Political Research Associates
Political Research Associates (PRA) according to its own literature is a "progressive think tank devoted to supporting movements that are building a more just and inclusive democratic society. We expose movements, institutions, and ideologies that undermine human rights....to advance progressive thinking and action by providing research-based information, analysis, and referrals." PRA also declares, "While attacks on civil liberties can come from any direction, the political and Christian Right use skillful marketing that exploits the public’s desire for quick solutions and capitalizes on today’s hectic information flow."
Researcher Laird Wilcox,[1] who according to the peer reviewed Military Law Review, a U.S. Department of Defense publication in an article entitled Racial Extremism in the Army, is one of the "foremost analysts of right-and left-wing extremism,"[2] says of PRA,
“ | There is nothing even vaguely impartial, objective or scholarly about PRA except the image it attempts to foist upon an unsuspecting public, including reporters and researchers who contact it for information.[3] | ” |
In addition to numerous reports, articles and books, PRA publishes The Public Eye quarterly newsletter. A 1981 issue of the publication states that "The Public Eye is produced in conjunction with the National Lawyers Guild Committee Against Government Repression and Police Crimes." It also lists Chip Berlet as a managing editor.[4]
It shares a similar acronym with China's National Liberation Army (also known as the People's Liberation Army).
See also
References
- ↑ John George & Laird Wilcox, American Extremists: Militias, Supremacists, Klansmen, Communists and Others, Prometheus Books, 1996 (ISBN 1-57392-058-4).
- ↑ Racial Extremism in the Army, MAJ Walter M. Hudson, The Military Law Review, Vol 159 (Mar 99), Department of the Army, Washington, DC. Army Pamphlet No 27-100-159, p. 7.
- ↑ Laird Wilcox, The Watchdogs: A Close Look at Anti-Racist "Watchdog" Groups, Second Edition, Part 2, Chapter Four: Political Research Associates, A Study in "Links and ties," Editorial Research Service, 1999, pg. 20. ISBN 0-993592-96-5.
- ↑ The Public Eye, Volume III, Issues 1 and 2 (1981)