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This article may be unbalanced toward certain viewpoints. Please improve the article by adding information on neglected viewpoints, or discuss the issue on the talk page. (December 2014)
For other people named Edward Griffin (disambiguation)|Edward Griffin, see Edward Griffin (disambiguation).
G. Edward Griffin
Born (1931-11-07) November 7, 1931 (age 93)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of Michigan
BA
Occupation(s)Promoter of conspiracy theories, Documentary maker, writer, lecturer
SpousePatricia Irving Griffin
Websitewww.freedomforceinternational.org

G. Edward Griffin (born November 7, 1931) is an American conspiracy theorist, filmmaker, and author. He is perhaps best known as the author of The Creature from Jekyll Island (1994), which promotes conspiracy theories about the Federal Reserve System. He is also known for advocating the scientifically-unsupported view that cancer is a metabolic disease that can be cured by consuming more amygdalin, and for his promotion of the conspiracy theory that scientists and politicians are covering up this cure.

Starting as a child actor for radio, he became an announcer and assistant station director. In the 1960s he began a career of producing documentaries and books on topics like cancer, the historicity of Noah's Ark, and the Federal Reserve System, the Supreme Court of the United States, terrorism, subversion, and foreign policy. Since the 1970s, Griffin has promoted laetrile as a cancer treatment, a view considered quackery by the medical community. He has also promoted the Durupınar site as hosting the original Noah's Ark. He has opposed the Federal Reserve since the 1960s, saying it constitutes a banking cartel and an instrument of war and totalitarianism.

Early life, education and career

Griffin was born in Detroit, Michigan, on November 7, 1931, and became a child voice actor on local radio from 1942 to 1947. He then emceed at WJR (CBS), and continued as a staff announcer at WUOM and assistant director at WWJ-TV (NBC), 1950–1955. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1953; Griffin then served in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956, reaching the rank of sergeant.

Political advocacy

In 1964, Griffin wrote his first book, The Fearful Master, on the United Nations, a topic that recurs throughout his writings. During the 1968 United States Presidential election, Griffin was a writer for George Wallace's running mate, Curtis LeMay. Starting 1969, Griffin began producing films for American Media of Los Angeles. While he describes his work as the output of "a plain vanilla researcher", Griffin also agrees with the Los Angeles Daily News's characterization of him as "Crusader Rabbit".

Griffin has been a member and officer of the John Birch Society (JBS) for much of his life and a contributing editor to its magazine, The New American. Since the 1960s, Griffin has spoken and written about the Society's theory of history involving "communist and capitalist conspiracies" over banking systems (including the Federal Reserve System), American foreign policy, the Supreme Court of the United States, and the United Nations. From 1962 to 1975, he completed nine books and seven film productions; his 1969 video lecture, More Deadly Than War: The Communist Revolution in America, was printed in English and Dutch. In 1974, he published World Without Cancer, and in 1975, he wrote a sympathetic biography of JBS founder Robert W. Welch. Six of his documentaries from the early period were re-released in 2001 as Hidden Agenda: Real Conspiracies that Affect our Lives Today.

In 2002, Griffin founded Freedom Force International, whose members state that they value individual freedom above government power. The organization's position that the exclusive role of government is to protect people's rights and property, not to provide services like welfare, reflects Griffin's view that collectivism and freedom "are mortal enemies." One of the organization's stated goals is to elect people with such views to government offices and onto the boards of nonprofit organizations – true to its motto, "Don't fight city hall when you can be city hall."

Fringe science and conspiracy theories

The Creature from Jekyll Island

Griffin's 1994 book, The Creature from Jekyll Island, draws parallels between the Federal Reserve and a bird of prey.

Griffin presented his views on the U.S. money system in his 1993 movie and 1994 book on the Federal Reserve System, The Creature from Jekyll Island. The book was a business-topic bestseller. The book also influenced Ron Paul when he wrote a chapter on money and the Federal Reserve in his New York Times bestseller, The Revolution: A Manifesto.

Edward Flaherty, an academic economist writing for Political Research Associates, characterized Griffin's description of the secret meeting on Jekyll Island as "conspiratorial", "amateurish", and "suspect". Griffin's response was "here is nothing about my work that merits being classified as a conspiracy theory...." and "until specifics are brought to my attention, I stand on everything I have written."

