It’s not surprising to see the John Tanton Network operating within white nationalist circles. Indisputable facts highlight the Network’s controversial history. Using the Tanton Network as a leading authority on immigration is unacceptable, especially since one of its editors now serves as a trustee for the white nationalist organization, New Century Foundation.
Wayne Lutton is the editor of The Social Contract, a quarterly journal published by John Tanton’s financial umbrella, U.S. Inc., both are affiliates of the John Tanton Network. According to the New Century Foundation’s 2008 tax documents, he is also listed as one of the Foundation’s trustees. In 1994, Jared Taylor founded the New Century “To study immigration and race relations so as to better understand the consequences of America’s increasing diversity.” Lutton is also scheduled to speak as an expert on immigration issues at the 2010 American Renaissance Conference, a monthly magazine published by Taylor.
Lutton’s close relationship to white nationalists isn’t new. In 2005, Lutton also served as a director for the National Policy Institute, Inc. National Policy Institute (NPI) prides itself on supporting legal segregation. In its statement of principles, NPI claims that “territorial separation should be recognized as legitimate and humane means of preventing and resolving divisive social, ethnic, and racial conflicts.” To elaborate, one of its chief criticisms was, and still is, the integration of black people in predominately all white education institutions, a direct result of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. In fact, its 2007 report, The State of White America, argues that “Brown was arguably the worst decision in the Court’s 216-year history.”
As the immigration debate begins, it will be interesting to see reports by white nationalist authors hashed out in the mainstream, particularly authors for The Social Contract and the National Policy Institute. Currently, the Federation for American Immigration Reform and the Center for Immigration Studies have no qualms about promoting white nationalist writers, especially Edwin S. Rubenstein. Rubenstein is listed as a contributor of The Social Contract and authored several reports for NPI. In the 2007 report co-authored by Rubenstein and the staff of NPI, The Wealth and IQ of Nations, the report states that,
“Because intelligence is determined genetically, the potential for reducing the gap between rich and poor countries is limited. For example, foreign aid should not be given to countries with an average IQ below a certain point, because it is clear from past experience in Africa in particular, that it will not have a positive effect anywhere near approaching the cost.”
While it’s not surprising to read offensive ideas published by NPI. It’s deeply concerning to see the Federation for American Immigration Reform and the Center for Immigration Studies using Rubenstein as an expert on immigration issues.
To give two examples, FAIR highlighted the works of Rubenstein in its report, “Economist Puts a $346 Billion Annual Price Tag on Immigration at the Federal Level” in 2008. The Center for Immigration Studies also lists Rubenstein and The Social Contract as a resource under its “Immigration Reading List.”
Immigration is a complicated and emotional topic. But the decision to stand for what is right is clear. Bigotry is un-American.