A narrative history of the John Birch Society by a daughter of one of the infamous ultraconservative organization's founding fathers.
Named a best nonfiction book of 2013 by "Kirkus Reviews" and the "Tampa Bay Times"
Long before the rise of the Tea Party movement and the prominence of today's religious Right, the John Birch Society, first established in 1958, championed many of the same radical causes touted by ultraconservatives today, including campaigns against abortion rights, gay rights, gun control, labor unions, environmental protections, immigrant rights, social and welfare programs, the United Nations, and even water fluoridation.
Worshipping its anti-Communist hero Joe McCarthy, the Birch Society is perhaps most notorious for its red-baiting and for accusing top politicians, including President Dwight Eisenhower, of being Communist sympathizers. It also labeled John F. Kennedy a traitor and actively worked to unseat him. The Birch Society boasted a number of notable members, including Fred Koch, father of Charles and David Koch, who are using their father's billions to bankroll fundamentalist and right-wing movements today.
The daughter of one of the society's first members and a national spokesman about the society, Claire Conner grew up surrounded by dedicated Birchers and was expected to abide by and espouse Birch ideals. When her parents forced her to join the society at age thirteen, she became its youngest member of the society. From an even younger age though, Conner was pressed into service for the cause her father and mother gave their lives to: the nurturing and growth of the JBS. She was expected to bring home her textbooks for close examination (her mother found traces of Communist influence even in the Catholic school curriculum), to write letters against "socialized medicine" after school, to attend her father's fiery speeches against the United Nations, or babysit her siblings while her parents held meetings in the living room to recruit members to fight the war on Christmas or (potentially poisonous) water fluoridation. Conner was "on deck" to lend a hand when JBS notables visited, including founder Robert Welch, notorious Holocaust denier Revilo Oliver, and white supremacist Thomas Stockheimer. Even when she was old enough to quit in disgust over the actions of those men, Conner found herself sucked into campaigns against abortion rights and for ultraconservative presidential candidates like John Schmitz. It took momentous changes in her own life for Conner to finally free herself of the legacy of the John Birch Society in which she was raised.
In "Wrapped in the Flag," Claire Conner offers an intimate account of the society --based on JBS records and documents, on her parents' files and personal writing, on historical archives and contemporary accounts, and on firsthand knowledge--giving us an inside look at one of the most radical right-wing movements in US history and its lasting effects on our political discourse today.

"From the Hardcover edition."

A major history of American liberalism and the key personalities behind the movement Why is it that nearly every liberal initiative since the end of the New Deal--whether busing, urban development, affirmative action, welfare, gun control, or "Roe v. Wade"--has fallen victim to its grand aspirations, often exacerbating the very problem it seeks to solve? In this groundbreaking work, the first full treatment of modern liberalism in the United States, bestselling journalist and historian Eric Alterman together with Kevin Mattson present a comprehensive history of this proud, yet frequently maligned tradition. In "The Cause, " we meet the politicians, preachers, intellectuals, artists, and activists--from Eleanor Roosevelt to Barack Obama, Adlai Stevenson to Hubert Humphrey, and Billie Holiday to Bruce Springsteen--who have battled for the heart and soul of the nation.

In June of 2011, Action Comics (DC) released Superman #900, in which Superman renounces his American citizenship to be a member of a 'global' community. In doing so, Superman forgot the reasons why truth, justice and "The American Way" are actually the most important things that he represents. Superman has been an icon for adult and kids alike for over 70 years, -- how the character views the world as well as American values is a part of the makeup of our national history. "The American Way: Why Superman Got It Wrong" written by author Thomas Purcell, describes in detail how American Exceptionalism was a hard won process; and not something we were born with in our blood or our DNA. The path from a small group of stalwart farmers fleeing the tyranny of religious oppression and heavy taxation to that of the most powerful and wealthy nation in the history of mankind was remarkably swift compared to the previous civilizations of Rome, Egypt, and the European great powers of Edwardian England and Napoleonic France. How America got there is a matter of historical record, but today the world is seeking America to be more like them-- socialized and stagnant with planned economies and limited freedoms. Through Progressive politics America is being transformed into the nations that they sought to leave behind over 200 years ago. By extending its entitlement programs, reinventing its national heritage and bastions of capitalistic pride and power, America is slowly being weakened from within in order to bring America to its knees and down to the level of leftist regimes around the world, corrupt and with limited freedoms. Author Thomas Purcell explores the reason why in "The American Way" that the reverse should be true-- that the rest of the world should be striving to be more like America, not the other way around. He explains pivotal points in American history when the American people stood fast to their heritage of self sufficiency, rugged individualism and self-reliance and as a result were stronger for it. Although Kal-El the Kryptonian Superman may have forgotten his childhood roots, "The American Way" explains why Clark Kent, a farmer from Smallville never would have abandoned the Midwest ethics that had served him so well as a emblem of "The American Way" to the rest of the world. Superman (c) is registered trademark of DC Comics and this book is not affiliated in any way with DC Comics, Superman or other proprietary products of DC Comics 2nd Edition. Updated for fonts and corrections 8/26/20

