G S G & Associates, Inc., 1971.

*Gary Allen. ''None Dare Call It Conspiracy.''  G S G & Associates, Inc., 1971.

*[[Korean Airlines Flight 007]] - Congressman [[Larry McDonald]], the 2nd President of the JBS, was a passenger of this flight downed by the Soviets on Sept. 1, 1983 in international waters near [[Moneron Island]] west of Sakhalin Island. Since June 2012, there is a petition drive, supported by Senator [[Scott Brown]], to be  presented to President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner, to reopen the investigation into the shooting down of KAL 007 and reports of the survival of Congressman McDonald [http://www.change.org/petitions/president-barack-obama-speaker-of-the-house-john-boehner-conduct-an-investigation-of-flight-kal-007].

*[[Korean Airlines Flight 007]] - Congressman [[Larry McDonald]], the 2nd President of the JBS, was a passenger of this flight downed by the Soviets on Sept. 1, 1983 in international waters near [[Moneron Island]] west of Sakhalin Island. Since June 2012, there is a petition drive, supported by Senator [[Scott Brown]], to be  presented to President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner, to reopen the investigation into the shooting down of KAL 007 and reports of the survival of Congressman McDonald [http://www.change.org/petitions/president-barack-obama-speaker-of-the-house-john-boehner-conduct-an-investigation-of-flight-kal-007].

==References==

==References==

*[http://politicalgraveyard.com/group/john-birch-soc.html members prominent in politics]

*[http://politicalgraveyard.com/group/john-birch-soc.html members prominent in politics]

*[http://bertschlossberg.blogspot.com/2012/11/lawrence-patton-mcdonald-b_15.html A Forgotten Man: Congressman Larry McDonald]

*[http://bertschlossberg.blogspot.com/2012/11/lawrence-patton-mcdonald-b_15.html A Forgotten Man: Congressman Larry McDonald]

[[Category:Political Organizations]]

[[Category:Political Organizations]]