DeepSummary
The episode begins with a description of a devastating explosion at the Hercules powder plant in Kenville, New Jersey in 1940, one of the worst munitions disasters in American history that killed 52 people. It's revealed that the FBI was warned about this potential attack almost a year in advance by an undercover agent named Neil Ness, who had infiltrated far-right groups plotting such violence, but the warning was ignored.
The transcript then delves into the story of Leon Lewis, a Jewish lawyer in 1930s Los Angeles who recruited undercover agents to infiltrate Nazi and fascist groups operating openly in the city, like the Silver Shirts led by William Dudley Pelley. Lewis' agents uncovered shocking plots by these groups to commit acts of sabotage, violence against Jews, and even plans to overthrow the U.S. government through armed insurrection.
Despite repeatedly providing detailed intelligence about these threats to law enforcement and federal agencies like the FBI, Lewis and his agents were largely ignored or dismissed. Their warnings, including Ness' testimony to Congress about the Hercules plant plot, tragically went unheeded until it was too late and the explosions happened, finally forcing the government to take the far-right threat more seriously.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Far-right, Nazi-aligned groups like the Silver Shirts were openly operating and plotting acts of violence, sabotage, and armed insurrection against the U.S. government in the lead-up to WWII.
- Despite uncovering shocking details about these groups' plots, the undercover activists led by Leon Lewis were largely ignored by authorities like the FBI and local law enforcement.
- The devastating explosion at the Hercules powder plant, after Lewis' operatives had specifically warned of that plot, tragically demonstrated the reality of the threat.
- The episode illustrates how dismissing or failing to take seriously the stated aims of hate groups can have catastrophic consequences if they are able to act on their violent ideologies.
- Confronting far-right extremism requires taking the threat seriously, infiltrating groups to expose their activities, and decisive action from law enforcement and authorities.
- Undeterred by official inaction, Lewis and his network took matters into their own hands through undercover work and counter-efforts like sowing distrust within the groups.
- The story serves as a historical reminder of how easily violence and anti-democratic forces can take root if left unchallenged, even in seemingly stable nations.
- The episode reveals that elements within the U.S. government itself, including members of Congress, would later be exposed as being complicit or tied to these Nazi-affiliated groups.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “They don't call themselves right wing fanatics. They're patriots who are saving America.“ by Stephen Ross
- “He actually says outright, I intend to overthrow the us government. He's open about these objectives and his supporters are armed and ready.“ by Bradley Hart
- “On the appointed day, we're going to kidnap 20 of Los Angeles leading Jews, and we are going to bring them out to an isolation park, and we're going to hang them. And while they are dangling on the rope, we're going to shoot them full of lead.“ by Stephen Ross
- “These cells are actively meeting and like... This was not just a fantasy.“ by Stephen Ross
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Episode Information
Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra
Rachel Maddow, MSNBC
10/17/22