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June 15, 2020 • 4hr 55min
#15 - God’s Socialist, pt. 5: The Wounded King
The Martyr Made Podcast
This episode examines the deterioration of the 1960s counterculture movement in San Francisco and how this impacted Jim Jones and People's Temple as they established themselves in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It explores how Jones' paranoia and drug addiction worsened during this period, leading to increasingly extreme and abusive practices within the Temple. The episode provides insight into the psychological dynamics at play as Jones tightened his control over his followers.
#15 - God’s Socialist, pt. 5: The Wounded King
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Key Takeaways
- The 1960s counterculture movement in San Francisco quickly turned dark and violent, with drug abuse, crime, and exploitation becoming rampant by the late 1960s
- Jim Jones and People's Temple attracted many refugees from the deteriorating counterculture scene, bringing new radical politics and behaviors into the group
- Jones developed severe drug addiction issues, abusing amphetamines and barbiturates, which exacerbated his paranoia and delusions of grandeur
- The Temple instituted an inverted status hierarchy based on marginalization, with women and minorities given higher status
- Jones used accusations of elitism to control educated white men in the Temple who he saw as potential rivals
- The Temple engaged in increasingly harsh disciplinary tactics, including public beatings and humiliation
- Jones staged fake assassination attempts and healings to rally his followers and prove his divine powers
- By the early 1970s, the Temple had become heavily armed and paranoid about external threats
Introduction
This episode examines the deterioration of the 1960s counterculture movement in San Francisco and how this impacted Jim Jones and People's Temple as they established themselves in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It explores how Jones' paranoia and drug addiction worsened during this period, leading to increasingly extreme and abusive practices within the Temple. The episode provides insight into the psychological dynamics at play as Jones tightened his control over his followers.
Topics Discussed
Deterioration of the San Francisco Counterculture Scene (25:50)
The episode begins by describing how quickly the hippie counterculture scene in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district deteriorated in the late 1960s:
- By late 1967, cheap amphetamines were flooding the area, attracting criminals and psychotics
- Underage runaways as young as 13-14 were openly drinking and engaging in "free love" with adults
- Violence, theft, and drug abuse became rampant
- Social critic Eric Hoffer described seeing "human beings rot before they ripen" in the area
This deterioration drove many counterculture refugees to flee to rural communes or join groups like People's Temple. As the host states: "Some of those Bay Area refugees found their way into People's Temple. Some of them joined, and that was how a large number of these left-wing zealots and counterculture veterans from the Bay Area found their way into People's Temple in those years."
Jim Jones' Worsening Drug Addiction (29:50)
The episode details how Jim Jones developed severe drug addiction issues after moving to California:
- By 1970, Jones had a serious habit of abusing amphetamines and barbiturates
- He justified drug use as necessary to help him bear the burden of leadership
- Jones would take amphetamines all day and barbiturates at night to sleep
- His eyes became permanently bloodshot, leading him to wear his trademark sunglasses constantly
The host notes that amphetamine abuse is known to cause and amplify paranoia and delusions of grandeur - exacerbating Jones' existing tendencies in these areas.
The Temple's Inverted Status Hierarchy (51:55)
The episode describes how People's Temple constructed an inverted status hierarchy based on marginalization:
- Those considered most marginalized in mainstream society were given highest status
- Women ranked higher than men
- Black people ranked higher than white people
- Elderly black women had the highest status
This hierarchy was used to control members through accusations of racism, sexism, elitism etc. As the host states: "No man had the right to deny a charge of misogyny lodged by a woman, any more than any white person had the right to deny a charge of racism lodged by one of the African Americans."
Jones' Control of Educated White Men (1:58:21)
The episode explores how Jones used accusations of elitism to control educated white men in the Temple who he saw as potential rivals:
- Jones had members with law degrees and PhDs but saw them as threats to his authority
- He would accuse them of elitism if they questioned or corrected him on points of history/doctrine
- This kept them from undermining his credibility with other members
The host provides an example of Jones berating a member named Gary Lambrev for questioning him about Soviet gulags during a sermon.
Harsh Disciplinary Tactics (3:21:10)
The episode details how the Temple instituted increasingly harsh disciplinary tactics:
- Public beatings with a paddle called the "Board of Education"
- Forced boxing matches between members, including children
- Public humiliation and verbal abuse in "catharsis sessions"
- Sexual abuse and control of members' relationships
The host notes that "Through corporal punishment, internal order was strengthened, justice was meted out, and indoctrination was set."
Staged Assassination Attempts and Healings (4:14:24)
The episode describes how Jones staged fake assassination attempts and healings to rally his followers:
- Jones faked being shot at a Temple gathering, then miraculously "healed" himself
- He used makeup artists and sleight of hand to fake removing "cancers" from people during services
- These stunts were used to prove Jones' divine powers and the danger he was in
The host notes that while some threats against Jones were real, he also manufactured situations to keep his followers fearful and loyal.
Increasing Militarization and Paranoia (4:20:25)
The episode details how the Temple became increasingly militarized and paranoid in the early 1970s:
- Armed guards were assigned to protect Jones and church property
- Visitors were patted down for weapons before services
- Temple members were trained in martial arts and military tactics
- Jones traveled with armed bodyguards in matching uniforms
The host states that "Jim Jones' people believed their leader now when he said that he was in danger and they were ready to die to protect him."
Conclusion
This episode provides crucial insight into how People's Temple transformed from an idealistic religious movement into an armed, paranoid cult in the early 1970s. Jim Jones' worsening drug addiction and mental state, combined with the influx of radical counterculture elements, created an environment of fear, control and abuse. By manufacturing external threats and divine miracles, Jones was able to bind his followers ever more tightly to him, setting the stage for the tragedy to come. The episode highlights how quickly utopian movements can turn dark when led by unstable, narcissistic personalities.