Former ‘Bircher baby’ offers views on today’s Tea Party

[pampango]

Many thought Birchers were “crackpots and freaks,” she said, and some believe they were a phenomenon of 1960s, that “died out like bell bottoms.” Today’s extremists, she adds, “want to take America back — back 100 years.”

Birchers fought civil rights, labor unions, environmental protections, women’s rights, Medicare, welfare programs, the United Nations and even water fluoridation. Today’s radical right continues many of the same campaigns and fights to empower corporations and discredit government.

Fred Koch, father of the Koch Brothers, who spend their billions today pushing radical right and Tea Party candidates, was a founding member of the John Birchers and a Conner family friend. The senior Koch made his fortune building power plants for Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. Two of his sons, in addition to using their billions to bankroll Tea Party candidates, also work to discredit government and tear down President Obama.

She also urged her Democratic audience not to laugh at Rand Paul, “another Birch kid,” or at Sen. Ted Cruz, who she said “looks and sounds like Sen. (Joseph) McCarthy but is more personable.” (Sen. McCarthy, a Wisconsin Republican, spread fear that Communists were taking over in U.S. government and elsewhere during the 1950s. The Senate eventually censured him.) Conner, a young-looking “almost 70,” makes a strong case that the Birchers live on in today’s extremists.


Author Claire Conner spoke about being raised by parents
who were members of the ultra-conservative John Birch Society.

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opinionzone/2014/02/16/former-bircher-baby-offers-views-on-todays-right-wing-extremists/

Very interesting perspective from someone born into a JBS household.

PS. Pay no attention to the comments below the article. The Palm Beach Post seems to have an active right-wing posting brigade.

[napkinz]

1. then & now ...

[freshwest]

2. Excellent pics, napkinz, thanks. n/t

[freshwest]

3. Liberals need to quit whistling past the graveyard. The zombies are awake and voting. n/t

[shenmue]

4. She is awesome

I got her book. She also spoke at a local Democratic meeting, near where I live. We need to keep hearing her story because it was the same way that the Tea Party got built up. She saw the light, she can help others too.

[Laelth]

5. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[Jake Stern]

6. "She urged the audience not to laugh at Sen. Rand Paul"

I remember folks at the local Democratic meetup enjoying many a guffaw when it came to the Tea Party at the beginning of 2010.

They said the TP was just a "flash in the pan" and would fade away quickly so there was no reason to be concerned with them.

They said that the GOP Old Guard would shut them down.

They said not to worry, Tea Partiers were so extreme that nobody in their right mind would vote for them.

Whoops.

[Triana]

7. I highly recommend Claire Conner's book

I've read it and she nails the Tea Party right to the John Birchers. They are one and the same.

http://claireconner.com/