No end to conflicts and potential hot spots, this February 23rd in 1975. Southeast Asia eruptions were continuing with the Mekon river blockade now effectively cutting off Phnom Penh and rebel fighting throughout Cambodia. Likewise in South Vietnam where terrorist attacks were inching closer to Saigon. All this activity triggered calls from President Ford to send military aid to the region. Congress wasn't thrilled. We'd been there. We'd done that. We got the bloodstains to prove it. Still, there were some such as Strom Thurmond who thought we should pour nothing but money into the region in exchange for their oil, if and when they found some.

Elsewhere in the Lovely Neighborhood - Secretary of State Henry Kissinger returned from a tour of the Middle East, saying he was "optimistic" that talks-about-talks-about-talks were looking up. Senator Ted Kennedy introduced legislation asking for a cut-off of military aid to the oil producing Persian Gulf nations, saying instability in the region begged for a hold-off on ordinance for at least six months. His crystal ball, it appears, was in much better shape than a lot of his colleagues.

Ethiopia was asking the U.S. for arms in the wake of increased tensions coming from the northern province of Eritrea and the separatist movement gathering steam there. New tensions in Cyprus between Greek and Turkish elements were springing up. Spain, despite a law prohibiting strikes handed down by the somewhat creaky Franco regime, went on strike over dissatisfaction with the decades-old authoritarian rule.

And back home - Judge Sirica handed down sentences for convicted Watergate figures. It went like this: Mitchell, Haldeman and Ehrlichman all got 2 1/2 years in jail and Robert Mardian got 10 months.

All that and a lot more for news ending the week of February 23rd, 1973 as reported on CBS Radio's The World This Week.

Feel better about your day now?

(John Rousselot of the John Birch Society - under every dashboard, at least one Communist)

Forty-Six years ago the John Birch Society was going full steam, bringing the message of impending doom and Communist domination to the bewildered ears of America. Having had first hand knowledge of this group, growing up as a kid, I can tell you without a doubt, this was one angry, hateful, paranoid bunch that was in dread fear of just about everyone and everything on the planet. And of course, did it with almost total authority.

So listening to this interview via ABC Radio's Issues And Answers on September 13, 1964 featuring former Congressman and Spokesman John Rousselot and representing the Religious Right, Rev. Billy James Hargis. I knew I heard these people a lot before:

John Rolfson (ABC News): “The John Birch Society, Mister Welch (Robert Welch) for example, in your magazine has said that now, this year (1964) the United States is 50-70% Communist controlled. Is that reported correctly?

John Rousselot (Public Relations Director: John Birch Society): “Communist influenced and controlled. Yes, this is from our Scoreboard issue which deals with the influence in Education, in Government and so forth, by experts from all over the country that write on this subject. And on the basis of this there is a great deal of Communist influence in our country today. The Communist press itself argues about it and supports that concept that they have that much influence in public affairs. And there’s no doubt about it, the record will show it.”

Rolfson: “Does this apply specifically to the government? Is there a . . .

Rousselot: “No it isn’t just the Government. It’s the influence in education. The influence in some areas of the Communication media. In many other areas, in religion sometimes. And I don’t think there’s any doubt about the effectiveness of the Communist Conspiracy in penetrating . . as J. Edgar Hoover says, it doesn’t take many people. It only takes a few Communist hands to work to get non-Communist hands to do their bidding.”

It's interesting when you realize Rousselot became part of the Reagan Administration that a lot of the dismantling of various programs could be traced to him lurking around somewhere.

Once the dreaded Evil Empire evaporated, so did the John Birch Society - or so it seemed. They're still around. Last seen handing out literature at various Tea-Party rallies. Ironically, being very low-key and non-confrontational. But it's only a matter of time before they roar up again.

It's the leopard and spots syndrome.