In Liberty or Equality, Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn first examines the historical and current meanings of both democracy and liberalism, demonstrating why the two do not necessarily coincide. He then puts forward a series of propositions, the first of which is that the impulse of democracy as popular government is the pursuit of equality, and that this leads unavoidably--and has in fact led--to collectivism and oppressive totalitarianism. He presents the apprehensions of thinkers and observers who lived between 1790 and 1914 and who, in true Platonic fashion, feared the rise of totalitarian tyranny in an evolutionary or dialectical process out of the very essence of democracy. Their views are then coordinated with those of our near-contemporaries, offering the reader a cogent study in the history of ideas.

The second proposition is that monarchy is a more serviceable form of government than democracy, and is likely to be more liberal. Here the author deals with the weaknesses and inherent dangers of the democratic doctrine, which are avoided or mitigated in monarchical government. The final proposition is that the political temper of historically Catholic nations is more liberal than that of Protestant nations.

While the political temper of our own times dictates a new servitude of enforced equality--even alongside the ideal of negative freedom--arbitrary equality, writes Kuehnelt-Leddihn, is a natural impossibility. Complete liberty is likewise an unnatural concept. While both are unnatural conceptions, there is a practical solution to this dilemma that has confounded human history. Hinted at by the author throughout, it involves both a retrieval of the best of Catholic political and social thought, as well as the observance of a tested and venerable program of action: in necessities unity; in doubtful things liberty; in everything charity.

Shifting Culture: Revival, Revolution or Ruin is a prime example of citizen activism that reaches out to Tea Party activists, Independents, Democrats and Republicans alike. The majority of Americans, appalled at the downward shift in the American culture and distressed with their government, want to prevent the country they love from slipping into the abyss. Shifting Culture outlines why we should be terrified, who is at fault and how to reverse the damage. Is the United States of America in need of a revival, awaiting a revolution or on the precipice of ruin? Shifting Culture clearly illustrates how we have been controlled, manipulated and purposefully divided. Readers will finally understand why societal changes have debased our culture, our faith and our country. Citizens will be infuriated at the abuse, corruption and treasonous acts of those placed in power to protect and defend the Constitution and then realize the urgent need to take action. Shifting Culture offers the reader the power and beauty of our heritage and our Constitution and releases the stranglehold of misinformation, innuendo and blatant lies that shackle political decisions. Lee lays out five critical facets required for the revival and restoration of American culture to combat the evil that is real and persuasive in the United States. Interwoven throughout Shifting Culture are disturbing trails of power and greed, constitutional treachery, deceit and treasonous acts. Be forewarned. American history began with the settling of America. This current phase will end with the unsettling of Americans. What our country becomes, therefore, is in the hands of American citizens. Shifting Culture is a history reminder, a large dose of common sense, faith, tradition, civics, life-altering choices and consequences. Lee goes against the pundits who believe the Tea Party is hell bent on returning the country to the eighteenth-century and skillfully guides readers through a timeline of events that will enlighten, shock, and anger Americans. Shifting Culture is a call to the silent centered majority of Americans who will not be silenced any longer. Reviews "A MUST READ for anyone who cares about the concepts on which our country was founded." -- Raynor James, Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association "Wow... Shifting Culture is a glimpse at America through the eyes of a true patriot. It's a look at the history of this great country and puts into words many of the feelings that other Americans have been trying to express for a long time. The question, "How did we get here and what do we do now?" will be foremost in your mind as you read about the love as well as the heartbreak that this writer feels for our country." -- Joyce Krawiec, FreedomWorks "Author C.A. Lee loves her country and is struggling to make sense of how it has gotten so badly off-track and what is needed to get us back in line. As she says, "You do not have to be an expert car mechanic to know something is wrong with you car and you certainly don't have to be an expert on politics to know the country is in trouble." Shifting Culture is unlike other books, written by politicians, academia, political pundits, or media-controlled journalists because Lee offers the viewpoint of a "spiked-haired great-grandmother" who remembers the simpler days when Americans' lives and affairs weren't so micromanaged by the federal government. Ms. Lee might be an ordinary citizen without legal or political training or experience, but she shares the same sense of urgency for attention to our country's underlying problems and a restoration of our fundamental American values that millions of citizens share all over this country." -- Diane Rufino, Eastern NC Tea Party

