John Birch Society

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The John Birch Society is a political education and action organization founded by Robert W. Welch Jr. in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1958. The society supports traditionally conservative causes such as anti-communism and the ownership of private property.^[1] It promotes U.S. independence and sovereignty and opposes globalism and international regional groups, such as the European Union, or a hypothetical North American Union.^[2]

The Society is on the right of the American political spectrum. ^[3][4] Its website states: "In the United States, however, a conservative is one who seeks to support and retain the traditional institutions of the U.S. government, including the rule of law."

The society was named after John Birch, a United States military intelligence officer and Baptist missionary in World War II, who was killed in 1945 by supporters of the Communist Party of China.^[5] Birch's parents joined the society as life members. ^[6]

Based in Appleton, Wisconsin, the society has local chapters in all 50 states. Its stated aim is to achieve "Less Government, More Responsibility, and — With God's Help — a Better World."^[1] The society operates the wholly-owned corporation American Opinion Publishing, which changed its name from John Birch Publishing in 1994 and publishes the journal The New American.^[7]

Values

The John Birch Society says it is anti-totalitarian, particularly anti-socialist and anti-communist, and leans to right-libertarian. It seeks to limit the powers of government and defends what it sees as the original intention of the U.S. Constitution, based on Judeo-Christian principles. It opposes collectivism, including wealth redistribution, economic interventionism, socialism, communism, and fascism. In a 1983 edition of Crossfire, Congressman Larry McDonald (D-Georgia), then its newly appointed chairman, characterized the Society as belonging to the Old Right, rather than the new right.^[8]

The Society opposed aspects of the civil rights movement in the 1960s because of its concerns that the movement had communists in important positions. At this time, however, there were more reports that Hollywood was harboring "Communists in high positions" than the Civil Rights Movement. The Society opposed the 1964 Civil Rights Act, saying it was in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and overstepped the rights of individual states to enact laws regarding civil rights.

The Society is against the idea of a "one world government", and has an immigration reduction view on immigration reform. It opposes the United Nations, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), and other free trade agreements.

The Society argues that there is a devaluing of the U.S. Constitution in favor of political and economic globalization, and that this is not an accident. It cites David Rockefeller's 2002 autobiography Memoirs in which Rockefeller writes, "Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as 'internationalists' and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure — one world, if you will. If that's the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it."^[9]

Origins

The John Birch Society was established in Indianapolis, Indiana on December 9, 1958 by a group of twelve men led by Robert Welch, Jr., a retired candy manufacturer from Belmont, Massachusetts. One founding member was Fred Koch, founder of Koch Industries, one of the largest private corporations in America. Another was Revilo Pendleton Oliver, a University of Illinois professor who later co-founded the "white nationalist" National Alliance. A transcript of Welch's two-day presentation at the founding meeting was published as The Blue Book of the John Birch Society, and became a cornerstone of its beliefs, with each new member receiving a copy.^[8]

According to Welch, "both the U.S. and Soviet governments are controlled by the same furtive conspiratorial cabal of internationalists, greedy bankers, and corrupt politicians. If left unexposed, the traitors inside the U.S. government would betray the country's sovereignty to the United Nations for a collectivist New World Order, managed by a 'one-world socialist government.'"^[10][11]

Welch saw "collectivism" as the main threat to Western Civilization, and liberals as "secret communist traitors" who provide cover for the gradual process of collectivism, with the ultimate goal of replacing the nations of western civilization with one-world socialist government. "There are many stages of welfarism, socialism, and collectivism in general," he wrote, "but Communism is the ultimate state of them all, and they all lead inevitably in that direction."^[11]

The society's activities include distribution of literature, pamphlets, magazines, videos and other educational material while sponsoring a Speaker's Bureau, which invites "speakers who are keenly aware of the motivations that drive political policy"^[12].

