TANGENTS
Neutralizing movements that undermine the work of patriotic Americans to preserve freedom.
Extracts from a publication of
The John Birch Society written by Don Fotheringham.
(1) PARTISAN POLITICS
'Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country'. - Theodore Roosevelt. (pictured at right)
'If political action alone, or of itself, were the key to the solution of our problem, we would have solved that problem long ago. We proceed on a solider and more permanent program which includes political action, but without letting political action get out of perspective'. - Robert Welch, The Neutralizers
Notwithstanding our Founding Father's disdain for political parties, party machinery is in place and not likely to go away. What George Washington called "the baneful spirit of party" is a tendency toward party zeal and loyalty that so often exceeds loyalty to country and adherence to principle. Party faithful tend to mistake party loyalty for patriotism placing faithfulness to party leaders, platforms, or party unity ahead of the principles of constitutional government.
At the highest levels of party politics, "the baneful spirit of party" is not merely a tendency, it governs the party system. Make no mistake about it, state parties and local units have little or no influence over political action at the national level. The leadership of the two major political parties is - and long has been - under the control of the Insiders. Even though a party's national platform may contain a number of principled, patriotic positions, with few exceptions the national strategy follows a pattern established by the enemy. We believe that members of the Birch Society should work within the party of their choice to nominate and elect the best candidates and - where possible - help get correct principles written into their party's official platform.
However, we offer a word of caution : Political action cannot rescue a nation adrift in a sea of ignorance. In order to get elected and remain in office, even the best politicians will appeal to the public's existing level of understanding, rather than try to raise that level to a higher standard. Without the support of sufficient numbers of informed voters, few politicians will keep promises to limit government to its proper role. Instead, they find themselves walking a line designed to appease the uninformed voter. Successful political action will be the result of correct information. Good candidates cannot be elected, or retained in office, by voters who cannot distinguish between a charlatan and a statesman or between a worthwhile cause and a pretext for power. Therefore, our first priority must be to invest our time and resources in building greater understanding of the principles of Americanism and of the forces working to obscure and destroy those principles.
Time and money invested in educating our friends is never wasted, whereas time and money spent getting out the vote or promoting a candidate is nearly always lost. This is true, even when our favorite candidate wins the election. For if he honors his oath of office and adheres to correct principles, he will not be understood or appreciated by the voting majority in his district, and the media will surely work to destroy him prior to the next election.
(2) Wild Speculation.
'Our only hope in the ultimate fight is that we offer leadership which can be trusted' :Robert Welch
'The Society has built a reputation for credibility based on solid research, and that credibility can be quickly destroyed by crying "wolf" unnecessarily or prematurely". : William F. Jasper
It is admittedly difficult to expose the Master Conspiracy - its existence, record, and intent - even though a great amount of information and history are available to document our claims. For this reason, we urge our members to utilize for this task only what is known and well documented regarding the purposes and tactics of the Conspiracy. Wild statements to the effect that "Communists and conspirators are everywhere" must be carefully avoided. Our enemies are not everywhere. They are but a small number, even though their power and influence are very extensive. The Conspiracy also persuades many more individuals to do its work, but most of these know nothing about the Conspiracy and have no idea they are employed by it.
We must also avoid exaggerated, panic-inducing statements and wild speculation. Rumors concerning "black helicopters" mobilized to suppress opposition to the new world order, the imminent invasion of America by United Nations troops, or weather modification scares must not be repeated as fact by our members or attributed to The John Birch Society. These rumors misrepresent the Conspiracy's strategy and ignore the layers of strength the Conspiracy has yet to overcome. They ignore the fact that the Conspiracy still needs to practice deception and patient gradualism. It is entirely possible that rumors of this sort are planted by the enemy for the purpose of destroying credibility and keeping good people chasing non-existent dragons.
The Conspiracy does not work along the lines indicated by many of those rumors. For example, there are no plans for the UN to make a military assault on the United States. That is contrary to the scheme; Insider plans call for America to enslave itself by legislating away its freedom and independence in a subtle, step-by-step process. A military attack by the UN would destroy that plan, which is now moving very nicely in the direction wanted by the Conspiracy. Also, a sudden, UN military assault on the United States would be a dead giveaway - it would alert all Americans, who would rise up and throw off the enemy. A UN attack would destroy a half-century of propaganda propping up the world body as the only hope for peace. Such an act would be devastating to the Conspiracy and its UN foundation for world government. And above all, an overt attack would destroy the step-by-step plan for Americans to be kept in ignorance while they enslave themselves.
This tangent addresses false alarms that stem from a false notion of the Conspiracy and its modus operandi. We realize the Conspiracy has used and will use real violence and terror to create enough fear to induce more laws, regulations, and government controls over the American people. Terrorist attacks on the United States serve the Conspiracy well, creating the fear needed for passage of severe legislation that Americans would ordinarily oppose. Members and friends must not waste time on enemy-induced tangents and spurious rumors that make us look ridiculous, destroy our credibility, and take us away from dispensing bona fide information. Our progress in enlisting new members in effective organized action is the only thing the Conspiracy fears.
Next Section : Tangent : Religious Neutralism
For any further information please phone Doug Giddings on (08) 8294 2767 or write to PO Box 140, Glenelg, South Australia 5045