By: Brent Parrish
The Right Planet

Buildings burning during the Watts riots in of 1965, southeast Los Angeles. The chaos in Watts foreshadowed future riots to come in other major urban centers — Newark, New Jersey; New York City; Cleveland, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Illinois; and Atlanta, Georgia; and Detroit, Michigan. (Credit: Sodahead)

The following documentary, produced in 1965, deals with a rather difficult subject matter for many Americans to address these days—namely, racial agitation and its Marxist roots. Although many who marched for civil rights back in the ’60s did so out of a sincere desire to see an end to race-based discrimination, and worked hard toward that end, there was certainly a Marxist element within the civil rights movement that wished to agitate and exploit honest grievances by inflaming the more extreme elements on both sides of the racial divide.

YouTube/LibertyInOurTime:

This amazing documentary was forgotten for many years. Although it was produced in 1965 at the height of the civil-rights movement, it is far from being out of date. It provides lessons and insights that could not have been appreciated almost five decades ago.

This is not about blacks vs. whites, instead of merely telling the story of the 1960s riots, this is about what preceded those riots, who wanted them to happen, how they were organized, and what they were intended to accomplish. The focus is not merely on racial issues but on how any difference between groups of citizens can be used to manipulate them into acts of self-destruction.

One of the most common tactics of Marxist-Leninist-style “revolutionary social change” is racial agitation. The concept of racial agitation is so central to the “revolutionary struggle against the bourgeoisie” (a.k.a. upper and middle classes) that the Soviets made it a field of study at places like Lenin’s Institute of Higher Learning (also known as the Marx-Engels Institute) situated in Moscow’s Znamenka quarter, and Patrice Lumumba University, also located in Moscow.

The main focus of study at these “institutes of higher learning” included subjects such as racial agitation, trade union building, all facets of selective Russian history, even training with small arms and explosive devices.

There’s a big difference between addressing honest grievances and purposefully trying to drive a wedge ever deeper, for the express purpose of dividing people along racial and ethnic lines. But that has long been the tactic of radicals and revolutionaries … divide people and create as many sub-divisions as possible (e.g. classes, races, genders, etc.)—all pitted against one another—then accuse their enemies of the very same offenses they themselves are committing. It is psychological warfare designed to demoralize and shame the individual into guilt-ridden compliance with society’s (i.e. the state) wishes, or demands—whichever comes first.

Admittedly, the documentary, Anarchy USA, does get into some controversial subject matter toward the end of the film concerning Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s connections with known communists, socialists and fellow travelers during the civil rights movement of the ’60s. For some, this is tantamount to sacrilege. For others, they will claim King was a socialist at heart … and that’s a “good thing.” For still others, they will claim he was a full-blown communist enjoying full backing from Moscow—a true Hero of the Soviet.

First, I don’t think too many decent people would not wholeheartedly applaud King’s dream of a world where people “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” But when one simply asks the who, what, why, where, when and how regarding Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it does reveal some interesting and, at times, uncomfortable facts about King, to be sure. But none of this is meant to impugn the man. They’re just facts.

There has always been a great deal of controversy surrounding the reasons why King’s records were sealed until 2027. Suffice it to say, it’s more controversy than I wish to explore here. But, naturally, the question of King’s records being sealed does tend to make one curious.

Via Listserve:

On January 31, 1977, district Judge John Lewis Smith, Jr., ordered all known copies of recorded audiotapes and written transcripts resulting from the FBI’s surveillance of King between 1963 and 1968 to be sealed in the National Archives and away from public access for 50 years.

The video below by Stefan Molyneux entitled “The Truth About Martin Luther, Jr.” is well-researched and does a better job than I can of pulling back the covers a bit and providing a fuller picture on King’s life.

One thing that is often overlooked by many Americans is the fact that Martin Luther King Day is the only national holiday dedicated solely to a single individual. The U.S. used to celebrate the birthdays of former presidents like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. But, now, we simply celebrate “President’s Day.” That’s rather symbolic, and represents a rather profound cultural shift, if you ask me.

One of the fascinating parts of in the documentary, Anarchy USA, is the interview with a black American by the name of Leonard Patterson, a hardcore communist for some 10 years before becoming disillusioned and leaving the Party (CPUSA) in 1937.

Leonard Patterson during his interview that was used in the civil rights documentary, Anarchy USA (Credit: The John Birch Society)

Via InsideJBS:

As a young man in the 1930s, Patterson joined the US Communist Party (CPUSA). Recognition of his devotion to the Party along with his eagerness to follow its programs propelled him to steady advancement within the movement. Eventually, communist leaders brought Patterson to Russia for two years of schooling in their strategy and tactics. While there [Lenin’s Institute for Higher Learning], he shared living quarters with future CPUSA Chairman Gus Hall.

