A defense of honest inquiry, and of Gene Sharp. | 61 comments (61 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: honest inquiry and Gene Sharp. (4.00 / 2)

The Open Letter (PDF) was written in the following context

In June 2008, at the initiative of Professor Stephen Zunes of the University of San Francisco, the letter below was circulated among U.S. and internationally based scholars and activists as a response to critiques circulating about the work of Gene Sharp and the Albert Einstein Institution. The letter first appeared on Professor Zunes's website (http://www.stephenzunes.org/petition/) and is now available for viewing on the website of the Albert Einstein Institution (www.aeinstein.org).

Keynesianism is intellectually hard, as evidenced by the inability of many trained economists to get it - Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Feb 22nd, 2011 at 06:49:36 AM EST

Re: honest inquiry and Gene Sharp. (none / 0)

The Open Letter says

We are aware of, and are adamantly opposed to, efforts by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the International Republican Institute (IRI) and other U.S. government-funded efforts to advance U.S. strategic and economic objectives under the guise of "democracy promotion." We recognize, however, that Dr. Sharp and the Albert Einstein Institution are not part of such an agenda.

ThatBritGuy in his Yes - who is Gene Sharp?

Not even the basic facts are true. Sharp certainly isn't lacking cash or connections. He may not choose to spend the money on bling, but even if he earns "only" $100k a year - plus expenses - that's more than US workers earn. And the annual reports of the Albert Einstein Institution show that it has received multi-million dollar donations. (Conveniently, the sources aren't named, but Sourcewatch has some of them.)

Albert Einstein Institution - SourceWatch

Between 1993 and 1999 they received funding from^[5]:
Arca Foundation
Burma Project of the Open Society Institute
Compton Foundation
C.S. Fund
Ford Foundation
Friedrich Naumann Stiftung
Greenville Foundation
International Republican Institute
Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
Joyce Mertz-Gilmore Foundation
National Endowment for Democracy
New York Friends Group
Olof Palme International Centre
Ploughshares Fund
United States Institute for Peace