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The '''John Birch Society''' is a American anti-conspiracy organization founded in 1958 by Massachusetts businessman [[Robert Welch]] (1900-1985) with a largely conservative membership.  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 a American anti-conspiracy organization founded in 1958 by Massachusetts businessman [[Robert Welch]] (1900-1985) with a largely conservative membership.  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.  

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.  It did not endorse candidates and did not lobby for legislation, spending its energy on warnings that Communists were already in power in Washington and were about to fully take over the country.

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. 83-88</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; they were to spend their energy discussing Welch's thesis that that Communists were already in power in Washington and were about to fully take over the country. All the dues went to national headquarters in Belmont, Massachusetts.<ref> Some chapters nevertheless did organize opposition to fluoridation of local water supplies or pushed a slate for election to local school boards..</ref>

It never had a major impact on politics. It is still in operation, generating reports on new conspiracies from its base in Appleton, Wisconsin. However it main role in recent decades is a target of attack by liberals who use it to ridicule and smear conservatives in general.

It never had a major impact on politics. It is still in operation, generating reports on new conspiracies from its base in Appleton, Wisconsin. However it main role in recent decades is a target of attack by liberals who use it to ridicule and smear conservatives in general.

==Conspiracies==

==Conspiracies==

The organization was founded by [[Robert Welch]] in 1958 to fight subversive infiltration of the United States.<ref>Welch said he named the Society after [[John Birch]], the first American to die in the [[Cold War]]. </ref> He designed the Society like the Communist movement, with a strong leader at the top (himself), with each lower level following the orders they were given.  In practice the local chapters were little more than discussion clubs and rarely engaged in much activism. Society literature denounced collectivist infiltration from Communists, the [[United Nations]], and various front groups.  Welch himself decided that the root cause of most of the troubles was a two-century-long conspiracy of the "Illuminati," a group supposedly founded in Bavaria in 1776. He declared it was responsible for the French and Russian Revolutions and the two world wars, as well as evils of Lincoln's income taxes, Wilson's Federal Reserve, and Roosevelt's New Deal. Most insidious of all was the United Nations.  It also controlled the Communist party and the Trilateral Commission. The only member of the Illuminati he could identify by name was [[Nelson Rockefeller]].  Reagan was suspect beacuse he picked for vice president the choice of the Illuminati, [[George H.W. Bush]]. Welch argued that the Illuminati was subversive of good government, destructive of religion, and used professional agitators and massive terror to destroy the good people, while manufacturing smears to destroy the brave souls who tried to expose it.<ref>There's more; see Stewart (2002). </ref>

The organization was founded by [[Robert Welch]] in 1958 to fight subversive infiltration of the United States.<ref>Welch said he named the Society after [[John Birch]], the first American to die in the [[Cold War]]. </ref> He designed the Society like the Communist movement, with a strong leader at the top (himself), with each lower level following the orders they were given.  In practice the local chapters were little more than discussion clubs and rarely engaged in much activism. Society literature denounced collectivist infiltration from Communists, the [[United Nations]], and various front groups.  Welch himself decided that the root cause of most of the troubles was a two-century-long conspiracy of the "Illuminati," a group supposedly founded in Bavaria in 1776. He declared it was responsible for the French and Russian Revolutions and the two world wars, as well as evils of Lincoln's income taxes, Wilson's Federal Reserve, and Roosevelt's New Deal. Most insidious of all was the United Nations.  It also controlled the Communist party and the Trilateral Commission. The only member of the Illuminati he could identify by name was [[Nelson Rockefeller]].  Reagan was suspect because he picked for vice president the choice of the Illuminati, [[George H.W. Bush]]. Welch argued that the Illuminati was subversive of good government, destructive of religion, and used professional agitators and massive terror to destroy the good people, while manufacturing smears to destroy the brave souls who tried to expose it.<ref>There's more; see Stewart (2002). </ref>

In October, 2009, it is exposing the diabolic totalitarian schemes of the Department of Homeland Security's TSA:

In October, 2009, it is exposing the diabolic totalitarian schemes of the Department of Homeland Security's TSA:

In the 1960s Welch insisted that the Johnson administration's fight against communism in Vietnam was part of a communist plot aimed at taking over the United States. Welch demanded that the United States get out of Vietnam, thus aligning the Society with the far left.<ref>Stephen Earl Bennett, "Modes of Resolution of a 'Belief Dilemma' in the Ideology of the John Birch Society," ''Journal of Politics'' 1971 33(3): 735-772,  </ref>

In the 1960s Welch insisted that the Johnson administration's fight against communism in Vietnam was part of a communist plot aimed at taking over the United States. Welch demanded that the United States get out of Vietnam, thus aligning the Society with the far left.<ref>Stephen Earl Bennett, "Modes of Resolution of a 'Belief Dilemma' in the Ideology of the John Birch Society," ''Journal of Politics'' 1971 33(3): 735-772,  </ref>

==Rejected by most conservatives==

==Rejected by most conservatives==