Cancer and AIDS denial

In 1974, Griffin wrote and published the book World Without Cancer and released it as a documentary video; its second edition appeared in 1997. In the book and the video, Griffin asserts that cancer is a metabolic disease facilitated by the insufficient dietary consumption of laetrile. He contends that "eliminating cancer through a nondrug therapy has not been accepted because of the hidden economic and power agendas of those who dominate the medical establishment" and he wrote, "at the very top of the world's economic and political pyramid of power there is a grouping of financial, political, and industrial interests that, by the very nature of their goals, are the natural enemies of the nutritional approaches to health". Since the 1970s, the use of laetrile to treat cancer has been described in the scientific literature as a canonical example of quackery and has never been shown to be effective in the treatment or prevention of cancer. Emanuel Landau, then a Project Director for the APHA, wrote a book review for the American Journal of Public Health, which noted that Griffin "accepts the 'conspiracy' theory ... that policy-makers in the medical, pharmaceutical, research and fund-raising organizations deliberately or unconsciously strive not to prevent or cure cancer in order to perpetuate their functions". Landau concludes that although World Without Cancer "is an emotional plea for the unrestricted use of the Laetrile as an anti-tumor agent, the scientific evidence to justify such a policy does not appear within it".

Griffin's websites refer visitors to doctors, clinics, and hospitals with alternative cancer treatments, including sellers of laetrile. He does not sell laetrile himself.

Griffin founded The Cancer Cure Foundation "in December of 1976 as a non-profit organization dedicated to research and education in alternative cancer therapies". The foundation expanded its mission in March, 2002 to include disseminating information about other medical conditions, and it changed its name to The Cure Research Foundation. In 2010, Griffin engaged in HIV/AIDS denialism, claiming that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) "doesn't exist" and that antiretroviral medications (rather than the HIV virus) cause acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Noah's Ark search

In 1992 Griffin wrote and narrated The Discovery of Noah's Ark, based on David Fasold's 1988 book, The Ark of Noah. Griffin's film said that the original Noah's Ark continued to exist in fossil form at the Durupınar site, about 17 miles (27 km) from Mount Ararat in Turkey, based on photographic, radar, and metal detector evidence. Griffin also said that towns in the area had names that resembled terms from the Biblical story of the flood. He presented a viewpoint that the flood might have been the action of massive tides caused by a gravitational interaction between Earth and a large celestial body coming close to it.

Works

Bibliography

  • The Fearful Master: A Second Look at the United Nations. Boston, MA: Western Islands Publishers. 1964. ISBN 0-88279-102-8. OCLC 414277.
  • The Grand Design: A Lecture on U.S. Foreign Policy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Grand Design. 1968. OCLC 6207421.
  • The Great Prison Break: The Supreme Court Leads the Way. Boston, MA: Western Islands Publishers. 1968. OCLC 220369.
  • A Memorandum on Supreme Court Decisions: Summaries of Key Decisions of the United States Supreme Court as Related to the Impeachment of the Chief Justice. Belmont, MA. 1968. OCLC 432181.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • More Deadly Than War: The Communist Revolution in America. American Media. 1969. OCLC 71304108. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
  • This is the John Birch Society: An Invitation to Membership (1st ed., 2d ed. 1972, 3d ed. 1981 Western Islands ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: American Media. 1970. OCLC 83825. {{cite book}}: External link in |edition= (help)
  • The Capitalist Conspiracy: An Inside View of International Banking (1st ed., 2d ed. 1982 Huntington Beach Patriots ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: American Media. 1971. OCLC 3263688. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help); External link in |edition= (help)
  • World Without Cancer: The Story of Vitamin B17 (1st ed., reprinted 1976, 1977, 2d ed. 1997, reprinted 2001, 2006 ed.). American Media. 1974. ISBN 0-912986-09-3. {{cite book}}: External link in |edition= (help)
  • The Life and Words of Robert Welch, Founder of the John Birch Society. E. Merrill Root (introduction). Thousand Oaks, CA: American Media. 1975. ISBN 978-0-912986-07-4. OCLC 1530499.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  • The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve (1st ed., 2d ed. 1995, 3d ed. 1998 American Media, 4th ed. 2002, now in 6th ed.). Appleton, WI: American Opinion Publishing. 1994. ISBN 0-912986-16-6. OCLC 31354943. {{cite book}}: External link in |edition= (help)

