J. Harry Jones

Reactions upon reading this book in 1991.

In all the literature I’ve read on extreme right-wing groups, this is called the definitive work on the Minutemen.

I picked up this book expecting to see more of the Robert DePugh, Minutemen leader, depicted in Phillip Finch’s wonderful God, Guts, and Guns: a master of psychological warfare, intimidation, and harassment; a man who strode a fine line between legality and illegality and eventually tripped over that line and ran out of forbearance.

There is some of that here. DePugh is a crafty master of psychological warfare (whether he thought America already was controlled by Communists or he just wanted to scare the Communists from seizing control), intimidation, confusion, and plausible deniability. (All quotes paraphrased.) When faced with the question as to whether he encouraged the Minutemen violence in New York and Washington DePugh replies “I told them to do this sort of thing when the Day came. I didn’t say it was here yet". When told of a new informer: “I knew he was an informer. I fed him false information for 3 years.”. When caught in a contradiction from previous statements: “Of course, I could be lying. I could be telling the truth. I absolutely have to keep the enemy off balance”; and, of course, the infamous quote from DePugh’s On Target (which shows up, as many things here do, in God, Guts, and Guns and James Coates' fatally flawed Armed and Dangerous) about the crosshairs being on your neck.

This book, a primary source on the Minutemen, is by a reporter who interviewed DePugh and his followers and foes. It covers evets up to DePugh’s disapperance as a federal fugitive. We get delightful tales of plots and counterplots and the obligatory colorful characters. There is Jerry Brooks, a man of remarkable memory and bizarre motivations, who informed on the Minutemen. Roosevelt Husted, would-be (and imaginative) spy, who informed on the Minutemen, then claimed FBI torture to force him into testifying against the Minutemen, then later claimed the later allegation was a freelance attempt to regain his former radical colleagues’ trust. The FBI was not amused. There are the extensive bomb and robbery plots of New York and Washington Minutemen groups, and DePugh’s constant attempts to pump Jones for on ex-Minutemen.

Of course, my impression of DePugh was heavily tainted by God, Guts, and Guns (written with 1983 hindsight after DePugh spent his four years in prison). Jones is not paranoid or unfair in his depiction of DePugh nor gullible about his claims. (Nor does he substantiate any of Coates' claims that DePugh subscribed to Identity theology or just plain racism.)

However, this book is an understandable product of a time of escalating political violence and assassination and more revelations of criminal behavior by Minutemen. And, of course, there wee extravagant claims by DePugh of Minutemen vengeance if he was imprisoned. DePugh, in hindsight, seems a master of psychological intimidation, a cunning publicist, not a guerilla warlord; an intellectual of the Radical Right who admits he went too far with the Minutemen . (He later claimed he never seriously thought an armed group could resist a Communist controlled government. And, I believe, he sincerely meant his talk of Communist conspiracy.) Jones' tone of bemused caution about the group gives way to amusement.

But one can’t damn Jones for lack of precognition. Besides being an informative, interesting work it’s a valueable artifact of moderate 1968 zeitgeist.… (más)