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 about the alleged "left-wing" origins of JBS criticism, the most potent adverse comments about 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

by ernie1241 on Wed Jul 28, 2010 at 08:05:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Keep in mind that anti-Semitism and racism are often tools for a totally different purpose.  For instance, incitement of racism was used to keep white and black workers from uniting and possibly forming powerful labor blocks in the South.  I think incitement is often opportunistic.

Also, much of the worst damage has been done by people who did not seem to be bigots in their personal lives, but incitement served their political or business purposes.  Henry Ford arguably did more harm to Jews than any other American who ever lived. Many Nazis, including Hitler, claimed to be inspired by Ford, and the contents of Ford's "The International Jew" was repeatedly republished in Germany.  Yet Ford had good rapport with some Jews, including a rabbi which he regularly gifted with a new Model T.

Third, there are intricate well developed narratives which have repeatedly been used through the last century or so to present a simplistic and dualistic history of good and evil in the world.  These are conspiracy narratives, often merged with end times prophecy, which describe the world as controlled by a cabal of elite who are intentionally trying to destroy Christianity and America.  The narrative can be told with or without naming Jews, Illuminati, Freemasons, Jesuits, etc.  Fortunately it is still socially unacceptable to openly target Jews, (unless you do it as a Christian Zionist).  But as this conspiracy ideology takes hold in mainstream society, it will be easier to demonize whatever minority group one wishes to target.

If I told you the story of Little Red Riding Hood, replacing the wolf with another villain, you would still recognize the story. And you would probably still picture the wolf even if I declared that the story had nothing to do with wolves, and that I dearly loved wolves and would never malign them.  The wolf can always be added back into the story when it is more socially acceptable.  Beck is trying to make the story more acceptable, not necessarily because he is a bigot or anti-Semite, but because it serves a purpose.

By the way, did you see Hagee on Glenn Beck's show a couple of weeks ago?

by Rachel Tabachnick on Sun Jul 18, 2010 at 07:31:42 PM EST
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