Pot, Meet Kettle: JBS Rips Sovereigns as 'Paranoid' Conspiracists
A note to right-wing extremists: When the John Birch Society (JBS) condemns your movement as a 鈥渇ringe group鈥� whose followers are 鈥減aranoid鈥� 鈥渃onspiracy theorists鈥� who 鈥渙ccasionally go off the deep end 鈥� when confronted with reality,鈥� it鈥檚 time for some serious soul-searching.
An article published yesterday in The New American, JBS鈥檚 magazine, used exactly those terms to describe the 鈥渟overeign citizens鈥� movement, whose radically antigovernment adherents generally believe they don鈥檛 have to obey most laws or pay taxes. Outlining the movement鈥檚 basic principles and citing the of two West Memphis, Ark., police officers by sovereign citizens during a routine traffic stop, the article warned that sovereigns have a 鈥渢wisted and confused鈥� perception of reality and should be avoided entirely.
Strong words indeed 鈥� especially considering their source鈥檚 own tenuous grasp on the difference between fantasy and truth.
Famously described as 鈥減aranoid鈥� and 鈥渋diotic鈥� by William F. Buckley Jr., the intellectual architect of postwar conservatism, the JBS is best known for accusing President Dwight D. Eisenhower of being a secret communist and for opining that fluoridated water is a communist plot to poison America. These days, it frets about door-to-door gun confiscations, FEMA concentration camps and martial law; claims the Federal Reserve is a massive conspiracy 鈥渂orn in secrecy and secrecy has been its byword ever since鈥�; and warns of plans to create a 鈥淣orth American Union鈥� that will subvert U.S. interests and destroy the Constitution.
The article鈥檚 author is New American politics and economics correspondent Bob Adelmann, who in 2010 wrote, 鈥淚n America, the freedom fight, at least on the surface, seems to heavily favor the armed citizen,鈥� and warned, 鈥淭here are some who doubt that many will stand, in that final moment, if necessary, to defend their own lives, liberties, and property.鈥�
Fittingly, Adelmann ended his article on sovereign citizens with a quote from Gary North, a leading Christian theocrat who anti-abortion organizations to band together and form a movement that might eventually force 鈥渁 political and military鈥� confrontation.
鈥淔ringe groups that take up arms against the state attract people without good sense,鈥� North said of sovereigns. 鈥淚t is wise to avoid them.鈥�
