OCR Text |
Show Page 6 The Utah Independent July 10, 1975 Continued from page 1 The Paper That Dares To Take A Stand BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION Quoting columnist Jeffrey St. John on the date of Feb. 1975: ", . . No one has clearly exposed PBC for what it is: an intellectual, philosophical and historical fraud. What the radical organizers at PBC have in common with the revolutionary patriots of 1776 is about as remote as the planet Mars. Basically the PBC radicals propose a restructuring of American society ." fathers cast aside every tenet of the French revolution and founded the U.S. government on the solid principles of the best traditions of British parliamentary government, only going further into a constitutional republic. IVe have given you a republic if you can keep it! So Benjamin Franklin has been quoted as saying after the Constitution was signed. What was fundamentally involved in the American Revolution. according to historian Bernard Bailyn, was not the overthrow or even the alteration or the existing order, but the preservation of political liberty. The issue of political liberty, however, is of no interest to the PBC radicals. They prefer to zero in on economic issues, whenever and wherever they can get a radio or ear to listen. This year Naturally indisputable such historical facts are of no interest to the present day radicals. They prefer to make their own history! As of now, working away like busy termites, their attacks are directed at American business. Corporate capitalism" must go, they say, to be replaced with something they call economic democracy. Vietnam and Cuba are, of course, the sort of democracies" these planners have in mind. They advocate a "new patriotism" which would proceed as a Marxist extension of the present U.S. Constitution. This would do with the "old political dogma" which has, according to these more enlightened expens, held America captive and stifled its development for two hundred years. They have glib and lying answers for comparison checks between the progress of Communist countries when compared to American progress. The notion that Americas development has been stifled for two centuries would seem too ludicrous to discuss except for the fact that the far left spends most of its time discussing how much better off the American people would be under some form of socialism. Their fanatical, irrational views have influenced and penetrated the present Congress. The number of leftist congressmen is growing. Their power in the media is growing. That pow er has been the sole' architect of the defeat of the in Vietnam. That power has been responsible for the loss of Indo-Chinlock, stock and barrel to the Communists. aw-a- y anti-Communi- sts a, . Now it is busy destroying Americas ability to defend itself if this nation should come under attack. Not only would these leftists render the USA helpless militarily, but also helpless against those subversives who roam this country at will,, spouting their Marxist jargon from any and every platform, gamering but easily deluded citizens for their money from good causes. In fact, the leftists have but one cause in mind to destroy the American way of life. well-intentione- d, so-call- ed It July 10, 1975 The Utah Independent Page 7 is difficult to stop them. No way seems to exist any longer to . their plans center around a "nationwide Continental conference" designed to bring together "consumer advocates, elected officials, environmentalists, educators, church members. representatives from every walk of life, to discuss economic issues, organizing strategics and the drafting of a common platform of economic rights and grievances. Featured on the front page of Common Sense, a PBC publication which their followers are entreated to spread far and wide, is a picture of leftist advocate Ralph Nader. This book. Common Sense, published by a well known publisher, was written by one Jeremy Rifkin, a very prolific writer, a skillful platform speaker, an indefatigable worker in all devices designed to establish PBC as a powerful force in the destruction of the free enterprise system. In January of 1975, a PBC regional conference was held in Urbana, Illinois. Billed as the first Midwestern Regional Conference, its aim was to bring together a wide range of people and serve as an indoctrination and recruiting device for the PBC. Rifkin was the featured speaker. According to eye witnesses, his personality projected well, as did his resonant, persuasive voice. A goodly number of the ladies present, both young and middle-agethe latter resembling spinsterish teachers, seemed quite taken with his voice. (It would be well, however, for them to recall their fairy tales. The Big Bad Wolf also had a pleasing voice until the very last moment when Little Red Riding Hood didnt have a chance. In fairness to the wolf, all he wanted was to swallow up one little girl.) d, search out the subversive as he goes about his deadly business, and to show him up for what he is. This is because the Congress has stripped the intelligence agencies of their power to preserve our internal security. What the Marxist disciples are up to is to swallow up the great American heritage, the personal liberties, Americans, all to be lost in a monstrous slave state where the people are shot if they try to escape. A SHOCKING LETTER That is communism. The charming Mr. Rifkin makes a point of avoiding the words communism or socialism, having discovered that they tend to frighten many listeners. However at this PBC Urbana gathering, it was somewhat startling to see constantly at his side a sixty year old Chicagoan named John Rossen. Rossen has been identified by a Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives