Posted on 08/05/2012 7:55:13 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
It is a shame and a scandal that the name George Samuel Schuyler has fallen into obscurity.
Schuyler was as well read as he was prolific an author. A distinguished member of the black cognoscenti who tirelessly argued on behalf of the legal and civil equality of blacks, Schuyler's was among the most influential of black voices during the middle of the last century.
So why is it that, in spite of the prominence that he once enjoyed, Schuyler is no longer mentioned these days?
One obvious reason, of course, is that Schuyler was a conservative. And he was a black conservative.
You see, unlike most of today's conservatives, black or white, Schuyler relished in taking a wrecking ball to just those persons and ideas that our generation has elevated into sacred cows.
For example, while few of our contemporaries who crave the company of "respectable society" would dare to publicly criticize Malcolm X or, more crucially, Martin Luther King, Jr., Schuyler repeatedly took both men to task.
He was particularly unyielding when it came to Malcolm, who he had debated on several occasions.
He confronted Malcolm face to face while the former was alive and "was initially astonished by his wide ignorance." Schuyler explains that when Malcolm "launched into an excoriation of white people in the name of Islam, I called his attention to the fact that the majority of Moslems were whites". Malcolm, he continued, was no better prepared to reply to this revelation than he was Schuyler's assertion that Moslems were more involved in the African slave trade than were Europeans.
Schuyler also informed Malcolm that the Nation of Islam's "anti-white" and "anti-Christian" ideology aside, American blacks are "the healthiest" and "the wealthiest" blacks anywhere in the world.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
One of the forgotten greats.
We can turn the tables in our local public schools and insist that George S. Schuyler be part of the curriculum during “black history month”.
Unfortunately, Schuyler was an atheist (or at least an agnostic), similar to his friend H.L. Mencken. He also became associated with the John Birch Society in his later years.
That is one GREAT name. :-)
Maybe when you are debating liberal secular humanists it’s helpful to have a conservative secular humanist to compare and contrast. I know, it makes my head ache as well but you get my point.
bttt
The event at the Rally featured here was known as "Victory in the Sky on the 4th of July," a launching of red, white, and blue balloons with conservative leaflets attached proclaiming our demand for military Victory in the War in Vietnam.
These were launched from the the park across the street from the hotel/convention center. My mom is standing there in the blue outfit assisting Dr. Schuyler at this event. (I’m in the yellow windbreaker)
“Victory in the Sky” July 4, 1970
True, he was atheistic and socialistic in his youth even as was his friend and contemporary writer/political philosopher, H.L. Mencken.
Schuyler, was certainly more of the intellectual, "Ayn Rand" school of thought, and he opposed what he termed were "perversions of Christian doctrine," which he perceived were what constituted the underpinnings of Martin Luther King's opposition to racism.
He debated "Malcolm X" and put him in his place, tuning his Black Muslimism on its head as he reminded him that African slave trade had deep roots in Muslim history, religion, and economics.
Schuyler was more enlightened by the fact than most in his time that mankind is a single human race (his wife happened to be Caucasian), not individual "races" to which politicians would often pander for their own purposes. Sadly many Christian churches, Jewish Synagogues, and Mormon Temples in their own congregations tried to distinguish and differentiate human beings similarly in ways which were both self-serving and perversions of scripture.
He was not an atheist at the time that my family knew him. This was the God, Family, and Country Rally, remember.
His daughter, Philippa, was a war correspondent who was killed while on assignment at Da Nang, three years prior to this event. That fact, as he told us, made his participation in this event all the more meaningful for him.
FReegards!
Ping for later.
Oh so true, Agamemnon! Very possibly there would not have been black chattel slavery in American had the victors of the incessant African tribal wars not had the nasty habit of selling their captured defeated to Arab (Muslim) slave traders, who then commenced to sell these poor souls into Western markets at a handsome mark-up....
That is to say: Those who became black slaves in America were first rounded up by their fellow blacks in Africa; and then sold to a bunch of Arab merchant "middlemen" who specialized in this sort of trade, whose religion totally justified, and still justifies slavery in principle....