Filmography

  • The Grand Design: A Lecture on U.S. Foreign Policy. 1969. OCLC 5549063.
  • More Deadly Than War: The Communist Revolution in America. American Media. 1969. OCLC 5549058. {{cite AV media}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
  • World Without Cancer: The Story of Vitamin B17 (Visual material). American Media. 1974. OCLC 5604983.
  • Bezmenov, Yuri; Griffin, G. Edward (1984). Soviet Subversion of the Free Press: A Conversation with Yuri Bezmenov (Videotape). Westlake Village, CA: American Media. OCLC 45810551.
  • Griffin, G. Edward; Solis, Willy (1985). The Red Reality in Central America (Videotape). Westlake Village, CA: American Media. OCLC 37023488.
  • The Discovery of Noah's Ark: The Whole Story (Videotape). Westlake Village, CA: American Media. 1992. OCLC 29511807.
  • Griffin, G. Edward; Shurtleff, Howard (1994). The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve (Videotape). John Birch Society. OCLC 36245861.
  • Hidden Agenda: Real Conspiracies that Affect our Lives Today. Venice, CA: Knowledge 20/20. 2001. OCLC 49289908. {{cite AV media}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
    • Vol. 1 (1971). The Capitalist Conspiracy: An Inside View of International Banking (Documentary). American Media. OCLC 5558340.
    • Vol. 2 (1983). The Subversion Factor: A History of Treason in Modern America (Part 1: Moles in High Places, Part 2: Open Gates of Troy) (Videotape). Westlake Village, CA: American Media. OCLC 36968013.
    • Vol. 3 (1968). The Truth About Communism: Only the Brave are Free (Videotape).
    • Vol. 4 (1966). Anarchy U.S.A.: In the Name of Civil Rights (DVD). John Birch Society.
    • Vol. 5 (1962). Katanga: The Untold Story (Videotape).
    • Vol. 6. WBTV (1982). No Place to Hide: The Strategy and Tactics of Terrorism (Videotape). Alexandria, VA: Western Goals Foundation. OCLC 10744020. Also OCLC 19993388.
  • Griffin, G. Edward (executive producer); Dill, David; Gazecki, William; Harris, Bev; Mercuri, Rebecca; Rubin, Aviel D (2004). Invisible Ballots: A Temptation for Electronic Vote Fraud (Videotape, DVD). Westlake Village, CA: American Media and Reality Zone. ISBN 978-0-912986-43-2. OCLC 65199460. Also OCLC 56844390.
  • Jaeger, James; Baehr, Theodore; Griffin, G. Edward; Paul, Ron; Vieira, Edwin (2007). Fiat Empire: Why the Federal Reserve Violates the U.S. Constitution (DVD). Beverly Hills, CA: Cornerstone-Matrixx Entertainment. OCLC 192133806.
  • What in the World Are They Spraying? Produced by G. Edward Griffin, Michael Murphy, and Paul Wittenberger. (2010). OCLC 682713571

