The American Enterprise Institute is definitely one of the most odious think thanks.  Today, it's also one of the most powerful, a center of gravity for "neo-conservatives" and their intellectual community.

The following is a "center column" story from DC Indymedia, and it's worth tossing over here too.  They put together handy links to supplemental information.

 

WHO'S BEHIND THE LIES

Jun 10 2003

Expose the American Enterprise Institute
"[no think tank] has been more influential than the American Enterprise Institute, " Ronald Reagan Tomorrow, June 11th, the Bush is Taking the Shirts Off Our Back to Pay For This War (Shirts Off) Coalition will be holding a press conference to kick off a campaign against the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). AEI is a far-right think tank, whose current fellows include former Republican government officials, as well as many corporate executives. These include Newt Gingrich, Richard Perle, and former fellow Ken Lay, of Enron. Twenty former AEI fellows are now employed by the Bush Administration, or "embedded" with the government. Richard Behan, Alternet wrote that AEI, "crafted or influenced virtually the entire agendas of both domestic and foreign policy for the George W. Bush Administration."

AEI literally "houses" the notorious Project for the New American Century (PNAC), and the Defence Policy Board, or lots of "family ties". Recently PNAC formed the NGO "Committee for the Liberation of Iraq" which lobbied heavily for the invasion of Iraq. AEI has a "race desk" charged with the popularization of unscientific and biological determinist racial "theories", including AEI fellow Charles Murray, of "Bell Curve", (genetic explanations for poverty in communities of color), and Dinesh D’Souza, of "The End of Racism" (African-Americans should stop using institutional racism as an 'excuse' for their 'failure' to achieve what whites and Asians have achieved.) The AEI promotes Oriana Fallaci's racist book The Rage and the Pride: “They breed too much…At least half of the Moslem women you see in our streets are pregnant or surrounded by streams of children.” Additionally, AEI held a seminar against funding for education, called "Are Teachers Paid Too Little... or Too Much?", the purpose of which was to say that teachers are paid too much.

Tomorrow's press conference will focus on AEI's allegations that NGOs wield to much power in Washington. It is set to coincide with AEI's seminar Nongovernmental Organizations: The Growing Power of an Unelected Few.The press conference will occur at 8:30 AM in front of AEI's officeat 1150 17th St. NW, Washington, DC