Q390 Summary

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.

To read the Tape Transcript, click here. Listen to MP3 (Pt. 1, Pt. 2).
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FBI Catalogue           Jones Speaking

FBI preliminary tape identification note: Labeled in part “May 21, 1978”

Date cues on tape:     Tape contents consistent with label

People named:

Bible verses cited: None

Summary:

Jim Jones reads the news for May 21, 1978.

There are numerous short news items, several of which are woven into the context of the longer pieces he reads, but the bulk of this tape consists of two articles. The first is on neo-colonialism as differentiated from imperialism, an article which apparently is a continuation of something he read the previous day. The second is a piece on the proliferation of majority populations in various countries using legal pretexts to discriminate against minorities.

Both readings include lessons and calls to action. At the end of the first article, Jones denounces imperialism as “trickeration” and reminds the community “that a good humanitarian socialist end does justify any means to overthrow the imperialist system, and to take any position, and to never, never tell the truth to the imperialist.” The second reading ends with a dramatic call for the residents of Jonestown to be steadfast in standing up against capitalism and fascism.

As characterizes most of these broadcasts, he almost uniformly describes the US as monopoly capitalists, fascists and imperialists – sometimes all in the same breath – although he invokes the dreaded name of the Trilateral Commission almost as often as he does any other antagonist to the Jonestown way of life. In addition, he consistently describes the Soviet Union as the mother of liberation and the avant garde of socialism.

Also typical of these broadcasts, Jones invokes the specter of nuclear war, including the oft-mentioned observation that China has an official policy “that nuclear war is inevitable, and it will advantage the Chinese in their pursuit of nationalistic communism.”

Among the shorter news items:

• Supreme Court requires job applicants to provide race and ethnic information;
• Civil war in Zaire results in deaths of 180 whites;
• Ethiopia resists Eritrean efforts for separation;
• Amy Cater upset over track meet results;
• Japanese Red Army occupies runway of new airport;
• Koreans protests dictator;
• State Department report lauds South Korean on human rights progress;
• Patty Hearst loses appeal, will serve 14 months;
• Huey Newton released on bail;
• Mass murderer Juan Corona granted new trial;
• NAACP reports flood of hate mail;
• Several crime news items depict decline of American quality of life;
• Milton Friedman supports Proposition 13;
• US tries to depart Latvian Nazi.

FBI Summary:

Date of transcription: 6/18/79

In connection with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation into the assassination of U.S. Congressman LEO J. RYAN at Port Kaituma, Guyana, South America, on November 18, 1978, a tape recording was obtained. This tape recording was located in Jonestown, Guyana, South America, and was turned over to U.S. Officials in Guyana and subsequently transported to the United States.

On June 4, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B93-120. This tape was found to contain the following:

Reverend JIM JONES gives “the news of the day” to People’ s Temple members at Jonestown, Guyana. He lectures to them on Socialism and Marxism.

Differences with FBI Summary:

The summary is accurate and meets the FBI’s purposes.