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=== History ===
add some org details and quotes
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 ===
[[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."
CDFE was founded in 1976 by Alan Gottlieb. Like the other "Wise Use" movement groups, it is an aggressively anti-environmental front-line righta 501(c)3 tax-wing think tankexempt organization.
According to the Environmental Working group's 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."
=== Related Resources ===
*[http://www.cdfe.org/ecoterror1.htm 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, "[http://www.sweetliberty.org/mof.htm 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, "[http://www.cdfe.org/wiseuse.htm 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."
