Idaho Birchers Trigger the Propagandists at the New York Times
by Paul Dragu, JBS Director of Communications
Now you’ve done it, Idaho members! Your hard work has gotten the attention of the upper-tier propagandists at the New York Times.
On May 15, the Times published an article titled “A Fracture in Idaho’s G.O.P. as the Far Right Seeks Control.” A few paragraphs into the article is this little nugget of near flattery: “One of the growing powers in the region is the John Birch Society, which dominated the far right in the 1960s and 1970s by opposing the civil rights movement and equal rights for women while embracing conspiratorial notions about communist infiltration of the federal government. The group was purged from the conservative movement decades ago but has found a renewed foothold in places like the Idaho panhandle.” Several other publications picked up the piece or cited it in the creation of their own syllabic drivel.
I wrote to the Times the next day asking them to publish a letter to the editor untangling their spin. I explained why we opposed the Civil Rights Act and pointed out the inconvenient fact that the JBS had been racially integrated before it became law. I clarified that we opposed the misnamed Equal Rights Amendment, not equal rights. I rhetorically asked what factual aspect of communist spies found embedded within the federal government and convicted of spying constitutes “conspiratorial notions.” And I noted that the JBS was never “purged” from the conservative movement, pointing to liberal historian Edward Miller as support. I didn’t hear back from the Times.
Despite its leftist spin, the Times did get something right. The reporter believes Birchers are vital in moving an already-conservative region to the “far right,” a label the propagandists love to slap onto anyone to the right of Mitt Romney. What that really means is that thanks to all the Birching in the area, constitutional ideas are taking hold and changing the political landscape.
As Idaho Birchers know, much has been happening in that area over the last year or so. Last year, the Republican central committees of Kootenai and Benewah counties even passed resolutions supporting the JBS. The committee leaders said they recognized that JBS’s principles — adherence to the nation’s founding documents and God for governing — align with those of the Idaho Republican Party.
The media hysterics is a testament to your hard work. Commenting on the matter, JBS CEO Bill Hahn said that what’s happening in Idaho is a “testament to active members who are holding their elected officials accountable. They have had enough of broken campaign promises and are doing their part in building an educated electorate, as advised by the Founding Fathers.”
Idaho members are a great example of effective Birchers. They engage with their community. They work to inform legislators. And in some cases, they even run for office.
But Idahoans are just one example of JBS impact. And this piece by the Times is just one of many in which the propaganda class acknowledges the JBS for the force that we are. We will soon publish a booklet showcasing your impact on America, and part of it will include the words of those whose leftist, one-world vision you threaten. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, members, please consider using this sort of publicity to help with recruiting. It’s a badge of honor to have come to the attention of those in the top echelon of the propaganda division.