John Thomas Flynn (December 9, 1882 – January 12, 1961) was an American journalist, author, and political commentator. He is best known for his criticism of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal policies and for advocating a non‑interventionist foreign policy during the interwar and World War II periods.
Early Life and Education
Flynn was born in Rock Island, Illinois. He attended the University of Chicago, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1904. After graduation, he taught briefly before entering the field of journalism.
Career in Journalism
Flynn began his journalistic career as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and later worked for the Washington Post and the Fort Worth Star‑Telegram. In the 1920s, he founded and edited the weekly magazine The American Mercury, which later became associated with the literary and cultural criticism of the era. He also contributed to a number of other periodicals, including The American Review and The National Review.
Political Views and Publications
Flynn’s writings reflected a staunch libertarian and anti‑communist perspective. Key themes in his work included:
- Opposition to the New Deal – Flynn argued that the New Deal represented an expansion of federal power that threatened individual liberty and the free‑market system. His 1935 book The Roosevelt Myth presented a comprehensive critique of Roosevelt’s policies and administration.
- Non‑Interventionism – In the lead‑up to World War II, Flynn advocated against U.S. involvement in European conflicts. He authored The Road to Ruin: The American Invasion of France (1939) and The Birth of a Nation (1940), expressing concerns about the consequences of foreign entanglements.
- Anti‑Communism – After the war, Flynn became a prominent advocate of anti‑communist causes. He co‑founded the "America First Committee" and served as an early member of the John Birch Society. His 1959 work The Years of the Conspiracy alleged Soviet infiltration of the U.S. government.
Later Years and Legacy
In the 1950s, Flynn continued to write for conservative and libertarian publications, including Human Events and The American Spectator. He remained a controversial figure, praised by some for his defense of limited government and criticized by others for promoting conspiracy theories and for his perceived sympathy toward right‑wing extremist groups.
Flynn died in Washington, D.C., at the age of 78. His writings continue to be cited in discussions of American libertarian thought, anti‑New Deal sentiment, and mid‑20th‑century non‑interventionist ideology.