One of the first public activities of the JBS was a "Get US Out!" (of membership in the UN) campaign, which claimed in 1959 that the "Real nature of [the] UN is to build a One World Government."^[13] In 1960, Welch advised JBS members to: "Join your local P.T.A. at the beginning of the school year, get your conservative friends to do likewise, and go to work to take it over."^[14]

One Man's Opinion, a magazine launched by Welch in 1956, was renamed American Opinion, and became the John Birch Society's official publication. The society's current publication is called The New American. ^[15]

1960s

By March 1961, the Society had 60,000 to 100,000 members and, according to Welch, "a staff of 28 people in the Home Office; about 30 Coordinators (or Major Coordinators) in the field, who are fully paid as to salary and expenses; and about 100 Coordinators (or Section Leaders as they are called in some areas), who work on a volunteer basis as to all or part of their salary, or expenses, or both." According to Political Research Associates, a "progressive think tank devoted to supporting movements that are building a more just and inclusive democratic society" ^[16], the JBS "pioneered grassroots lobbying, combining educational meetings, petition drives and letter-writing campaigns. One early campaign against the second summit between the United States and the Soviet Union generated over 600,000 postcards and letters, according to the Society. A June 1964 Birch campaign to oppose Xerox corporate sponsorship of TV programs favorable to the UN produced 51,279 letters from 12,785 individuals."^[11]

Much of the Society's early views, according to Political Research Associates, "reflects an ultra-conservative business nationalist critique of business internationalists networked through groups such as the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)."

Anti-Semitic, racist, anti-Mormon, anti-Masonic, and religious groups criticized the group's acceptance of Jews, non-whites, Masons, and Mormons (Ezra Taft Benson, a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, encouraged people to join it). These groups accused Welch of harboring feminist, ecumenical, and evolutionary ideas.^[17][18][19]

Ayn Rand said in a Playboy interview that "What is wrong with them is that they don't seem to have any specific, clearly defined political philosophy. ... I consider the Birch Society futile, because they are not for Capitalism but merely against Communism."^[20][21]

John Birch Society influence on U.S. politics hit its high point in the years around the failed 1964 presidential campaign of Republican candidate Barry Goldwater, who lost to incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson. Welch had supported Goldwater over Richard Nixon for the Republican nomination, but the membership split, with two-thirds supporting Goldwater and one-third supporting Nixon. A number of Birch members and their allies were Goldwater supporters in 1964^[22] and some were delegates at the 1964 Republican National Convention. The Goldwater campaign brought together the nucleus of what later became known as the New Right.

In April 1966, a New York Times article on New Jersey and the John Birch Society stated, in part, a concern for "the increasing tempo of radical right attacks on local government, libraries, school boards, parent-teacher associations, mental health programs, the Republican Party and, most recently, the ecumenical movement."^[23] It then characterized the Society as, "by far the most successful and 'respectable' radical right organization in the country. It operates alone or in support of other extremist organizations whose major preoccupation, like that of the Birchers, is the internal Communist conspiracy in the United States."

Robert Welch and The Politician

Mainstream Republicans such as William F. Buckley, Jr., and Russell Kirk grew increasingly unhappy with the Birch Society after Welch circulated a letter calling President Dwight D. Eisenhower a possible "conscious, dedicated agent of the Communist Conspiracy."^[24] The controversial paragraph was removed before final publication of The Politician.^[25] Welch also wrote that President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in advance, but said nothing because he wanted to get the U.S. involved in World War II.^[26]

The sensationalism of Welch's charge that Eisenhower was possibly a Communist dupe led many conservatives and Republicans, most prominently Goldwater and intellectuals of Buckley's circle, to renounce outright or quietly shy away from the group.^[27] Welch later said it was not originally meant to be published because it was just a confidential letter among friends.^{[citation needed]}

Buckley, an early friend and admirer of Welch, regarded his accusations against Eisenhower as "paranoid and idiotic libels" and attempted unsuccessfully to purge Welch from the JBS.^[28] Welch responded by attempting to take over Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative youth organization founded with assistance from Buckley.^{[citation needed]}

1970s

The Society wound up at the center of an important free-speech law case in the 1970s, after American Opinion accused a Chicago lawyer representing the family of a young man killed by a police officer of being part of a Communist conspiracy to merge all police agencies in the country into one large force. The resulting libel suit, Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., reached the United States Supreme Court, which held that a state may allow a private figure such as Gertz to recover actual damages from a media defendant without proving malice, but that a public figure does have to prove actual malice, according to the standard laid out in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, in order to recover presumed damages or punitive damages. ^[29]. The court ordered a retrial in which Gertz prevailed.

