Philip Jenkins Quotes

Two days later, Ohio National Guardsmen following Rhodes's orders killed four unarmed, non-violent, students on the Kent State campus and wounded nine others. The claim of the governor's apologists was that he was speaking metaphorically and never wanted anyone killed or injured. After this quotation and a few others, politicians—particularly Presidents and Governors—have been more aware that their statements and words may have very significant consequences including death, so they are particularly careful of their rhetoric when there are controversial incidents. Note that Governor Rhodes saw students protesting a war as dangerous revolutionaries. None of the students who were killed had been trained in anything revolutionary.

This quotation had been considered by most scholars a relatively obscure paranoid rant of a right wing extremist. However, the fear had gained credence with the extreme right over the years and came into play again in the Barack Obama administration where many of the Tea Party adherents began stating that Koch’s warning had come to pass with President Obama as the covert communist, While few gave this any credence, it was honestly and firmly believed by a small minority of Americans.

Oliver was a right wing, racist, fanatic and extremist. His quotations are interesting because he often said in public what many right wing extremists only said in private. Paranoia and conspiracy theories were common with the extremists, then as now. In this case, they actually believed that Communists had infiltrated and taken over the 30,000 different school districts in the United States.

This statement is quoted by many critics of the agency who ask if the threat is so easy and ubiquitous, why have there been so few attacks?

The first Jew to run for the Vice Presidency on a major party ticket.

Note Jenner’s paranoia of an “invisible government”. In the 20th century there were several left wing and right wing conspiracy theories held by the party extremists. This was one of the right wing conspiracy theories. There have been individual members of the US Government—appointees and Civil Servants--, who have been spies and extremists who did not believe in the Constitution. Some of these have been covert and others overt as in the George W, Bush administration where there were a few officials who believed that officials could torture when it was against the law. At no point were these many and in most cases—especially with spies—they never knew each other or communicated. They certainly never could be reasonably be called an “invisible government.” However some extreme leftists have believed that there was a cabal of wealthy men—right wing extremists--who operated such an invisible government. Likewise, there were rightist politicians who believed erroneously that there was such an invisible government implementing Communistic policies. From the 1930s through the 21st century, there were some racists—usually Southerners—who saw all government officials who supported racial equality and integration as Communists and anti-Constitutionalists forming a secret government to racially integrate the country. Those officials were generally not invisible at all, and it was their overt support for an end to racism that made them “subversive.”

The nation was facing the scourge of McCarthyism. Senator Smith was the most courageous member of the Senate in denouncing the lying demagogue of her own party who was so powerful at the time—Joseph R. McCarthy. At the same time, there were some communists trying to undermine the values or the nation as well as the fascists. Smith was one of the first to recognize the danger of both.

Fidel Castro polarized Cubans. Most loved him as a leader and accepted his left wing, communist policies. Many opposed him and have feared any leftward government policies and practices.

Rockwell was formerly in the advertising business.

Bunch was the undersecretary-general of the United Nations who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation efforts in the Middle East. Archie Roosevelt and his extreme right wing associates thought that anyone who worked in the UN was a communist and had no respect for the Norwegian Nobel Prize Committee. In the spirit of Archie Roosevelt’s father, the Theodore Roosevelt made the award to Buche and ignored Archie’s slanderous attack. Surprising to most people who know of President Theodore Roosevelt’s general liberal views, his 4th son was an ultraconservative who founded and joined racist, anti-Semitic, right wing organizations, and to the distress of many in the family and without lent his name to many of the most extreme right wing causes and organizations.

This quotation illustrates the extreme paranoia and irrationality of many of the ultra-conservative, right wing extremists of the day. It also has three of the classic ultra right wing conspiracy scenarios that are still claimed by the most extreme rightists: American leaders are giving U. S. Sovereignty to the United Nations; Many American leaders are anti-Christian and appoint more; civil rights is a communist idea and civil right demonstrations (riots) are inspired and/or controlled by communists.