Wrapped in the Flag

A Personal History of America’s Radical Right

De: Claire Conner

Narrado por: Elizabeth Evans

Wrapped in the Flag chronicles the radical right-wing world of the 1960s, when conspiracy ruled and the John Birch Society made national headlines. The daughter of a John Birch Society leader, Claire Conner introduces us to the extreme ideas of a powerful political fringe group dispensing radical solutions to America's problems. Following in the footsteps of its hero, Senator Joseph McCarthy, the John Birch Society believed that an international Communist conspiracy was on the verge of taking over the government of the United States. Top politicians, including President Dwight Eisenhower, were labeled as Communist operatives. John F. Kennedy was deemed a Socialist traitor. Birchers fought civil rights, labor unions, environmental protections, Medicare, welfare programs, the United Nations, and even water fluoridation. Today, the society continues many of those same campaigns from its national headquarters in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Claire Conner's intimate account - based on records, documents and her firsthand knowledge - takes us deep inside one of the most radical right-wing movements in U.S. history. Moving seamlessly between memoir and history, humor and pain, past and present, Wrapped in the Flag serves up keen insight into the impact of extremism on one woman, her family and, if unchecked, on our country.

©2013 Claire A. Mork (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Raw and frustrating

Opening old wounds is never easy, especially when those wounds were caused by the people who were meant to protect you from them in the first place. This looks into the life of a woman raised by far right parents in the 1950s-1970s, who later confirmed that they loved their hateful beliefs more than loving their children. Things we see today (2022) are exactly the same, proving that when when evil reemerged in the 21st century, it was in fact wrapped in the flag and carried the cross!

Why is the right so well organized?

What made the experience of listening to Wrapped in the Flag the most enjoyable?

The story is a memoir, but it felt like I was listening to fiction. It is the personal story of a person who grew up during the late 1950s and early 1960s. I had never heard of the John Birch Society, Robert Welch, or things like 'healthy poverty.' The author was a child of hardcore, right-wing activists who were devoted to destroying FDR social nets and shrinking government. Perhaps it can be said that Claire's parents were devoted to destroying social democracy (period). Like many Americans, I've found myself under informed, helpless, and puzzled by the question of "Why is the right so strong?" and "Where is this crap coming from?". Claire's book helped to start lifting the fog. The narration was very professional. The narrator made Claire's work come alive. Furthermore, I've enjoyed realizing that I'm not alone in the quest to come out of the dark and participate in beating back the right's hatred of government and the good that government has accomplished. Thank you Claire Conner Mork for the starting point! I enjoyed your book and I have enjoyed following you on your Wrapped in the Flag Facebook page. Best wishes!!

Hardcore. Upsetting.

This book will go straight into your ear raw dog. Ms. Conner is a woman of great loving courage to grow up with these fanatical fanatics and manage to be sane and have compassion for other human beings outside of her family and race is just astounding. Ms. Conner is astounding. I don't agree with her politics but I would trust her with my children. And it is disconcerting to note that the politics of the Birchers have not changed, and now many of their talking points are mainstream ideals on the right.

The best thing though about the book is that despite how much you may dislike her parents she still portrays them as human beings. I don't want to spoil the book but when her parents go through tough moments despite all their cruelties you still feel for them. They were just misguided humans, not monsters.

Where the Tea Party got their crazy ideas

Clare Conner's book recounts her childhood and early adult experiences of growing up in an extremely conservative, Catholic family who helped establish the John Birch Society. Her book was published only after the extreme far-right world view of the JBS -- with it's fear, anger, and hatred -- were resurrected by the "newly formed" Tea Party, following the 2008 financial meltdown and election of Obama. I was astounded to learn that VIRTUALLY ALL of the views and "solutions" now being proposed by the Republican leadership in the U.S., particularly the extreme love of America combined with the extreme hatred of government, were crafted by Robert Welch and the JBS back in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Captivating

I was captivated beginning to end. Great story telling. Loved hearing a first hand experience.