November 15, 2009 Chip Berlet, senior analyst at Political Research Associates in Boston, spoke in Boise on Obama, Right-Wing Populism, and White Rage: How Race, Class, & Gender Anxiety Fuel Demonization & Scapegoating.

His appearance was co-sponsored by The Interfaith Alliance of Idaho, Humanists of Idaho, Idaho Human Rights Education Center, and the First Congregational United Church of Christ. Berlet (pronounced Ber-LAY) is a progressive activist who focuses on keeping track of right-wing groups who promote various conspiracy theories and bigotries. He reviewed a long history of such phenomena in America's past, including the Salem witch trials, a 1790's panic against Freemasons, and Catholic vs. Protestant flare-ups at various times. He cited recent quotes from some 2009 Tea Parties, in which people made claims like, "Obama is a Socialist Fascist, just like Hitler and Stalin." While one can certainly associate wide-ranging government programs with the concept of socialism, it is certainly not defensible to imply that the really horrible thing about German Nazis was that they provided medical care to their citizens.

Berlet displayed a very deep understanding of many, many groups on the scene today and in the past. He was also clear on two very important points. First, he cautioned listeners not to assume right-wingers are "crazy" or that they lack education, and he urged listeners not to fall into the same bad habits they dislike about right-wingers, namely, name-calling and scapegoating. Berlet pointed to some of the reasons why people are angry today: 1) the economic meltdown; 2) race: Obama is black; and 3) deep-seated beliefs that are being challenged by gender issues, such as women in the workforce, abortion, and homosexuality. We must keep discourse civil, and focused on

observable facts. Second, Berlet was careful to separate the irrational, such as racism, religious bigotry, and unfounded conspiracy theories, from the "rational-but-disagree" arguments such as progressive versus free-market economic debates. Reasonable people can disagree about certain principles or issues while still agreeing, and working together, on issues of basic human rights, and opposition to racism, sexism, religious bigotry, fantastic conspiracy theories, etc.

It was an interesting talk, and much useful ground was covered in a rather extensive question-and-answer session following it. Information on Political Research Associates is available on their website. As a free-market libertarian myself, I disagree with their economic bent. But in promoting basic human rights, separation of church and state, and opposing racism and bigotry, I'm certainly with them.

--Paul Rolig
President, Humanists of Idaho
Reprinted from Secular Idaho,
January 2010