Thanks for posting this. I bet it was a great rally.
It's interesting that in 1970 the Society wanted "victory in Vietnam." Nowadays they are very much "anti-war," just like all the palaeos. The palaeos, and especially the Birchers, have changed their positions on defense almost 180 degrees--but then, we weren't "fighting for Jews" in 1970.
Wikipedia is not a reliable source, but it says that he regarded all ministers, Black and white, as hucksters exploiting the gullible. If he changed his mind towards the end of his life I'm glad to hear it.
Mencken, the hero of the "palaeos," was an abomination.
Yes, you are correct. My parents were "Birchers" at the time as well as Young Americans for Freedom or "YAF" (WFBuckley's group). I believe today they are known as Young America's Foundation and are headed by Kate Obenshain among others
At those Rallies I attended each of those years (except 1963) I got to meet the authors Taylor Caldwell, Dan Smoot, E. Merrill Root, W. Cleon Skousen, and Hollywood actor, Walter Brennan ("Grampaw" in "The Real McCoys")
You'll undoubtedly recall JBS's familar rallying cry, "Will you be free in '73?" They concentrated on CFR/TriLatCom infiltration, and conspiracy exposure that later gave us stuff like what we see with Lew Rockwell, Ron Paul-types and to a degree, general Libertarianism.
They became more inwardly focused and they missed the emergence of Reagan. They effectively never saw him coming in 1980 long enough to help him get elected. They were too pissed at Reagan's Schweiker VP-pick as Reagan tried to tip the 1976 nomination (unsuccessfully) in his favor.
Birchers were left out in the cold once the "real conservative," Ronald Reagan, came to town. They were (as I was) to some degree suspicious of GHWBush as Reagan's VP pick, but Reagan knew what he needed to win, and effectively co-opted GHWB.
Interesting to see how JBS morphed and what they morphed into over time. Schuyler's authorship for American Opinion/ Review of the News at the dawn of the Carter era would have been to a substantially marginalized readership. Haven't seen an American Opinon bookstore anywhere in years.
What Wikipedia reports and fails to mention is that Schuyler's atheism was characteristic of his early writings in the 1920's and 30's and it was concurrent with his socialistic outlook at the time.
In his later writings he routinely inveighed against that which was anti-Christian -- particularly against Muslim thought and its inherent anti-Christian barbarism.
He believed MLK was phony as a Christian minister; very self-promomting, since the Christianity which he wrapped his anti-racism rhetoric in was primarily black-centered, and it was too easily co-opted (as one must admit it was) by race-baiters, race-rioters, and urban communists ("Black Panthers," etc.) Anyone remember the Communist "Black Power" fist salutes at the 1968 Olympics?
I believe it was Schuyler who once quipped, "Where ever Mr. Non-violoence showed up, violence invariably followed."
MLK was far from the perfect spokesman for mollifying race relations in this country and he had personal proclivities that many politicians and clergymen in the public eye too often tend to succumb to, unfortunately -- even as late in MLK's case as the night before MLK was gunned down, as he spent the night with women other than his wife.
Jesse Jackson was there. Ask him. He'll tell ya!
FReegards!
All I need to know about the Birch Society is that they supported Nationalist China, Spain, Portugal, Pinochet, Somoza, Rhodesia, and South Africa but didn't support Israel. They're the grandfathers of all the pseudo-pacifists who have suddenly discovered they're against war and the draft . . . now that Israel is considered the beneficiary.
I personally remember an article in American Opinion in which Lawrence Patton McDonald advocated reinstating the draft. I actually wrote a letter to protest, since drafting people is not only not mentioned in the Constitution but about as "big government" as you can get. I received a reply saying that my position was "libertarian" but theirs was "conservative."
Now that the Cold War is over that same JBS is now horrified at the very idea of a draft . . . since, you know, a draft would only serve the interests of the "neocons." Now ain't that a twist? Turns out they disapprove of the WWII draft as well. So . . . "Jewish wars" are bad, I gather.
