I can independently verify all of the complaints about Jason McQuinn raised by Janet Biehl. McQuinn has openly promoted left/right convergence and conspiracy theories. See for example, Jason McQuinn, "Conspiracy Theory vs. Alternative Journalism?" Alternative Press Review, Winter 1996, p. 2.
I realize that some liberals are hyperbolizing the left/right convergence to justify government repression, but there is, in fact, something going on that raises serious issues.
Antisemitism and Holocaust denial are one aspect, but there are others. Pat Buchanan is helping a new publication that has a stated purpose of uniting left and right anti-globalization and anti-elite activists. There are open attempts by rightist libertarians and "national anarchists" to recruit left anarchists. This is happening in North America and Europe. Sweeping this under the rug by personally attacking Janet Biehl is hardly sufficient.
See: http://www.publiceye.org/Sucker_Punch/clues.html http://www.savanne.ch/right-left.html
-Chip Berlet
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf Of Chuck Munson
> Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 9:27 PM
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject: Re: Post-Left Anarchism?
>
>
> s-t-t at juno.com wrote:
>
> > Apparently, Jason McQuinn provides the ideological support
> for the above.
> > The link to his article, the first "Discussion Text" on
> the infoship.org
> > site fwd'd to the list, is out. However, I found this:
> >
> > MILITIA FEVER
> > The Fallacy of "Neither Left nor Right"
> > by Janet Biehl
> > <http://www.nwcitizen.com/publicgood/reports/milfev2.html>
> >
> > [....]
> >
> > In 1992, [Jason] McQuinn himself minimized the number of
> Jews murdered by
> > the Nazis to "hundreds of thousands." "It's undeniable," he
> remarked in
> > an outrageous contribution to Holocaust revisionism, "that 'The
> > Holocaust' has been magnified into a larger than life tale
> of historical
> > racial persecution." ("Holocaust or Bust?" in Anarchy: A Journal of
> > Desire Armed, no. 34 (Fall 1992), pp. 17. ]
> >
> > [end]
> >
> > In addition to Holocaust revisionism, McQuinn advises us
> not to dismiss
> > conspiracy theories & provides a forum for supporters of
> the US militia
> > movement. And he tops infoshop.org's list of "post-left" thinkers.
>
> It's important to note that Janet Biehl is the partner of
> Murray Bookchin
> and has resorted to some rather interesting attacks on
> anarchists who have
> attacked Bookchin over the years. Jason McQuinn has been in
> the forefront
> of those who have criticized Bookchin. This is why she
> resorts to cheap
> shots against Jason. Bookchin and Biehl have been rather
> rabid in their
> attacks on anybody who isn't a social ecology hard liner.
>
> Jason McQuinn has contributed quite a bit to the ongoing discussion of
> "anarchy after leftism," but it would be unfair to identify
> this debate
> solely with Jason.
>
> << Chuck0 >>
>
> Personal homepage ->
> http://flag.blackened.net/chuck0/home/index.html
> Infoshop.org -> http://www.infoshop.org/
> Alternative Press Review -> http://www.altpr.org/
> Practical Anarchy Online -> http://www.practicalanarchy.org/
> Anarchy: AJODA -> http://www.anarchymag.org/
> MutualAid.org -> http://www.mutualaid.org/
> Factsheet 5 -> http://www.factsheet5.org/
> AIM: AgentHelloKitty
>
> Web publishing and services for your nonprofit:
> Bread and Roses Web Publishing
> http://www.breadandrosesweb.org/
>
> "...ironically, perhaps, the best organised dissenters in
> the world today are anarchists, who are busily
> undermining capitalism while the rest of the left is
> still trying to form committees."
> -- Jeremy Hardy, The Guardian (UK)