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| '''John Foster "Chip" Berlet''' is a researcher at ] who specializes in tracking and analyzing ] movements. He |
'''John Foster "Chip" Berlet''' is a researcher at ] who specializes in tracking and analyzing ] movements. He works as a researcher at ], which concentrates on researching the political right. | ||
| Berlet began his activism as a member of ], the ] ] group, and was later involved in the ], which was later exposed as a ] front, and is part of the reason he became interested in the semi-] activities of right-wing organizations. He has published articles in publications ranging from ] to '']''. | |||
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| ⚫ | Berlet made much of his reputation by researching ]. Berlet and ], co-wrote an report on LaRouche in 1981 for ''High Times'' magazine, entitled "They Want to Take Your Drugs Away," which discussed the issue as part of what was described as LaRouche's right-wing agenda. As part of their later research, Berlet and King were able to meet numerous times with the ]'s ] and ] | ||
| ⚫ | During the ] Presidential campaign in the United States, Berlet issued a report entitled "Clouds Blur the Rainbow" which |
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| ⚫ | During the ] Presidential campaign in the United States, Berlet issued a report entitled "Clouds Blur the Rainbow" about the ], which placed ] on the ballot in all 50 states as a ], ] Presidential candidate that year. The report demonstrated that in ], ] (the psychotherapist who later founded the New Alliance Party) had entered into a alliance with Lyndon LaRouche, which lasted less than a year, but heavily influenced the tactics and strategies of the New Alliance Party. Critics, including Berlet and previous New Alliance Party presidential candidate ], proved that the New Alliance Party was in fact a psychotherapy ] that was more a vehicle for Fred Newman's ] movement than it was a left-wing third political party, and which continued to incorporate some of LaRouche's ideas. | ||
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| ⚫ | In addition to his research into Lyndon LaRouche and Fred Newman, Berlet gained a reputation during the ] as a researcher into government abuses of ], and as a critic of intelligence agencies and the ]. Articles of his appeared in publications such as ], and he issued lists of recommended books on government abuses which included books by ] and ]. During the ] ] Berlet worked to expose other left-wing critics of ] as wittingly or unwittingly being channels for ] of the ]. In articles which appeared in magazines including ] and ], Berlet criticized the ], ], Victor Marchetti, L. Fletcher Prouty, ], the ] film <i>]</i>, and the ] theory. He published a report entitled "Right Woos Left" in ] about many of the above theories and how he saw their origins within a ] of the extreme right wing, and not being genuinely ] or ]. Berlet has been critical at times of ], ], and ], who are willing to work with populists of the right on common issues of concern, such as ] and ] activism. | ||
| In recent years he has continued along those same lines, issuing frequent criticisms of people on the left, including ], ], and ], who are willing to work with populists of the right on common issues of concern, such as ] and ] activism. He is active as a researcher with a ]-based group called ], which concentrates on researching the political right, but which also promotes Berlet's criticisms of others on the left. Critics charge that Berlet's criticisms are heavy-handed and often transparently propagandistic, and take on an 'us vs them' or 'good vs evil' tone that allows for no middle ground and constitutes blacklisting. However, he continues to be highly respected in most quarters on the American left, who follow Berlet's pronouncements as to who should be given airtime and print space in progressive media outlets, and who should not. Pacifica Radio for example has generally dropped popular guests and denied them any more airtime following the issuance of an attack on them by Berlet. | |||
| Berlet, however, has steadily expanded his definition of what he considers unacceptable. In 1991 he was writing that there is nothing inherently wrong with people on the left working with ]s or ]s on some issues, and he tended to limit his criticisms only to those who willing to work with groups he considered ] or fascist, such as Liberty Lobby and Lyndon LaRouche (an important exception was Craig B. Hulet, whom Berlet continued to attack despite having to admit that Hulet was in no way anti-Semitic or extreme-right and that the only thing wrong with him was he was a libertarian who laced his analysis with conspiracy theories.) Since then, however, he began to attack any collaboration with anybody right of center, such as with the ] Antiwar.com and with conservative ] ], neither of whom could in any way be characterized as anti-Semitic or fascist. | |||