Key Birch Society causes of the 1970s included opposition to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and to the establishment of diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China. The organization claimed in 1973 that the regime of Mao Zedong had murdered 64 million Chinese as of that year and that it was the primary supplier of illicit heroin into the United States. This led to bumper stickers showing a pair of scissors cutting a hypodermic needle in half accompanied by the slogan "Cut The Red China Connection." According to the Voice of America, the society also was opposed to transferring control of the Panama Canal from American to Panamanian sovereignty.^[30]

The John Birch Society was organized into local chapters. Ernest Brosang, a New Jersey regional coordinator, contended that it was virtually impossible for opponents of the society to penetrate its policy-making levels, thereby protecting it from anti-Americanist takeover attempts. Its activities included distribution of literature critical of civil rights legislation, warning of the influence of the United Nations, and distributing petitions to impeach U.S. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren. To spread their message, members held showings of documentary films and operated initiatives such as "Let Freedom Ring", a nation-wide network of recorded telephone messages. Some members also helped organize the "Minutemen", a paramilitary group training to lead guerrilla warfare in case of a Communist takeover.

After Welch

By the time of Welch's death in 1985, the Birch Society's membership, and influence, had dramatically declined, but the UN's role in the Gulf War and President George H. W. Bush's call for a 'New World Order' appeared to many JBS members to validate their claims about a "One World Government" conspiracy. Growing right-wing populism in the United States helped The John Birch Society position itself for a comeback, and by 1995, its membership had grown to more than 55,000 (est.).^{[citation needed]}

A sign advocating America's withdrawal produced by the John Birch Society

The JBS continues to press for an end to U.S. membership in the United Nations. As evidence of the effectiveness of JBS efforts, the Society points to the Utah State Legislature's failed resolution calling for U.S. withdrawal, as well as the actions of several other states where the Society's membership has been active. The Birch Society repeatedly opposed overseas war-making, although it is strongly supportive of the American military. It has issued calls to "Bring Our Troops Home" in every conflict since its founding, including Vietnam. The Society also has a national speakers' committee called American Opinion Speakers Bureau (AOSB) and an anti-tax committee called TRIM (Tax Reform IMmediately)^[31].

In popular culture

• In 1964, Dizzy Gillespie made a semi-satirical run for President, and formed chapters of the "John Birks Society" (his real name was John Birks Gillespie) in 25 states. ^[32]
• Bob Dylan wrote "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues",^[33] narrated by a paranoid Society member who looks everywhere for Communists, even in his toilet bowl and at one point decides that they are in his television set.
• The Chad Mitchell Trio performed the satirical song "The John Birch Society"^[34],
• Steve Jackson Games included a mythical "Fred Birch Society" as one of hundreds of groups in the collectible card game Illuminati: New World Order. ^[35]
• Walt Kelly used his comic strip Pogo to produce a satire that appeared in book form as "The Jack Acid Society Black Book."^[36]

Leaders and notable members

Presidents

• Robert W. Welch Jr. (1958–1983)
• Larry McDonald (1983) - a U.S. Representative was killed in the 1983 KAL-007 shootdown incident.
• Charles R. Armour
• John F. McManus (1991–2004, 2005–present)
• G. Vance Smith (2004–2005)

CEOs

• G. Allen Bubolz (1988–1991)
• Haroldson Hunt (1889-1974)
• Fred Koch (1900-1967)
• G. Vance Smith (1991–2005)
• Arthur R. Thompson (2005-present)

Politicians

• Edgar Willard Hiestand (1888-1970)
• Lawrence P. McDonald (1935-1983)
• John Rousselot (1927-2003)
• John George Schmitz (1930-2001)

See also

• Anti-Communism
• United States isolationism
• Paleoconservatism
• Withdrawal from the United Nations
• William P. Hoar
• Wise Use Movement
• Separation of church and state
• William Norman Grigg

References

Footnotes

Further reading

External links

• John Birch Society website
• The New American, JBS biweekly publication
• "John Birch Society," Political Research Associates
• Report of the California Senate Factfinding Subcommittee on Un-American Activities on the John Birch Society
• "What is the John Birch Society?", short excerpt of a film, released circa 1965, of Robert W. Welch Jr., explaining why he founded the John Birch Society and its aims.