as an e for the Comorganizer munist Party in Illinois and Missouri. In more recent times he has served, allegedly, as sponsor and advisor in various liberal causes. Most interestingly, Rifkin is alleged to have received much of the material for the PBC movement from the man Rossen who, in the Congressional statement was described as an old leftist firebrand, who still affects revolutionaiy" garb in the form of a black suit, black turtleneck and a black beret. (Taken from page E, 8216 of the Congressional Record for December 26, 1973, under the title "The Peoples Bicentennial Commission.) At the Urbana rally, Rossen was constantly at Rifkins side, Dated Feb. 24th, a letter came to this office from the Congressional Committee on Internal- Security. It read, in part, as - follows: Dear Dr. McBirnie: . . . To brief you on the status of the Committee on Internal Security; Our Chairman, Congressman Ichord, saw the handwriting on the wall upon the election of the most liberal Congress in history and recognizing that he would be unable to maintain the fight for a separate standing Committee on Internal Security, offered a resolution proposing the transfer of the jurisdiction to the Judiciary Committee To be practical about it, I do not think we will ever again see any substantial work done in the House or Senate on this subject. To the contrary, all of the present interest is, in discovering that the FBI, the CIA and all intelligence agencies have done something illegal or unethical. There is no interest on the part of those dominating the Congress in doing anything of a positive nature to insure that the work of internal security is continued actively and positively. Chief Davis commented to us when we were out there in Los Angeles that he foresaw the private sector necessarily assuming more of the burden of informing the public in this field as government is forced out of it. I think this is so and I see that persons such as yourself will increasingly be called upon to fill the gap That challenge to this office has instigated this publication, exposing the PEOPLES BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION. (PBC) The field investigators enclosed information on this subject, urging us to expose it. Certain questions immediately present themselves: ... Can it be proven that various activist groups, such as the instigators of the PBC movement, are actually enrolled in the Communist movement, or advocates of communism? Can we tell in advance their targets and methods? Can we head off by exposure and truth the deceptions of those with clever who, lies, are selling out their country? is YES, the answer to all three questions. But first, let us take a look at the PBC and see it for what it is. old-tim- apparently serving as a silent partner, if not as coach and advisor. The Congressional Record report on the man had also stated that pamphlets written by him cited North Vietnam and Cuba as examples of the type of revolution he had in mind for America. And while at Urbana he was mostly seen but not heard from, occasionally he did interrupt his own silence to suggest that we take some lessons from Fidel. BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION Economic Democracy" was described as a system whereby the workers receive the full proceeds of the goods and services produced. Consumers supposedly are to pay only the actual cost of production. Exactly who would bother to risk their capital, time, their ingenuity, their labor to produce the various wonders made abundantly possible by American technology when they stood to gain nothing this the PBC ignores. Coupled with the indoctrination discussions and speeches were the activities designed to recruit new members and to sell Rifkins various writings. Like Chairman Mao, Rifkin is noted for originating sayings and quotations. These are included in a PBC packet which the team workers, circulating through the listening audience, offered for sale. This packet, already being mailed out to various groups all across the country churches, schools, community groups and so on has been described by Arch Booth, vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as, "propaganda as skillful as any Ive seen! Describing the PBC as a "Worm in the Bicentennial Apple" he wrote in THE VOICE OF BUSINESS the warning to do with this New Left program for taking over or disrupting Bicentennial events in your community" For a sampling of the contents of the PBC packets, one leaflet, entitled STUDENT AND TEACHER PROGRAMS FOR A PEOPLES BICENTENNIAL, is an attack on the Ameri- can educational system. The students are informed (possibly, to their own surprise) that their education is run on the sapie basis as King George ran his empire inequality, arbitrary regulations and lack of personal freedom. (The word people" so frequently appears in the speeches of Communists of course, it means the Communist "people", not the general population.). To rectify such outrageous wrongs, the students are advised exactly what to do. "Demand that schools be run in accordance with their desires, including the hiring arid firing of teachers, the formulation of curricular plans and the making of rules. Bear in mind, always, that in the Rifkin lingo, the villainous King George was equated with our present free enterprise system when in historical fact King George was really an opponent of political f and economic freedom. all-o- i That system is the real target' of the PBC attacks. To quote from a memorandum written in 1971 by Judge Lewis Powell, now an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court: No thoughtful person can question that the American economic system is under broad attack . . . Business and the enterprise system arc in deep trouble