It didn’t have huge numbers, but it did penetrate the culture and the national consciousness. Mathew Dallek:The John Birch Society was a household name in the 1960s, becoming the emblem of far-right extremism. Who are so-called Birchers? Why do they matter? JTA: Before we get into the Jewish aspect of the book, meaning the chapter on the Anti-Defamation League’s relationship with the John Birch Society, let’s take a step back. The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity. He also examines how the Birchers’ mission to defend Christianity and capitalism morphed into a radical anti-civil rights agenda that groups like the ADL saw as an existential threat.ĭallek, who grew up in a Reform Jewish household in Los Angeles, recently sat with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency to discuss the rise of the Birchers, how the ADL infiltrated their ranks and whether such tactics are justified in the name of fighting extremism. “Birchers” is a history of a group that at its height numbered as many as 100,000 members and “mobilized a loyal army of activists” in a campaign against what it saw as a vast communist conspiracy. It examines the roots of today’s emboldened conservative movement in the United States. Published in March, “Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right” is Dallek’s fourth book. The discovery of the Anti-Defamation League’s covert operation targeting the John Birch Society is the basis of a chapter in a new book by political historian Matthew Dallek of George Washington University. That card opened a door to a world most never see, and inspired Smith’s novel “The Ancient Nine.”Įven as Harvard and other universities discourage or even actively try to shut down clubs for not being inclusive, Smith says their influence continues to this day.( JTA ) - A historian leafing through files in an archive discovered how a Jewish organization helped bring down an influential far-right extremist movement in the United States in the 1960s and ’70s by going undercover and acting as self-appointed spies. The invitation was to join the Delphic Club, a secret society reportedly started by J.P. “It’s been several decades since I joined the club and I have no idea why they chose me,” Smith said. Then one day he received an invitation with three blue torches under his dorm room door. Ian Smith grew up with a single mom in a working-class family, and as a young African-American man, thought he wasn’t a likely candidate for any secret societies while he was a student at Harvard. And in the Ivy League, secret societies are the elite among the elite, and their members often become world leaders.ĭr. Founding fathers like Washington and Franklin were Freemasons. It’s “us” versus “them.”Īt one time, Christianity was a secret society to avoid Roman persecution. One thing is certain: such groups are dedicated to elevating members above others. The legends surrounding them add to their mystique, while obscuring the truth. Secret societies are a common concern of conspiracy theories and Hollywood blockbusters alike. Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen to this episode of the “Backstory with Larry Potash” podcast in the player above (Can’t see it? Click here).
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