I don't know if there are any American Opinion Bookstores any more. That magazine folded to be replaced by The New American, whose articles are sometimes posted here on FR.
I know a few other things, too. Like how John F. McManus (a really big honcho in the Society for decades) is also an anti-Semitic Feeneyite Catholic who addresses Feeneyite gatherings on the topic of "the Jewish menace." I also know they sold bowdlerized books by anti-Semitic authors, like Nesta Webster and Prince Michel Sturdza ("Zad Rust," author of Teddy Bare). Another one of their magazine writers, Frank Capell, also wrote for anti-Semitic publications on the side.
The JBS is basically the "blue lodge" of the anti-Semitic movement in America.
Ironically, considering your tag line, JBS founder Robert Welch (a Unitarian) was very much an evolutionist.
I forgot to respond to your comments about MLK in my last reply. The man was a typical “liberal chrstian” who denied all the basic dogmas of the religion he claimed to represent. Just check my posting history for my feelings on this subject.
WOW - If one can be jealous of where someone else has been blessed to walk in their past, it would be me for yours.
I was just beginning my life in Manhattan in 1972, and though a reader of the Objectivist at the time, I knew little of what was happening politically in the city, outside of the “city hall” politics.
Your experience at that time, set in my time line, would have possibly greatly affected some things for me.
I am very glad for you, for as much of George Schuyler as was yours to personally experience.
I did not have the privilege of meeting either George Schuyler or his daughter Philippa. I was told of Philippa’s life and heroic death killed by the communists as she ferried endangered Vietnamese children across a river to safety in a war zone. She had been a distinguished concert pianist at an early age. I believe that she was also a National Director of Young Americans for Freedom but before my time in YAF.
So very true - and tragic. Thank you for sharing your insights, dearest sister in Christ!
You'll likely get a kick out of this. The New England Rally for God Family and Country was like a precursor of CPAC at the time. This was the bumper sicker booth at the July, 1970 gathering. You might recognize a number of them:
All I need to know about the Birch Society is that they supported Nationalist China, Spain, Portugal, Pinochet, Somoza, Rhodesia, and South Africa but didn't support Israel. They're the grandfathers of all the pseudo-pacifists who have suddenly discovered they're against war and the draft . . . now that Israel is considered the beneficiary.
Of course at the time we looked at it as a mixed blessing when Taiwan was kicked out of the UN in favor Red China (remember Nixon's ping pong diplomacy?) Chiang Kai Shek had been betrayed by Truman, and munitions originated from the US to support him in his fight against Mao were instead dumped at sea. After all these years the capitalism of Taiwan and Hong Kong have provided both a model and inspiration for a particularly more rebellious South/Shanghai region. It was amusing to watch the Red Chinese beat up on Vietnam back in 1979, wasn't it?
JBSers saw Margaret Thatcher as the one who betrayed Rhodesia to the Communist Mugabe (although she ultimately proved to be one of the best allies Reagan ever had.) Remember how American Opinion/Review of the News used to rank countries annually on the scale of 1-100 on the basis of freedoms?
The JBS fascination with Franco's Spain was that he was an anti-Communist pre- and post- WWII (although it was conveniently ignored that under Franco Spain was allowed to be used as Hitler's dry run for later blitzkriegs in the Spanish Civil War - which was itself a Communist - fomented uprising).
Dictator Samoza was also anti-Communist opposition to the Sandinista's - who were of course Communists, and Pinochet routed the Communist Allende in 1973, so it was expected the JBS would support them (while turning a blind eye to the fact that a tin-pot dictators themselves, they were not really any better -- sort of like Batista and Castro. You no doubt watched alot of this from the JBS perspective in the Carter administration who was letting the Commies run rampant while trying to "pay-away" the Panama canal.
I personally remember an article in American Opinion in which Lawrence Patton McDonald advocated reinstating the draft.... I received a reply saying that my position was "libertarian" but theirs was "conservative."
