Disgraced Macquarie University academic Andrew Fraser was recently invited as a guest speaker at American Renaissance 2006, AmRen for short.

So who is AmRen? In short it is a self-styled think tank that publishes a monthly journal and holds a biennial conference. The New Century Foundation, the name of the organisation that publishes American Renaissance, promotes pseudoscientific and questionably researched and argued studies to validate the superiority of white people as a race.

Behind American Renaissance is an individual, Jared Taylor. The articles he publishes are a type of “genteel” racism, that validate the genetic and moral inferiority of nonwhites and the need for racial “purity.”

Generally avoiding overt bigotry and stereotyping, many of North America’s leading intellectual racists have written for the journal or have addressed the American Renaissance conferences. At the conferences and in his publications, Taylor refrains from overt anti-Semitism.

On the surface it seems like just another right wing lobby group. But if you look under the veneer some interesting connections begin to show.

Taylor is an ex-board member of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CofCC) and is currently on the Editorial board of their publication “Citizens Informer”, another ultra-right lobby group that attempts to gain the ear in the highest corridors of power in the USA. Sam Francis and Gordon Baum of the Council of Conservative Citizens have been presenters of previous AmRen conferences. Another presenter at this year’s AmRen conference was Sam G Dickson, a current board member.

The Council of Conservative Citizens was founded in the mid-1990s as an outgrowth of the Citizens Councils of America, often referred to as the “Uptown” or “White Collar” Klan. The Citizens Councils emerged in the mid-1950s as part of a white segregationist response to federally mandated integration of public facilities, especially following the 1954 Supreme Court ruling against separate-but-equal schools.

In 2004 Sam G. Dickson as rep for the CofCC was among the endorsers of the “New Orleans Protocol”. The New Orleans Protocol was an initative sponsored by ex KKK leader, David Duke, days after his release from prison, to promote a better image to the outside world, to “mainstream our cause.” The cause being that of the racialist far-right. Other groups amongst the initial endorsers read like a who’s who of the far right.

In 1999 Congressmen Robert Wexler and James Clyburn introduced a resolution condemning the Council of Conservative Citizens. The text of the resolution reads:

Resolution condemning the racism and bigotry espoused by the Council of Conservative Citizens

* Whereas the population of the United States contains a spectrum of many diverse and rich cultures, races, and religious beliefs that contribute to the vitality and stability of the Nation;
* Whereas the House of Representatives strongly opposes racism, bigotry, and all forms of ethnic and religious intolerance;
* Whereas the Council of Conservative Citizens is an outgrowth of the segregationist “White Citizens Council”, commonly known as the White-Collar Klan, which helped to enforce segregation in the 1950s and 1960s;
* Whereas the Council of Conservative Citizens promotes racism, divisiveness, and intolerance through its newsletter, World Wide Web site, and public discourse;
* Whereas the Council of Conservative Citizens promulgates dogma that supports white supremacy and anti-Semitism an maliciously denigrates great American leaders including Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and
* Whereas the Council of Conservative Citizens provides access to, and opportunities for the promotion of, extremist neo-Nazi ideology and propaganda that incites hate crimes and violence:

Now, therefore, be it resolved, That the House of Representatives
(1) condemns the racism and bigotry espoused by the Council of Conservative Citizens;
(2) condemns all manifestations and expressions of racism, bigotry, and religious intolerance wherever they occur; and
(3) urges all Members of the House of Representatives not to support or endorse the Council of Conservative Citizens and its views.

Other speakers at the 2006 Amren conference other than Fraser, Dickson and Taylor included:

Guillaume Faye

Seen by the French far-right as one of the most influential authors. Faye predicts an abolition of European societies due to massive immigration and a total war between the West and the Islamic world.

Dan Roodt

Controversial Afrikaner activist and author Dan Roodt has been reported to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) for “intellectual racism that encourages racial tension”

J. Philippe Rushton

Professor John Philippe (Phil) Rushton Ph.D , D.Sc (born December 3, 1943) is a psychology professor at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, best known for his controversial work on racial differences.

Nick Griffin

Leader of the extreme right British National Party currently facing retrial for inciting racial hatred, after earlier getting off similar charges.

Derek Turner

Turner, a self described “neighbourhood nazi,” is editor of the British magazine Right Now! Turner is the ex-leader of an Irish neo-nazi group, the Social Action Initiative.

The audience this year included a large group of supporters of the White Nationalist website Stormfront, led by Don Black, an ex KKK leader and David Duke, also ex klan, in his role of leader of the ultra right EURO party.

One incident that happened during the proceedings at AmRen 2006 was illuminating.

As reported by Paul Fromm, Canadian White Nationalist:

“There were some fireworks this morning during the question and answer period following the speech given by Guillame Faye of France. Dr. Duke took to the mic and began asking a question in which he alluded to the IP’s control of our media and culture. Although he never mentioned the J word (despite a request from someone in the crowd who yelled “Tell us!”) a member of the IP in the crowd became offended at Dr. Duke’s allusions to IP power and got up from his seat yelling something I didn’t quite understand at which point another conference goer jumped up and yelled back at him “The door’s right there!” As the IP man walked out of the room he had to pass by Dr. Duke and as he did he wagged his finger in Dr. Duke’s face and yelled “You’re a f–king NAZI and your a disgrace to this conference!” Then he stomped out of the room followed by cat calls and what not. Dr. Duke handled it well graciously giving a half bow and saying thank you to the man. That little incident got everyone woke up a little.”

The IP that Duke refers to is a euphemism for Jews, the “Inner Party” referring to the common White Nationalist belief that the media is controlled by Jewish interests.

AmRen and the CCC are the well dressed, polite face of neo-nazism trying hard to “respectabilise” themselves so they can be seen and heard in the highest corridors of power in the US.

Professor Fraser seems to fit in comfortably with these ultra nationalist ideologues. Ironically late last year he was dissuaded by fellow White Nationalists from speaking at an event which turned out to be sponsored by the Australian Knights Of the KKK. He now apppears to have graduated to hanging out with the real thing.