Did you know that Eisenhower was a communist? Neither did I, but when he wasn't busy leading the troops in WWII or leading the country as Commander in Chief we was apparently busy doing all he could for the cause of Red China. You can read all about it on the John Birch Society website.
The John Birch Society doesn't get much press these days, and I thought the whole thing was defunct, swallowed up by Glenn Beck and the Ron Paul Libertarians, but there they are, a bunch of really old men floating around cyberspace. John Birch was a soldier and Christian missionary who was killed by those dreaded Red Chinese in the last days of WWII, and so was in a sense the first casualty of the Cold War. Robert Welch founded the Society bearing his name to encourage Americans to fight for freedom from, well, from America, because America is one vast liberal conspiracy that wants to suspend the constitution, expand big government, invade the private lives of patriots, and harbor Commie subversives. I wrongly thought that the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet Union would have made the Society superfluous, but I guess vast liberal conspiracies never go away.
Birchers had their moment. The Society was founded and based in Orange County; from the mid-1950s through the 1970s Birchers had some degree of political heft in California and in Arizona, another stronghold. Barry Goldwater was their hero. They also loved Reagan, although he was careful to distance himself from the far right during his political rise. You'd think they'd have been pretty happy with the W. years, but you'd be wrong; Bush was way too liberal for this crowd.
The fact that the average age of Birch leadership appears to be 75 makes the presence of a website surprising. There's even an online store, where you can order a Birch polo shirt or a DVD explaining how the European Union wants to take over the United States. If that's not interactive enough for you, head to Riverdale, NJ on Tuesday, where a Birch board member will address the Riverdale Senior Community Center.
The real lesson here? Seniors are a captive audience who will listen to anyone who comes bearing pastry.
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3 comments:
Oh please! If you weren't part of that vast liberal conspiracy, you'd understand that we seniors hold out for - at minimum - JUICE with our pastries! We're not that easily bought.
I can be bribed with jewish apple cake.rugalah.sticky buns.sweet cheese puffs.apple croissants.kiffles.sugar cookies.blueberry pie.french vanilla ice cream.black raspberry ice cream.strawberry ice cream.tunsie.tunsie.tunsie
In todays Rush Junkie GOP, the Jon Birch Society is "LIBERAL"!
To think we now live in the day when the GOP considers most of Pat Buchanon's visions to be the "far left".
Is it any wonder no constructive talking can take place?
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