Cape & Islands News

Only in America [Paul Rifkin]

Crackpots come to celebrate Cape Cod's Presidents's Day

   The LaRouche movement says that it is based around an original economic philosophy and is praised by some commentators in Russia and China.

LaRoucheland Uber Allies in Falmouth

Special to Cape Cod TODAY by Paul Rifkin, Occupy Cape Cod

The LaRouche group was asked to move by Falmouth Police Officer Kent "K.C." Clarkson.
Some Falmouth folks even seemed interested or possibly amused in their conspiracies.

Joining the usual Saturday morning Occupy Falmouth and Falmouth Anti-War vigils were two "gentlemen" from the LaRouche movement.

They passed out "literature", sang songs in German (I kid you not) and sought contributions.

America's tolerance is tested regularly by fanatical fringe groups like these. In many countries they would be jailed or worse. Here we judge of level of democracy by how we treat our smallest minority, even crackpots and haters.

LaRouche ex-members have created a website to expose they groups agenda, and the movement is now generally seen as a right-wing, fascist or an unclassifiable group.

Admired in China and Russia

It is known for its unusual theories and its confrontational behavior.The LaRouche movement says that it is based around an original economic philosophy and is praised by some commentators in Russia and China.

Today they seem racist or silly or both.

In 1988, LaRouche and 25 associates were convicted on fraud charges related to fund-raising, prosecutions which the movement claimed were politically motivated and which were followed by a decline in the group's influence.

Falmouth Police Officer Kent "K.C." Clarkson arrived and told the LaRouche people to remove the table from the front of the Main Street Post Office. 

They did, but when the officer drove away they set it back up until the post master came out and made them disassemble it again.

Some passersby actually seemed interested in their "message." The only seemingly sane part of their pitch is that this silly season they insult both major political parties in the signs above.

That says quite a bit about our upcoming election cycle.

Only in America.