At the height of the Great Depression in 1933 nearly 25% of the U.S. work force was unemployed (almost 13 million people). Today in 2011 nearly 10% of the U.S. work force is unemployed (over 14 million people), and another 14 million are trying to survive on part-time low-paying jobs. They're called the "under-employed." Millions aren't even included in the (U-3) unemployment rate. We have approximately 16% of the "participating work force" that are jobless in America. Millions more are trying to survive on no income at all. By the end of this year there could be almost 10 million desperate Americans struggling to pay their rent. They're called the "99ers" (or exhaustees"), those who have exhausted all their unemployment benefits. Now the Republicans have been busy trying to cut or reduce unemployment benefits, food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security...and they couldn't wait...it had to be done right now...in the middle of The Great Recession, with so many people out of work. So then, how will the 99ers survive? After the economy tanked in 2008, I was laid off from my job and never found gainful employment again. And like most other "conservative Republicans" (such as Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly), I too had blamed the Democrats - - - and then later, Obama. Of course, back then I would have blamed Obama for my headache, not realizing at the time that it was the constant ranting and raving on Fox News that was giving me my headache. The Republicans today (especially the radical Tea Party "Patriots") aren't "uniters," but dividers - - - and they are ripping this nation apart., doing the exact opposite of what Lincoln would do. The Tea Party today reminds me more of the old Southern Dixicrats. And it's become all too apparent to anyone in 2011 that ALL the Republicans only represent the very wealthy and the largest of multi-national corporations, not the common citizen - the small business owner or worker. Democrats represent real people. I finally opened my eyes after 30 years of being a Republican. For ten years I too once watched Fox News and also believed everything they told me. The title of this book doesn't refer to ALL Republican voters, but primarily to the GOP leadership and their enablers. As for the book's cover, many people might think it depicts my rage and murderous desires to kill Republicans. But after reading the book, you decide who's stabbing who in the back. The title of the painting is aptly named "Treachery," and it is apropos in that I had felt totally betrayed by the political party I once affiliated with. And it common knowledge that Fox News promotes the Republican's agenda (and their presidential candidates), and is NOT a genuine "news" channel, just because sometimes they report the news, sports, and weather. The day that Glenn Beck accused me of being a socialist and un-American, and of just wanting a government hand-out, was the very last straw for me. It was then that I had had enough of him, the Republicans, Fox News, and the Tea Party. I've learned that after being a devout Republican all my working life, it wasn't the Democrats, but the Republicans who had been destroying the middle-class and this economy...and they almost destroyed me too. That's why I hate Republicans and the Fox News Channel.

The novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand was one of the most influential 20th century advocates of free market capitalism. Her work inspired Objectivism, a philosophical movement and former US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan cited Rand as a formative intellectual influence. In this outstanding volume, Mimi Gladstein details Rand's belief in the moral supremacy of individualism over collectivism, highlighting her contribution to libertarian thought.