and the hour is late. The sources of attack, continues Justice Powell, include, as would be expected, the Communists, New Leftists and other revolutionaries who would destroy the whole system, both political and economic . . . But they remain a minority and are not yet the principal cause for concern'.' This is most certainly true of such groups as Rifkin and his little band of agitators. In themselves they are simply a small number of young characters with big egos, with shallow minds stuffed with Marxist-Leninijargon and with a precocious grasp st . Therein lies their danger. With deadly cunning they target in on the frustrated and troubled of whom there are many. One special group is the young who are ever ready to rebel against discipline or restrictions. And to give an eager ear, there are although uninformed always the who worry about the plight of mankind, ready to grasp at any plan to "better things for everybody. (Of course, the Communist solution" is the greatest source of death and do-goode- rs, well-meanin- g, fine-soundin- g misery on earth.) To all such, and many others', Rifkin makes his pitch and, sadly, a surprising number of people who should know better are listening to him. "The man has a point" they say, but not having made a serious study of what he says, they dont really grasp his is the answer to all real point which is that Marxism-Leniniseconomic and social problems. What they fail to see is that Rifkin is offering, a blueprint for disaster, leading the way to a system similar to the Peoples Republic of China or eastern Europe, where progress does not begin to rate with Western Europe or even the young nation of Israel. m By way of indoctrination, the various speakers centered their remarks on such problems as failures and incompleteness of the 1776 revolution. According to these inspired voices of the far left, the founding fathers had achieved none of their aims, had fallen way short of every ideal they had in mind. Therefore, it was up to these modem patriots (to be more. exact, these Reds posing as roll to their sleeves and finish the job. patriots) up The predominant and favorite theme of the speeches and discussions rang out stridently against the American capitalist system. Their attacks were loaded with hatred and ridicule for the corporations, for business management, for the profit motive per se. By contrast, Economic Democracy was the answer to any and every troublesome problem. To people geared to luxuries, soft living and Four: Demand equal time over radio, TV and on campuses when Reds appear, supporting the PBC and their issues. Five: Correct the misleading, PBC interpretations of the American Revolution (1776) by study of history and accurate quotes from the founding fathers. Six: Phone in radio talk shows where Rifkin or one of his fellow imposters of patriotism" is scheduled to appear. Engage them in conversation to make them appear as they are ridiculous. Nothing so enrages thes? saviors of mankind as to be laughed at. (So one might inquire politely, concerning his efforts to denigrate George Washington, what he would have done in Washingtons place at Valley Forge? his men ragged, hungry, half frozen in the bitter cold, hopeless and ready to give up. Would Mr. Rifkin, with his solutions for every problem, have assured these desperate men that Utopia was only a step or two away? Would he have contacted the State Department w here there was sure to be a Communist or two, who in turn would get hold of a fellow traveler among the bureaucrats so that between the lot of them orders could be issued?) Again the question: Do these scoundrels, posturing as patriots, pose a serious threat and danger to our great heritage and way of a preoccupation with pleasure. After a brief breathing spell, most Americans revived, took a long hard look at the situation, then accepted it as a challenge. So what if a little and struggle were now self-sacrifi- ce required? Our forefathers didnt have' a bed of- roses, did they? when they carved this great nation out of the wilderness, when their women worked from dawn, milking, churning, baking their own bread, canning their own fruits and vegetables, weaving their own cloth, bringing their own children into the world without the assistance of Medicare, health insurance plans or fancy hospitals. What was more, those who rose to the challenge decided that for all of our economic problems this country was still twice as well off as any other country in the world. So what was there really to gripe about? People such as these constitute the great majority of folks who work, who amass a little property, achieve a little success, who make the country function. They are not the kind to be licked because times are bad and certainly not the kind to pay any mind to the impudence of such as Jeremy Rifkin. Get lost!" they would say to him. - life? if we sit back apathetically, wring our hands, moan in gloom and doom voices: "This country is going down the drain. Our politicians are all crooks. Our money is becoming worthYes ut . of the devious art of propaganda. another. There were the assassinations of public figures. There was Watergate, with men in whom the nation had placed great trust, driven out of office in disgrace. Then came the oil crisis, inflation, recession and the debacle of Vietnam. But in every society, in every age, there are the Others. The whimpering ones who figure they have been wronged by society. g There are the hearts" who feel that something should be done by the government for those who are having a rough time of it. And always there is the sprinkling of educators, liberal churchmen and the like who do their thinking with their heads up in clouds and conclude that a little dose of socialism" might