David Green : you're concerned about the economics of what sort of hate will benefit your bottom line--as does the SPLC. " DG: this statement above occurred subsequent to my initial substantive criticism, and this mature response from Berlet: "Nice that you have this opportunity to vent you spleen at my expense. As a reporter I thought accuracy was important. American Renaissance is an ugly racist group, but it just is not organizationally antisemitic. I arrived at my conclusion independently of Mark Potok, and very good researcher at SPLC, and your implication of a pro-Zionist/Israel plot here is amusing in a tragic way. Ron Paul is a conspiracy theorist whose views on political economy are bizarre, and are mirred in Joughner's posts. That's a fact. I agree with Ron Paul that the Fed needs to be audited and more responsive to the needs of the non-wealthy.
I frequently write about abuses of state power and political repression by government agencies, and have for over 30 years. A nine-year-old with an Internet connection can verify this. If you are going to engage in personal attacks, at least do your homework first.
Have a nice day." DG: Aside from Berlet's belittling and dismissive mentality, nothing he said responds to my substantive concerns about AR, anti-semitism, and the advisability of his particular focus on white, gentile, "hate" groups. Nor has he responded to my concerns about his collegiality with Daniel Pipes, a serious turn of events in this context. In a way, this is understandable, because Berlet is ill-equipped to address these issues in broad political terms. He is in the business of "anti-white (not U.S. government or Zionist) hate," and those are the only nails he wishes to pound with his hammer. Anyone who chooses to accuse Ron Paul and laud Daniel Pipes clearly has serious conceptual issues. Berlet simply can't tolerate or respond seriously to substantive criticism. I will go out on a limb and say that his political choices reflect projections of his own pathologies. And by the way, the anti-hate business is indeed a business. That's been pretty well documented. If you're going to accuse me of being personal regardless of what I say, then I'd just as soon get my money's worth, although I'm not in business. Now you can get yours in response. David Green