TSBU begins their study on the early-1980s information clearinghouse and private surveillance organization, Western Goals, focusing on two of its founders: the English scam-artist John Rees and martyred John Birch Society luminary, congressman Larry McDonald. The edgiest kids in the capitol, the threads of Western Goals weave their way from McCarthyists like Roy Cohn through Nazi intelligence agents around Gehlen to Cold War hawks and all the way up to present day American fascism under Trump.

Like it? Share it! Connect to The State Between Us at patreon.com/TheStateBetweenUs and on Bluesky @thestatebetweenus.bsky.social. Hit us up at [email protected]!

Reading:
Dorfman, Zach. "The Congressman Who Created His Own Deep State. Really." Politico. 2018.
Gelbspan, Ross. Break-Ins, Death Threats and the FBI: The Covert War Against the Central America Movement. South End Press, 1991.
Manzione, Elton. "The Private Spy Agency". The National Reporter. 1985.
Recluse. A Vast Right Wing Conspiracy: The Secret Origins of the Patriot Movement Part IV. VISUP blog. Link here. (Also check out "WACL VII: Eighties Part I w/John Brisson, Keith Allen Dennis, Moss Robeson, Don Diligent, & Recluse". Podcast. The Farm Mach II. 2022. Link here.)
Simpson, Christopher. Blowback: America's Recruitment of Nazis and Its Effects on the Cold War. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1988.

This episode also used documents from the Larry McDonald archives from Emory University and the online Ernie Lazar FOIA collection of FBI files.

Music:
Slime - "Polizei SA SS", 1980.
CCCP Fedeli Alla Linea. "Spara Jurij", 1983.
Also featuring compositions by Koleso Nešťastia and Ramona
Other music from youtube.com, pixabay.com, and fesliyanmusic.com