You may recall that he was also the same Congressman Larry McDonald (D-GA) who lost his life when the Russians shot down KAL-007 when its flight path got too close to Sakhalin Island in 1983. The Conspiracy theorists were abuzz back then - and during the Reagan Administration no less.
So . . . "Jewish wars" are bad, I gather.
There was an undercurrent of "conservative" types in the JBS who couldn't seem to distinguish Judaism and the Jewish faith from the Rothschilds, Warburgs, and Schiffs who happened to claim a Jewish heritage ("Ashkenazy," so I was led to believe). They were were also the monopolist- money manipulators out to destroy American greatness and its sovereignty (which of course they were/are, and the Rockefellers of the early pre-British New Amsterdam era Dutch-mechantilists who were their Protestant monied competitors and who later made it big with Standard Oil - right?). Recall author Gary Allen's "None Dare Call it Conspiracy," a tip of the hat to John Stormer's, "None Dare Call it Treason."
Fact is today we still have Chase Manhattan - Goldman Sachs - MF Global - UBSWarburg, BofA etc. still sticking it to us -- a mix of some Protestant and Jewish banking "elites" but since the Jewish ones seemed to be the older ones, the ones responsible for financing the Brits and Mexicans in the US Civil War in particular, JBSers seemed to focus more on them. David Rockefeller has tended to be the focus of CFR/TriLatCom angst, not so much a banking magnate as he had been when his brothers were still around.
These same conservatives too quickly failed to recall the blessing to the American Revolution that financier Chaim Solomon was to George Washington who was thanked in the end with substantial personal financial ruin. It was alot of the anti-Jewish ugliness of some JBSers manifested that caused my parents to get out. Anti-semitism however was not official JBS policy, though many who were anti-semitic gravitated to the JBS for their own reasons.
I know a few other things, too. Like how John F. McManus (a really big honcho in the Society for decades) is also an anti-Semitic Feeneyite Catholic who addresses Feeneyite gatherings on the topic of "the Jewish menace."
There was a group of Catholics in the JBS who continued to look at Jews as "Christ-killers" who failed to understand that Christ's sacrifice was of His own choosing, on behalf His own Creation, and is His chosen plan for redemption.
... like Nesta Webster and Prince Michel Sturdza ("Zad Rust," author of Teddy Bare).
You'll have to admit that "Teddy Bare" was a great tome, and timely in the sense that it captured the details of the Kennedy shenanigans surrounding the Chappaquiddick incident and Kopechne drowning in 1969.
The JBS is basically the "blue lodge" of the anti-Semitic movement in America.
Some were also anti-semitic because they saw the backing of "Jewish Banking Money" - (specifically Jacob Schiff) in financing the Russian Revolution beginning with the assault on the Winter Palace in 1905 and culminating with the ouster of the Czar in 1917 that brought about the Red Menace that we contended with until Reagan -- who really screwed it up for them quite a bit. I don't think the fall of the USSR was actually in the "globalists'" plans, and Reagan demostrated that for all the "globalists" intentions, they are not as all powerful and connivingly smart as JBSers tended to make them put to be.
Ironically, considering your tag line, JBS founder Robert Welch (a Unitarian) was very much an evolutionist.
Robert Welch also called Eisenhower a Communist. G. Edward Griffen -- Welch's longtime friend and biographer confirmed as much about Welch. There's enough mis-guided Freepers on this board who are also Darwinists and evolutionists. But you may be amused that the booth we ran at the New England Rally for God, Family, and Country represented the Bible Science Association (photos, July 1970) :
The Bible Science booth (1973)
FReegards!
Thanks!
I don't believe they took a stand on Israel. Many Birchers wee not enthusiastic about that country's socialist government at the time. However, they were even less enthusiastic about the Soviet-supported Arab regimes. I recall an article in the Birch weekly magazine The Review of the News in 1971 that praised Israel for defeating the Arab states in the Six Day War.
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