See also

References and notes

  1. McLeod, Kimbrew (2014). Pranksters: Making Mischief in the Modern World. New York: NYU Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-0814796306.
  2. ^ Easter, Sean (March 26, 2011). "Who is G. Edward Griffin, Beck's Expert on The Federal Reserve"? Media Matters for America. (Noting that Griffin is an AIDS denier who believes the government shot down Flight 93 on 9/11.)
  3. , Brendan I.Koerner (2013-06-07). "Skyjacker of the Day". Slate.com. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  4. McLeod, Kembrew (2014-04-01). "The despicable rise of conservative pranksters: Race-baiting & conspiracy theories in the age of Obama". Slate.com. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  5. London, William M. (2014-11-19). "Untruths About Cancer in the Failed "Quest for Cures" [Part 2]". James Randi Educational Foundation. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  6. Herbert V (May 1979). "Laetrile: the cult of cyanide. Promoting poison for profit". Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 32 (5): 1121–58. PMID 219680.
  7. Lerner IJ (February 1984). "The whys of cancer quackery". Cancer. 53 (3 Suppl): 815–9. doi:10.1002/1097-0142(19840201)53:3+<815::AID-CNCR2820531334>3.0.CO;2-U. PMID 6362828.
  8. Thomas, Kenn (2002). Popular Paranoia: A Steamshovel Press Anthology. Adventures Unlimited Press. p. 298. ISBN 1-931882-06-1.
  9. ^ Who's Who in America 1994 (48th ed.). Marquis Who's Who. December 1993.
  10. ^ "T.O.'s Griffin All Booked Up With Writing, Film Projects". Daily News of Los Angeles. 1995-05-22. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  11. Aune, James Arnt (2001). Selling the Free Market: The Rhetoric of Economic Correctness. Guilford Press. pp. 140–1. ISBN 1-57230-757-9.
  12. Steele, Karen Dorn; Morlin, Bill (2000-09-02). "Get-rich pitch 'bogus': Seven states have determined Global Prosperity is an illegal pyramid scheme". The Spokesman Review. Retrieved 2008-03-05.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. Sayre, Nora (1996). Sixties Going on Seventies. Rutgers University Press. p. 98. ISBN 0-8135-2193-9.
  14. Stone, Barbara S. (February 1974). "The John Birch Society: A Profile". The Journal of Politics. 36 (1): 184–197. doi:10.2307/2129115. JSTOR 2129115.
  15. Bourgoin, Suzanne Michele; Byers, Paula K. (1998). Encyclopedia of World Biography. Gale. ISBN 0-7876-2556-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. Thornton, James (1993-12-13). "Remembering Robert Welch". John Birch Society. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  17. "Fiat Empire: Why the Federal Reserve Violates the U.S. Constitution". Matrixx Productions. 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  18. The title refers to a 1910 meeting at Jekyll Island, Georgia, of six bankers and economic policymakers. The meeting was recounted by Forbes founder B. C. Forbes in 1916, (see: Forbes, B. C. (1916-10-19). "Men Who Are Making America". Leslie's Weekly. p. 423. I am giving to the world, for the first time, the real story of how the famous Aldrich currency report, the foundation of our new currency system, was written.) and recalled by participant Frank Vanderlip as "the actual conception of what eventually became the Federal Reserve System". (See:Vanderlip, Frank A. (1933-02-09). "From Farm Boy to Financier". Saturday Evening Post. pp. 25, 70. Also, Vanderlip, Frank A. (1935). From Farm Boy to Financier. New York City, New York: Appleton-Century Company. pp. 210–219. In Gurumurthy, S. (2007-12-28). "US Fed: an enigma wrapped in mystery". Business Line. Retrieved 2008-09-02.)
  19. USA Daily Staff (2007-08-22). "Paul Out to Slay The Creature from Jekyll Island". USA Daily. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-02. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  20. "Bestselling business books". Calgary Herald. 2006-07-04. p. F5.
  21. "Best-selling business books, April 14". Rocky Mountain News. 2007-04-14. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  22. Paul listed Griffin's book on his "Reading List for a Free and Prosperous America". See: Paul, Ron (2007-04-30). The Revolution: A Manifesto. New York City, NY: Grand Central Publishing. pp. 169–70. ISBN 0-446-53751-9.
  23. Flaherty, Edward. "Debunking the Federal Reserve Conspiracy Theories: Myth #1: The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 was crafted by Wall Street bankers and a few senators in a secret meeting". Somerville, MA: Political Research Associates. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
  24. Griffin, G. Edward (2004). "Meet Edward Flaherty, Conspiracy Poo-Pooist". Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  25. ^ Lagnado, Lucette (2000-03-22). "Laetrile Makes a Comeback Selling to Patients Online". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  26. "Controversial Cancer Drug Laetrile Enters Political Realms". Middlesboro Daily News. 1977-08-10. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  27. "New Library Books". Books. Grand Forks Herald. 2003-07-13. p. 4. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  28. Kenadjian, Berdj, Ph.D. (2006). From Darkness to Light. Zakarian, Martin, illus. (2d ed.). Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists. p. 94. ISBN 978-1-933538-24-2. Retrieved 2009-03-17.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. Nightingale SL (1984). "Laetrile: the regulatory challenge of an unproven remedy". Public Health Rep. 99 (4): 333–8. PMC 1424606. PMID 6431478.
  30. Landau, Emanuel, Ph.D. (July 1976). "World without Cancer; the Story of Vitamin B17" (PDF). American Journal of Public Health. 66 (7): 696. doi:10.2105/AJPH.66.7.696-a. ISSN 0090-0036. Retrieved 2008-03-05.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  31. Jones, Marianna (1976-10-11). "Cure or fraud?". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  32. "The Discovery of Noah's Ark". Reality Zone. Retrieved 2008-03-06.

Further reading

External links

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