Leonard Patterson studied at Lenin’s Institute for Higher Learning, also known as the Marx-Engels Institute, in Moscow. His roommate at the Marx-Engels Institute was none other than future CPUSA head Gus Hall, who later ran as the U.S. presidential candidate on the Communist Party ticket from 1972-1984.

Gus Hall has often been quoted as allegedly saying he didn’t need to run for president on the US Communist Party ticket post-1984 because the Democratic Party had already adopted the US Communist Party’s (CPUSA) platform.

Via YouTube/Hal Shurtleff:

A former communist [Leonard Patterson] who trained in Moscow discusses his experience in the Communist party and how the Communist Party inflitrated the Civil Rights Movement. Mr. Patterson was on the Speaker’s Bureau of The John Birch Society.

One of the more important points ex-communists turned vocal anti-communists like Leonard Patterson and Manning Johnson have made, in my opinion, is they are not saying there aren’t real grievances, both past and present, between blacks and whites in America. But what they have said is they believe many of these problems concerning bigotry and prejudice can be worked out amongst ourselves sans the intrusion of government. Leonard Patterson and Manning Johnson came to the final conclusion that the Communist Party simply viewed black Americans as pawns on a chess board—a means to an end, period.

One particularity riveting tale of a black American turned Communist revolutionary is that of the late Anthony Bryant (read more here), a former Black Panther who found himself imprisoned in Castro’s Cuba for several years, and witnessed the horrors of communist dictatorship firsthand. Bryant personally experienced the total police state that had been created to “defend the revolution” in Castro’s Cuba; he described it as living hell. Bryant allegedly said, “Communism is humanity’s vomit … and we need to clean it up.”

Anthony Bryant

The late KGB defector Yuri Bezmenov (a.k.a. Tomas Schuman) wrote a pamphlet in 1985 entitled Black Is Beautiful, Communism Is Not. Bezmenov claimed the communists in Moscow viewed Western intellectuals and black Americans who eagerly embraced the ideology of Marxism-Leninism with utter contempt. They were the “useful idiots,” as Lenin once called them. Bezmenov intimates that he and his KGB comrades marveled at how willing and eager the “useful idiots” were.

Bezmenov also expresses incredulity at how a black American like the rabidly pro-Stalinist Paul Robeson, for example, never noticed there were no black faces on the Politburo, yet believed Stalinism promised “liberation” for blacks, ignoring Russia’s own long history of “racism” and “intolerance” for ethnic minorities. Stalin himself complete exiled around a dozen nations. Former Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky points out, “Stalin exiled about a dozen of nations completely. Part and parcel. Chechens, Ingush, Kalmiks, Karachaevs, Crimean Tatars. A dozen of nations completely wiped out!”

Now, some might have issues with the fact that the documentary, Anarchy USA, was produced by The John Birch Society (JBS). There has long been some very virulent and vitriolic criticism of the JBS that has not only come from the left-side of the political spectrum, but from the right-side as well. I’ve even asked some people lately what they thought of The John Birch Society out of curiosity. Overall, people seem to have rather negative connotations with the organization. But when I probe deeper, as to why, they typically can’t provide a specific reason. It’s almost as if someone told them they are supposed to hate The John Birch Society, so they do.

(Credit: John Birch Society)

The reason why I started to take a deeper look at some of JBS’s work was due to a viral video of Robert Welch, founder of the JBS, that was making the rounds around 2008. In the video, Welch describes a hidden agenda by powerful forces he calls the “insiders,” and their plans to subvert our current form of Republican government (as described in Article 4, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution) to a purely collectivist, socialist-style government.

Robert Welch made the following predictions in 1958 about the “insiders” plans to subvert America:

• Greatly expanded government spending;
• Higher, then much higher taxes;
• An increasingly unbalanced budget;
• Wild inflation of our currency;
• Government control of prices, wages and materials (supposedly to control inflation);
• Greatly increased socialistic controls for operation of our economy and activity of our daily lives;
• Far more centralization of power in Washington and practical elimination of our state lines;
• The steady advance of federal aid to and control over our educational system;
• A constant hammering into the American conciousness of the horror of modern warfare, the beauties and absolute necessities of peace – peace always on Communist terms, of course;
• The consequent willingness of the American people to allow the steps of appeasement by our government, which amount to a piecemeal surrender of the rest of the free world, and of the United States itself.

