In a post on the hosting of racists and extremists at OpenDemocracy, I wondered if Tom Griffin, associated with the now defunct NeoConEurope project, had been the man who posted racist material on that website. I said:
Who was the Kevin MacDonald fan at the University of Strathclyde? I think it may well be Tom Griffin. If I’m wrong, I’m very happy to post his denial.
In an important post, which is well worth reading, Tom Griffin does so deny it:
An anonymous post on Harry’s Place has alleged that I am responsible for posting anti-semitic material by Kevin McDonald on the Neocon Europe website. This allegation is false and I demand that Harry’s Place retract it.
It was unfair of me, I think, to put him in a position where he had to make a denial. I really would like to know, though, who it was who did reproduce the neo Nazi, Kevin MacDonald, on the website. Are they still working on David Miller related projects, for example? Tom Griffn does not tell us.
I don’t think that there have been any departures from Spinwatch etc. since the Kevin MacDonald incident. I expect we will never find out.It wouldn’t be right to accuse each contributor in turn, and so I won’t.
There is useful material on Spinwatch. They do, correctly, identify some of the more dangerous associations and trends within groups like the English Defence League. What is objectionable about their approach is that they seem to regard Muslim liberals as their enemies, and supporters of far Right South Asian and Middle Eastern politics, as their allies: when it should be the other way round.