Last year, Praxis Peace Institute responded to the libertarian conspiracy film Thrive with a pamphlet titled "Uncivil Liberties: Deconstructing Libertarianism," carefully and concisely laying out the problems inherent in libertarian philosophy and why it is so appealing to today's society. Now, in a book by the same name, six contributors from Praxis have expounded on their arguments to create a compelling case against the radical tenants of libertarianism, demonstrating the untruths promoted within libertarian culture and how concerned citizens can avoid and refute common myths spread by extreme right-wing ideologies. This book is a must-read for anyone invested in modern politics and the future of the United States. Praxis Peace Institute is a non-profit peace education organization based in Sonoma, California, dedicated to deep inquiry, creative problem solving, and informed civic participation. Since its founding in 2001, Praxis Peace Institute programs have addressed the most relevant social challenges of our time, from communication and conflict transformation, to politics and propaganda, to the economy. Visit www.praxispeace.org.

This satirical novel by Garrett R. Hall addresses the intended and unintended effects of liberalism. It serves as an allegory of how liberal thinking - though often well-intended - has serious consequences.

Andrew - a self-proclaimed liberal - seeks refuge in the wilderness after Democrats suffer a devastating political defeat. He settles in a beautiful, isolated valley and strives to become one with nature. In time, Andrew identifies a series of "injustices" in nature and, applying his deep-seated liberal ideology, devotes all his energy to bringing fairness and equality to the natural world.

Why should some squirrels get more nuts than others? Does affirmative action work in the animal kingdom? Why should bigger animals be allowed to eat smaller ones? Can animals be retrained to act in a more sophisticated way? Is equality possible in the wilderness?

Andrew seeks to answer these and other questions as he strives to bring hope and change by developing systems and strategies to fundamentally transform nature.

Read a FREE SAMPLE at http: //lawdawghall.blogspot.com/2012/01/liberal-in-nature-book-synopsis.html.

An analysis of the different way leftists and conservatives think with a conclusion that leftists are autistic.

Imagine if you could study the operations manual of a master American Marxist trainer, someone who teaches American Communist operatives the strategies and tactics used to subvert the citizens of the United States of America. Well, now you can. A Look Inside the Playbook: How Marxists Plan to Destroy America is THE Bible of American Communist subversion strategies and tactics. In this training manual you will learn Marxist's methods, their thinking, strategies and inside secrets that have been used so successfully against the people of the United States of America. The authors provide readers with a tell-all expose on the dangerously sophisticated subversive techniques being used by collectivist revolutionaries intent upon subverting American principles and values and replacing them with Communist inspired tyranny.

While politics is serious, after a long and divisive presidential political campaign season, many would just like all the politicians and the news media that encourages them to foam at the mouth to just shut up and go away. This interactive book is meant just for fun and could just as well be titled "The Complete Book of Democratic Wisdom and Knowledge.

Rants for the Bunker is an anthology of posts and debates from Facebook in the time since Barack Obama has taken office. It is a indictment of the Socialist turn America has taken since the 2008 Presidential Election. A grassroots Conservative activism for the Information Age. Often funny, sometimes sad, always on the side of the American way. And proof that in the internet age, every citizen has a voice.

A riveting and unsettling history of the assault on civil rights and liberties in America--from World War I to the War on Terror--by the acclaimed author of "When the Mississippi Ran Backwards."
In this ambitious and wide-ranging account, Jay Feldman takes us from the run-up to World War I and its anti-German hysteria to the September 11 attacks and Arizona's current anti-immigration movement. What we see is a striking pattern of elected officials and private citizens alike using the American people's fears and prejudices to isolate minorities (ethnic, racial, political, religious, or sexual), silence dissent, and stem the growth of civil rights and liberties. Rather than treating this history as a series of discrete moments, Feldman considers the entire programmatic sweep on a scale no one has yet approached. In doing so, he gives us a potent reminder of how, even in America, democracy and civil liberties are never guaranteed.

