Jonestown, or How Collectivism Leads to Self Destruction

Rubens posted on Fri, Oct 24 2008 4:13 PM

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Hi all. First post here. I just wanted to share this article:

From Silver Lake to Suicide: One Family's Secret History of the Jonestown Massacre

One excerpt:

“Gene had been working as deputy county counsel for Shasta County but resigned once he had the opportunity to place his legal expertise entirely at the disposal of Jim Jones. In an interview for a local newspaper, he explained his position: “It seems to me the concept of living a life where one gives to others and shares with others is more worthwhile than living a life where one by himself is concerned primarily with his own needs.” Gene wanted to practice law “on a nonremunerative basis for people who cannot afford counsel”; this is what he did for Peoples Temple, negotiating guardianship agreements for wayward youth whose care (via Social Security payments) provided the organization with a valuable new source of income. In the process, Gene Chaikin would become Jim Jones’ consigliere.”

http://www.laweekly.com/2008-10-23/news/from-silver-lake-to-suicide/all