Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise

A cornerstone of Ron Arnold's Wise Use Movement, the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise (CDFE) claims to be "a non-partisan education and research organization which works on free enterprise studies, public policy research, book publishing, conferences, white papers, and media outreach." Their website proclaims they track "threats to free markets, property rights and limited government."

Personnel

Ron Arnold, Executive Vice President
Alan Gottlieb, founder

History

Since the late 1980's, CDFE has been at the center of the 'Wise Use' movement. CDFE was originally founded by Alan Gottlieb July 4, 1976. The Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizen's Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms were founded at the same time, and CDFE is still affiliated with both gun groups.

According to the New York Times, Gottlieb shifted his focus to environmentalism when he realized the fundraising potential. The New York Times wrote, "For conservative fundraisers like Mr. Gottlieb, the enemies were Senator Edward M. Kennedy and the threat of gun control. But now Mr. Gottlieb has found a better target. 'For us' said Mr. Gottlieb...'the environmental movement has become the perfect bogeyman.'" ADD REF

IN June 2003, Arnold told the Washington Times that "since the Democrats got into power, our income has doubled."

According to the CLEAR website, CDFE and Ron Arnold, its Executive Vice President, are "considered by many to be the founding and principle strategy-setting forces in the grassroots anti-environmental movement."

In Ron Arnold's essay "Overcoming Ideology" he depicts environmentalists as "eco-ideologists" whose stand "against promoting economic growth, technological progress and a market economy" stands in sharp contrast to the wise use movement's actual stewardship of the land, the water and the air." Environmentalists are portrayed as "eco-fetishists" whose moral self-righteousness is "about the people, but not by or for them."

The Environmental Working Group, in a Wise Use group analysis, says it is ironic that the CDFE website represents a credible, rational opposition to the environmental movement given Arnold's role:

"in developing the radical, polarized and extreme early version of 'wise use' that vilified environmentalism and environmental activists, threatening that his goal was to 'kill the bastards.' (CNN interview, May 30, 1993) The[n] again, Arnold has also been quoted as having said that "Facts don't matter. In politics, perception is reality." (Outside magazine, December, 1991)" [1]

Focusing on the "threats" posed by environmentalists, CDFE runs seminars and conferences and radio programs, and puts out training videos, books, and newsletters, all with the intent of teaching Wise Use supporters how to "fight back" against environmentalists. In addition, director Ron Arnold, under the CDFE banner, has frequently testified before Congress on topics such as the threats of ecoterrorism,

Advisors have included:
• Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK)
• Vice President and former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney
• Richard Ichord (American Freedom Coalition)
• Barbara Keating (Consumer Alert)
• William Simon (Heritage Foundation)

The CDFE website features categories such as "PETA-probe" and "eco-imperialism" and the latest headlines from the bastion of right-wing journalism, Fox News. They have two other websites: Undue Influence: "tracking the environmental movement's money, power, and harm" (http://www.undueinfluence.com/) and the anti-Rainforest Action Network site "RANamuck" where they talk about Rainforest Action Network's "ties to other radical groups, … their anti-capitalist ideology, and … their lawless and dangerous activities" [2].

At CDFE's website you can also read "the rave reviews of Paul Driessen's new book Eco-Imperialism: Green Power, Black Death that exposes the green racist agenda to withhold malaria control and life-saving GMO crops from Africa and other developing nations. A horrifying account of green genocide." They fail to mention the known and significant hazards presented by GMO foods, and that most countries, including African countries, have banned them.

The conservative Capital Research Center, which has published several articles by Arnold since 2000 states in its Green Watch database that CDFE "publishes The Private Sector, a quarterly, Advise and Consent, a periodical, and the Wise Use Conservation Memo, a quarterly". [3] However, there is no mention of these publications on the CDFE website.

Funding

CDFE is a tax-exempt educational organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Tax Code. Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 91-0973976.

The Capital Research Center, states in its Green Watch database that CDFE has a "membership" of 75,000.[4] However, this seems overstated given the CDFE finances of recent years have been been modest.

FUNDING (partial listing)
• Coors Foundation
• Georgia Pacific
• Louisiana-Pacific
• MacMillan Bloedel
• Pacific Lumber
• Exxon
• DuPont, Agricultural Products Division
• Boise Cascade
• Seneca Sawmills
• Sun Studs
• Burkland Lumber
• F.M. Kirby Foundation

Contact Information

Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise 12500 NE 10th Place
Bellevue, WA 98005
Tel.: 206.455.5038
http://www.cdfe.org/

Related Resources

• Testimony of Ron Arnold, Hearing of the Crime Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, Subject: Eco-terrorism, June 9, 1998.
• Ron Arnold, Washington Times, June 20, 1993. GET FULL REF
• Jim Halpin and Paul de Armond, "Alan Gottlieb: The Merchant of Fear;" detailed article on Gottlieb, as well as Ron Arnold and their involvement in the Wise Use movement and CDFE.
• Ron Arnold, "Overcoming Ideology;" the CDFE headline declares this essay is "regarded by many as the seminal expression of the ideas that have evolved into the richly diverse wise use movement."