For me, it is difficult to listen to Robert Welch’s 10 warnings and not agree that many of his predictions have, indeed, come true.

There are other reasons why I decided to give JBS a second look. One of the biggest is the orchestrated smear campaign by the state-run (a.k.a. main-stream) press against the TEA Party movement. Now, I realize Democrats in Congress and the press may not agree with the political positions of many in the TEA Party, but to label those associated, or even loosely involved, with the TEA Party as “racists,” “fascists,” “terrorists,” “suicide bombers,” “a**holes,”crazies,” “slope-headed morons,” “hostage takers,” “knuckle-dragging neanderthals,” “extremists,” “homophobes,” “teabaggers,” “bigots,” “xenophobes,” etc., is really shocking, considering such invective is directed at a significant segment of the American populace and emanates from our own elected leaders, and major news networks.

Examples of progressive hate speech. (Credit: John Birch Society)

Several years ago I was listening to some comments by far-left leaning “progressive” Julian Bond, who disparagingly remarked that the TEA Party was just a bunch of “Birchers.” Well, I don’t always just judge people by the company they keep, but by the enemies they have as well. But I digress.

At the time Bond was making his “Birchers” comment, I didn’t know much about The John Birch Society. But one of the first things that came to mind regarding Julian Bond’s remarks was how he was linking the TEA Party with JBS. I couldn’t help but think to myself whether JBS had been subjected to the same sort of relentless smear campaign by the hard-left and “progressive press” like the TEA Party is consistently subjected to, as evidenced in Bond’s derisive comments. Well, let’s just say I’ve found ample evidence of it.

Julian Bond

Now, while I support many of the positions the TEA Party supports, it doesn’t mean I always agree with the TEA Party. And I can say the same about The John Birch Society. Frankly, it would require a separate article to cover all the areas where I agree and disagree with JBS. I’m not a cheerleader. But I have found from conducting my own independent research that a great deal of what I have learned on subjects like communism, internationalism, constitutional matters, and related topics, often corroborates with information JBS had published years ago.

One must admit that it is damn near impossible to engage in civil political discourse when the one you’re trying to communicate with wishes only to engage in extremely offensive and hyperbolic rhetoric and behavior as a means to end debate or dialog before it ever starts.

As recently as 2011, the Soros-funded, lefty rag Think Progress ran a hit piece entitled “John Birch Society Celebrates Koch Family For Their Role In Founding The Hate Group” in response to a JBS editorial entitled “Fred Koch: Oil Man Against Communism.”

The John Birch Society wrote a response to Think Progress. Here’s a slice, my emphasis:

Another falsehood comes in the next paragraph stating JBS “published a piece this morning celebrating Fred and the Koch family’s pivotal role in developing the group.” Then they offer an excerpt, actually a combination of sentences spanning five paragraphs, that they try to pass off as indicative of the scope of the article. However, readers can see that the article is a history article about Fred Koch, his fight against Communism, and the journey he took to build a successful business. This is the second installment of our Americanist Entrepreneurs series that we began last month with JBS Founder Robert Welch.

Next they claim Fred had a history of bigotry and tried to back this up by pointing to evidence that the reader is once again just supposed to trust them on. One piece of evidence of this bigotry is that he was against the “civil rights leaders” and that JBS believed that “integration would lead to a ‘mongrelization’ of the races.” So readers are to believe that if one does not agree with the proposed big government solutions of the 1960s that they will be labeled as bigots. And the latter part of their above sentence makes some pretty hefty charges, but again, is not substantiated. In fact, JBS has never advocated for forced segregation or forced integration, both unconstitutional. Our documentary from the 1960s, Anarchy USA, depicts the Communist influence in the 1960s that resulted in dividing the people, setting up crisis and proposing and passing sweeping big government changes. The “mongrelization” comment in this documentary occurred in a film clip of a white racist’s rant and was included to show how the divided people were fighting against each other and how extremism on both sides enflamed racial tensions. This section of the video ended with the voice-over comment: “And so the seeds of dissension were sown among both the black and white races.” To portray the “mongrelization” comment as JBS policy is completely irresponsible and wrong.

The motives of Think Progress are clear here: to continue the smear campaign against the JBS that began decades ago by others and to use the guilt-by-association smear to their advantage to cast a negative light on those involved in the Tea Party. Think Progress chose to ignore facts and embrace falsehoods that only further its political agenda.

You know, I’ll have to say that JBS must’ve said something to get ‘em all riled up like that. But you can make up your own mind. Back out quiet.