Polls indicate that the newsrooms and editorial boards of America's largest news organizations are overwhelmingly populated with self-described progressives, or Leftists. This high concentration of Leftists in newsrooms has created an echo chamber that insulates journalists, editors, and producers from opposing viewpoints and alternative political opinion. Timely and hard-hitting, Distorted Landscape examines the deceptively false narratives crafted by Leftists in the media and by politicians about the issues of guns and race, war and peace, and wealth and charity. Philip J. Eveland shows how journalists, along with their political comrades, who possess this echo-chamber mentality, slant the narrative toward the political Left. Eveland presents several examples of how the media's Leftist bias distorts the landscape of current affairs and politics, distracting the public's attention away from the core issues by instead focusing on the symptoms rather than the causes of the chronic problems plaguing the nation. His blunt critique of this disturbing trend makes a strong case for greater transparency among politicians and the media. Gain a new appreciation for the depth and extent of Leftist media bias and learn how to glean the truth on the issues of today with Distorted Landscape.

In The Concept of Justice, Patrick Burke explores and argues for a return to traditional ideas of ordinary justice in opposition to conceptions of 'social justice' that came to dominate political thought in the 20th Century. Arguing that our notions of justice have been made incoherent by the radical incompatibility between instinctive notions of ordinary justice and theoretical conceptions of social justice, the book goes on to explore the historical roots of these ideas of social justice. Finding the roots of these ideas in religious circles in Italy and England in the 19th century, Burke explores the ongoing religious influence in the development of the concept in the works of Marx, Mill and Hobhouse. In opposition to this legacy of liberal thought, the book presents a new theory of ordinary justice drawing on the thought of Immanuel Kant. In this light, Burke finds that all genuine ethical evaluation must presuppose free will and individual responsibility and that all true injustice is fundamentally coercive.

The Logic of Classical Liberalism: Ethics, Society & Economics is a short, precise handbook which is an excellent introduction to the ideas of venerable classical liberalism (or simply liberal thought as it known in Europe). It reveals the moral bankruptcy of socialism, and illustrates the fundamental morality of a modern society composed of liberal individuals. As the author Jacques de Guenin writes, "Liberalism is based entirely upon the idea of individual freedom. All the other concepts commonly attached to liberalism, such as responsibility, the respect for life, and property, follow from it by a rigorous logic." This book leads the reader through all the power and consistency of (classical) liberalism on a number of subjects from basic morality and life in society to economics. A must read for all those who are concerned with and cherish the fundamental basics of individual liberty and responsibility, and abhor the pathology of socialism and Marxism.Web Site: TheLogicOfClassicalLiberalism.com.

Richard Brookhiser wrote his first cover story for the renowned conservative magazine "National Review" in 1969, when he was fourteen, and became the magazine's youngest senior editor at age twenty-three. William F. Buckley Jr. was Brookhiser's mentor, hero, and admirer--but their relationship was, at times, a troubled one. Brookhiser remained a friend and colleague of Buckley throughout his time at the "Review," however, and in "Right Time, Right Place," Brookhiser tells the story of that tumultuous relationship with affection and clarity, while also providing a sparkling eyewitness account of the conservative intellectual and political ferment that Buckley nurtured and led.

Fiorello LaGuardia is known best as the tempestuous mayor of New York City in the days when Franklin Delano Roosevelt sat in the White House. There had been, however, an earlier time, which matched his mayoralty years in sheer drama and perhaps surpassed them in lasting achievement-LaGuardia's years in Congress.

He served in the House of Representative almost continuously from 1917 to 1933, representing two ethnically diverse congressional districts: the Fourteenth (Greenwich Village), from 1917 to 1919, and the Twentieth (East Harlem), from 1923 to 1933. Although barred from important committee posts because of his political independence and thus denied from playing a direct role in lawmaking, he was a tireless and vocal champion of Progressive causes, from allowing more immigration and removing U.S. troops from Nicaragua to speaking up for the rights and livelihoods of striking miners, impoverished farmers, oppressed minorities, and struggling families. A goad to the era's plutocrats and their enablers in government, LaGuardia fought for progressive income taxes, greater government oversight of Wall Street, and national employment insurance for workers idled by the Great Depression.

In this book, first published by Cornell University Press in 1959, Howard Zinn establishes LaGuardia's tenure in Congress as a vital link between the Progressive and New Deal eras, offering a lively and informative account of his many legislative battles, his political philosophy, and the distinctly urban (specifically, New York City) sensibilities he brought to the Progressive movement.