not be such a bad idea, at that. less. Our courts turn the criminals loose. Our children are being taught to sneer at God, to despise. their parents, to do any rotten thing that takes their fancy. The Communists have done their work well and are the wave of the future. Everything is just terrible and we haven't got a chance. Sourid familiar? "soft-bleedin- But what about Washington at Valley Forge? He, too, must have had his moments of discouragement. He, too, must have wondered occasidnally, how he was to go on. His men were indeed, ragged, hungry, shivering in the freezing cold, muttering between themselves about mutiny. They, too, doubtless did say, "We haven't got a chance. It is upon these latter groups, especially the ones, in Communist perfidy, workthat Rifkin and his ing determinedly for our destruction, make their most telling impression. It is a story which has been repeated over and over again, through all recorded history. When trouble comes, the people who want power over the property and liberties of others are only too happy to exchange their liberty and dignity as free men for a government-sponsore- d ride through life. Cradle to the grave security! That is the invariable demand of the greedy ones, the mindless ones, sometimes the merely weak ones who lack what it takes to cope with life. self-pityi-ng fellow-worke- rs self-pityin- I got a right to have And what did that great patriot reply? that man of vision with his unconquerable fighting spirit? Trust in God and fight on" And to that one man, possibly more than to any other, we owe our heritage and the blessed privilege of living free in the richest, most privileged country the world had ever known. In all conscience, dont we owe Washingtons memoiy something in return? g the government take care of me, dern it. I . got me that right'. And so once again the mob takes to the streets, the lights of another proud republic go out and man returns to But some say, "nothing like that could happen here! Not because of a blatherskite like Jeremy Rifkin. Surely not, any sensible person would argue. Well, maybe not. One hopes not. But when have revolutions been fomented because rational peojple saw any sense in them? . One: Write letters to editors whenever this group, or one of its members makes or writes a patently false statement. Challenge every affront to the truth! Are we in serious danger from such as the PBC? There could well be danger ahead. When President Ford spoke at the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Concord Bridge, some 40.000 leftists appeared to protest the Presidents speech. Two: Demand of editors that they report the full fqcts in their press accounts so that these masters of deceipt" and their activities cannot appear as legitimate. Under normal conditions, the PBC movement would be laughed easily away. But this country is presently in trouble. During the last decade or so it has suffered one traumatic shock after Three: Organize demonstrations with signs exposing the falsity of the PBC claims, or failure to identify themselves with Red groups. t r we expose the PBC crowd for the Reds they are, deal with them as determinedly as we would with termites gnawing at the foundations of our homes, suggest to them that they love this country or leave it.? Washington would ha;e been the first, indeed he was the first, to warn us to be on guard against such "impostors of patriotism How better could we celebrate our Bicentennial than to heed that warning in his farewell address? The least thing we can do is to refuse to allow to subvert the first revolution of 1776. slavery. Revolutions, generally speaking, are carefully planned beforehand-meetings, conferences, discussions, speeches. All possible coverage for publicity. (In our era by radio and TV, Rifkin claims 924 radio stations, 102 TV outlets.) Every device to get the people worked up. Especially the improvident people, the sometimes desperate ones, the depressed ones with nothing or no one to live for, the criminal element. All are fallow ground for such as Rifkin to plow in. And he is not alone. There are others like him, others with their own version of the same subversive schemes. Americans should never forget that our liberal Congress has robbed the nation of the protection to have subversions hunted and proved to be the traitors they are. Who can say who they are, where they are, how many there are or at what moment in time a dictator will appear? Such protection as Americans still have the right to demand for themselves they must make serious demands, and' get with the task immediately. The following Suggestions are offered to combat the.PBC activities. Shouldnt anti-America- ns THE INDEPENDENT DIGEST Continued from page 5 To make the Fatherland safe, I demand that we register allfirearms. If Hitlers ghost walks, what does it think of the fact that the brotherhood of Communists, Environmentalidiots, and the like are ALL for firearms registration and eventual confiscation One-Worlde- rs, of ALL personally owned firearms? Forgetting Hitler for the moment, do you and I give sufficient thought to the significance of the fact that that same brotherhood unashamedly stands for unilateral disarmament of the United States, thereby inviting the speedy disappearance of individual freedom from the face of the earth? -. CCR SLAVES DONT HAVE GUNS!!!... Page From Hitlers Book (1933) Citizens to Save the 2nd Amendment Wallace drew his biggest cheer when he denounced Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for hailing Hanois victory over South Vietnam. If I were the President, Wallace said, and next year she came to me to ask for more wheat. Id tell her to get it from North Vietnam and not the United States. Human Events |