I subscribed to The New American for some time. After reading about a year’s worth, I found it to be very repetitive in content. I let it lapse several years back. No interest in joining them. I have no reason to believe that the grassroots members were anything but old-fashioned patriots, though.
The grassroots members of many organizations frequently have no idea of what the leadership is up to.
From
lavaroise's post that outed Bircher searching123:
"For those who think the John Birch Society’s message is solid conservatism, a correction is needed. The leadership of the John Birch Society believes that communism is not the real conspiracy or the ultimate enemy. Birch Society leaders do not think China or Russia are serious military threats, but only Potemkin villages meant to scare us into creating a police state here at home. In their view, communism is merely a tool of a greater conspiracy operating through the Masons and other secret societies."