| Further, he has developed an ] based on an opposition to what he calls "centrist/extremist theory", and what he calls "populist producerism". Centrist/extremist theory holds that a liberal political center should be the guiding mainstream ideology and that the extreme left and extreme right are both considered the political fringe which should both be equally opposed (v. ]'s ] book "The Vital Center", and also closely associated with ] and ] political writers like ] and ]), and takes a ] approach to examining why people join extremist movements of either the left or the right, while Berlet sees things in simpler terms: left = good, right = evil, the further left the better, mainstream society itself is inherently repressive, and centrist/extremist theory is something to be challenged because it conflicts with this worldview. Berlet's worldview is, therefore, fundamentally anti-liberal; indeed, at the heart of his attacks on conspiracy theorists has been his belief that conspiracism is based in the liberal notion that the economic and political systems in the U.S. are fundamentally sound, and that it is bad people who need to be removed from positions of power, not the system itself that needs to be changed. His opposition to "populist producerism" is likewise based in a ] view of ]es and not a liberal one. Chip Berlet has written, regarding Political Research Associates: ''"PRA was founded on the idea that various forms of oppression are rooted in'' | |||
| ''mainstream society, and that right-wing groups merely fanned exisiting flames."'' | |||
| Researcher ] has pointed out that Chip Berlet was a founder of the ], which supported the unique ]n brand of ] of ], a brand of communism which even most other leftists and communists would consider ]. | |||
| == External links == | == External links == | ||
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| * by Daniel Brandt | |||
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Revision as of 13:39, 17 August 2004
John Foster "Chip" Berlet is a researcher at Political Research Associates who specializes in tracking and analyzing right-wing movements. He works as a researcher at Political Research Associates, which concentrates on researching the political right.
Berlet began his activism as a member of Students for a Democratic Society, the 1960s New Left group, and was later involved in the National Student Association, which was later exposed as a CIA front, and is part of the reason he became interested in the semi-covert activities of right-wing organizations. He has published articles in publications ranging from Radical America to High Times.
Berlet made much of his reputation by researching Lyndon LaRouche. Berlet and Dennis King, co-wrote an report on LaRouche in 1981 for High Times magazine, entitled "They Want to Take Your Drugs Away," which discussed the issue as part of what was described as LaRouche's right-wing agenda. As part of their later research, Berlet and King were able to meet numerous times with the John Birch Society's John Rees and Richard Mellon Scaife
During the 1988 Presidential campaign in the United States, Berlet issued a report entitled "Clouds Blur the Rainbow" about the New Alliance Party, which placed Lenora Fulani on the ballot in all 50 states as a third party, left-wing Presidential candidate that year. The report demonstrated that in 1974, Fred Newman (the psychotherapist who later founded the New Alliance Party) had entered into a alliance with Lyndon LaRouche, which lasted less than a year, but heavily influenced the tactics and strategies of the New Alliance Party. Critics, including Berlet and previous New Alliance Party presidential candidate Dennis Serrette, proved that the New Alliance Party was in fact a psychotherapy cult that was more a vehicle for Fred Newman's Social Therapy movement than it was a left-wing third political party, and which continued to incorporate some of LaRouche's ideas.
In addition to his research into Lyndon LaRouche and Fred Newman, Berlet gained a reputation during the 1980s as a researcher into government abuses of civil liberties, and as a critic of intelligence agencies and the FBI. Articles of his appeared in publications such as Covert Action Quarterly, and he issued lists of recommended books on government abuses which included books by Victor Marchetti and L. Fletcher Prouty. During the 1991 Gulf War Berlet worked to expose other left-wing critics of intelligence agencies as wittingly or unwittingly being channels for conspiracy theories of the extreme right. In articles which appeared in magazines including The Progressive and In These Times, Berlet criticized the Christic Institute, Craig Hulet, Victor Marchetti, L. Fletcher Prouty, Mark Lane, the Oliver Stone film JFK, and the October Surprise theory. He published a report entitled "Right Woos Left" in 1992 about many of the above theories and how he saw their origins within a populism of the extreme right wing, and not being genuinely progressive or leftist. Berlet has been critical at times of Ralph Nader, Alexander Cockburn, and Ramsey Clark, who are willing to work with populists of the right on common issues of concern, such as anti-globalization and peace activism.