The "Tea Party Patriots" in the Albany area do more than wave Gadsden flags by the roadside, heckle congressmen, fantasize about violent revolution, and provide field support for the Conservative spoiler in NY-23.
They are also serious students of far-right political theory.
And the local teabaggers will be busy with their studies next week -- Monday night there is another "Institute on the Constitution" class, preceded by a briefing on the Von Steuben Strategy (with required reading and all), and Tuesday there is a lecture by John Birch Society President John McManus on "Stopping the New World Order."
Details, below.
Monday's two-part educational event begins with a one-hour discussion of the Von Steuben Strategy, which is a Ron Paul-inspired
grassroots effort to train and educate local Constitutional and Liberty-minded activists to confront and repel tyranny. Training includes reading assignments and discussion, as well as learning and planning strategies to have maximum influence on issues of local and national concern.
The required reading list for this series of meetings includes a lot of wingnut stuff, like "End the Fed" by Ron Paul, "The Road to Serfdom" by F.W. Hayek, "The Naked Capitalist" by Cleon Skousen (who Glenn Beck believes is "divinely inspired"), "The Shadows of Power" by James Perloff, etc., plus some know-the-enemy stuff like "Rules for Radicals" and "The Communist Manifesto".
Part deux on Monday is a viewing and discussion of "A Study on Christianity & the Law of the Land", part of the 12-part class by John Eidsmoe (via DVD), who purports to find a lot of Christianity in the Constitution, though God and/or Jesus Christ are not mentioned in the document.
The big Bircher's lecture Tuesday is also an official meet-up for the Albany Campaign for Liberty, a Ron Paul-cult outfit run by a guy who lost the Republican primary in NY-21 last year by more than 2-1.
Here's his come-on:
On Tuesday, October 27th, the John Birch Society is hosting another large lecture at the Albany Marriott at 7:30 PM (show up at 7PM, as seats will be limited and the presentation starts sharply on time). JBS President, John McManus is doing a follow-up speech to his Overview of America. This lecture will be filmed and distributed as a DVD to hundreds of thousands, so please dress respectfully.
Unlike the last speech with Katherine Albrecht which was standing room only with 500 attendees, this time the room will only fit 350, so there will be very limited seating.
Buy tickets at http://www.jbsny.org/ for $5. It is expected to be sold out before the event, but if not tickets will be $7 at the door.
This will be a very good event.
The Birchers, who have been doing lecture/recruitment events in Albany for years, are also advertising this lecture on local talk radio.
From the days when they declared President Eisenhower a communist agent to now when they assert that the "Land of the free (is) now home of the 'czars'", the Birchers have been the far-right wing of the right wing.
So, naturally, you will see Birchers tabling at tea parties, and studious teabaggers turning to this ultra-wingnut group for the inside scoop on the ever-lasting New World Order conspiracy.
The fracas in NY-23 is helping many in the country finally become aware that the teabaggers are way out there on the right, in no way "We the People" (and not even a majority of Republicans), and way too few to surround the majority who continue to support President Obama and Democratic policies.
Our local teabaggers can read and discuss Paul, Hayek, Skousen, et al., all day every day, but it won't change the fact that they are part of a far-right micro-minority whose influence will never match their media coverage.