If you were offered the chance at total freedom from taxes and total freedom from government in your life, would you take it? Our widely-held faith in the free market leads many to believe that government is the problem. If we could only get the government to stop interfering in our economy and in our lives, then market forces would solve so many of the problems plaguing us today. While politicians only continue to offer the fantasy of ending government through government (i.e., vote for me and I'll cut government programs), this book proposes a simple, realistic plan called the Total Freedom Act that will make it possible to live the libertarian, free market ideal. Love It or Leave It cuts right through the endless and tiresome culture war by holding ideology up to the mirror of reality. America is stuck in an endless cycle of debate about whether government is too socialist or not socialist enough and whether it is a force for positive change or our worst enemy. But sometimes a simple idea can change everything. The Total Freedom Act ends this debate with a plan to bring our highest ideals to life and restore true freedom in America. Mark Manney presents the idea that ends government as the problem.

Volume 11 of the "Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" series focuses on Robert Nozick and his work on libertarianism. In 1974, Robert Nozick's book "Anarchy, State, and Utopia" moved libertarianism from a relatively neglected subset of political philosophy to the center of the discipline, as one of the most cogent critiques of social democracy and egalitarian liberalism. Nozick developed a rights-based account of libertarianism to show that a minimal state can legitimately arise, that nothing more than a minimal state is justified, and that the minimal state is not only morally right, but can also be an inspiring 'meta-utopia'. This volume presents Nozick's contributions to political philosophy in the context of his work in analytical philosophy. It also provides a biography of Nozick and considers the initial reception and long-term influence of his work. "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" provides comprehensive accounts of the works of seminal conservative thinkers from a variety of periods, disciplines, and traditions - the first series of its kind. Even the selection of thinkers adds another aspect to conservative thinking, including not only theorists but also writers and practitioners. The series comprises twenty volumes, each including an intellectual biography, historical context, critical exposition of the thinker's work, reception and influence, contemporary relevance, bibliography including references to electronic resources, and an index.

America has departed from its founding as a Christian nation and is rapidly abandoning the godly principles which blessed its people with liberty and justice for all. While many people from every level of society have offered secular solutions to the social and economic woes of today's America, it is clear the problem has resulted from the denial of God's providential hand on America by ungodly forces. The pathway from America's founding as a constitutional republic kept only by godly virtue to the loss of good will and reason which has now hopelessly dead-locked and divided the nation can be traced here. The only solution left for Christians is to get on their knees and pray for God to rain down a national spiritual revival reminiscent of the Great Awakenings which have historically and miraculously swept the land.

When the federal government starts to provide the American citizens with facts about what they are doing instead of making decisions that they believe are best for the common folk. The pathetic part is that the President and Congress for the most part do not listen to what the American citizen is telling them. When we make every member accountable we will be starting the process of ""Taking Back America"." The citizens of the United States need to express our opinions to the representatives of our local districts and make sure that they understand we will not be voting for them in 2012 if they do not start acting in the best interest of the people. Could it be that the reason that the main stream media is always backing the Democrats and the unions is because they are union shops. That is correct. The main stream media are union shops and therefore are usually biased in their reporting in favor of the Democrats and the unions. This sure explains some of their very biased articles.

This thesis examines the reception of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War in US foreign policy debates since the end of the Cold War. It begins with a background survey of Thucydides' use in foreign policy debates up to and during the Cold War, primarily by the realist school of international relations, and the comparisons which were drawn between the Cold War and the Peloponnesian War. After the Cold War, these comparisons became less relevant to current debates, and critics of realism began to use Thucydides to support their own theories. The emphasis is on how the three key movements since the Cold War, realism, liberal internationalism and neoconservatism, have each seen aspects in Thucydides' writing to admire and utilise for their theories, at the same time building competing interpretations of key sections from Thucydides' History. At the same time, as well as drawing abstract theories from Thucydides, analysts have also drawn historical parallels between the present and the Peloponnesian War in a creative process which results in modern states playing different ancient roles depending upon the context. I show that Thucydides' text lends itself particularly well to such recycling due to the author's tendency to highlight complex tensions without providing explicit authorial 'answers'.