Rating: 
Summary: Masterpiece
Review: Ron Arnold has completed the circle or, in his example, the triangle in his brilliantly researched masterpiece, "Undue Influence". The first two books in the series, "Trashing the Economy" and "Ecoterrorism" laid the groundwork. This third book completes documentation of the "Iron Triangle" consisting of "wealthy foundations, grant-driven green groups and zealous bureaucrats". The book meticulously details the process the iron trangle uses for deindustrializing America, depopulating rural America and shutting down family farms. Anyone concerned about future job prospects, desiring to live in rural America or depending on a resource based industry would do well to read all three of Mr. Arnold's books. His term, "rural cleansing" is particularly salient. It is happening in Maine, just as it happened in the Northwest. (Look for Neo-Druids and Luddites to pan this book.)
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece
Review: Ron Arnold has completed the circle or, in his example, the triangle in his brilliantly researched masterpiece, "Undue Influence". The first two books in the series, "Trashing the Economy" and "Ecoterrorism" laid the groundwork. This third book completes documentation of the "Iron Triangle" consisting of "wealthy foundations, grant-driven green groups and zealous bureaucrats". The book meticulously details the process the iron trangle uses for deindustrializing America, depopulating rural America and shutting down family farms. Anyone concerned about future job prospects, desiring to live in rural America or depending on a resource based industry would do well to read all three of Mr. Arnold's books. His term, "rural cleansing" is particularly salient. It is happening in Maine, just as it happened in the Northwest. (Look for Neo-Druids and Luddites to pan this book.)
Rating: 
Summary: Another Anti-Environmental Rant
Review: Ron Arnold has made a career out of attacking people who want to leave to the next generation an intact, beautiful, natural world. This book is one more instalment in his apparently endless series of tomes berating clean air and water. Basically, the book boils down to Arnold's outrage at the fact that environmentalism has value, and can compete for the dollars of good citizens, who use their economic clout (through foundations) to protect the environment. The book proves the maxim: capitalists want capitalism for everyone but themselves. Arnold can't stand the fact that environmentalism successfully competes in the marketplace and the marketplace of ideas. His response, as always, is to insult. A thoroughly disagreeable book, and a worthy addition to the Arnold repetitive oevre of industrialism for industrialism's sake.
Rating:
Summary: Today's Coercive Utopians Are Green
Review: Ron Arnold's book, "Undue Influence: Wealthy Foundations, Grant-Driven Environmental Groups, and Zealous Bureaucrats That Control Your Future," reminds one of another exquisitely researched book from the early 1980s. It was entitled "The Coercive Utopians: Social Deception by America's Power Players," by Rael Isaac and Erich Isaac. The Isaacs revealed a critical part of the command-and-control agenda of that time, and Ron Arnold has done the same for us in 2000. The political world of the environmental elitists changed dramatically a few years ago, when certain government-knows-best types figured out that a well-endowed foundation could set the environmental agenda for the nation. They do this by funding environmental groups who do their bidding. Now, these two entities, wealthy foundations and the environmental groups, happen to have good friends in government. That's where, Arnold makes clear, undue influence comes in. The author provides some pointed quotes about how this "iron triangle" of foundations, environmentalists and bureaucrats manipulate public opinion. Part of the energy of this book is that it enthusiastically pulls back the curtain, like Toto in the Wizard of Oz. We should pay more attention to the man behind the curtain. As Arnold points out, the person behind the curtain may head a multi-million dollar foundation, run a famous environmental group, or even be a prominent American politician.
Rating:
Summary: Today's Coercive Utopians Are Green
Review: Ron Arnold's book, "Undue Influence: Wealthy Foundations, Grant-Driven Environmental Groups, and Zealous Bureaucrats That Control Your Future," reminds one of another exquisitely researched book from the early 1980s. It was entitled "The Coercive Utopians: Social Deception by America's Power Players," by Rael Isaac and Erich Isaac. The Isaacs revealed a critical part of the command-and-control agenda of that time, and Ron Arnold has done the same for us in 2000. The political world of the environmental elitists changed dramatically a few years ago, when certain government-knows-best types figured out that a well-endowed foundation could set the environmental agenda for the nation. They do this by funding environmental groups who do their bidding. Now, these two entities, wealthy foundations and the environmental groups, happen to have good friends in government. That's where, Arnold makes clear, undue influence comes in. The author provides some pointed quotes about how this "iron triangle" of foundations, environmentalists and bureaucrats manipulate public opinion. Part of the energy of this book is that it enthusiastically pulls back the curtain, like Toto in the Wizard of Oz. We should pay more attention to the man behind the curtain. As Arnold points out, the person behind the curtain may head a multi-million dollar foundation, run a famous environmental group, or even be a prominent American politician.
Rating:
Summary: Five percent logic, 95 percent nonsense
Review: Ron's right, there are a few instances where the enviro-nuts have gone overboard and just don't make sense. But one truly has to dig through the rest of his hysterical and nonsensical paranoia to find them. Otherwise, Ron makes no sense at all. Rush would be proud of this.
Rating:
Summary: Five percent logic, 95 percent nonsense
Review: Undue influence is good if you are a a fan of red scare McCarthyism. This book demonizes people who place the health of communities and ecosystems above the profit motives of companies. This book is a sad reminder that the environmental movement needs to reach out to more people especially in rural America where folks are skeptical of conservation measures. This book supports increased mining, clear-cutting of ancient forests, and destruction of habitats for profit. Very disturbing material.
Rating:
Summary: Vague and sloppy logic
Review: Undue influence is good if you are a a fan of red scare McCarthyism. This book demonizes people who place the health of communities and ecosystems above the profit motives of companies. This book is a sad reminder that the environmental movement needs to reach out to more people especially in rural America where folks are skeptical of conservation measures. This book supports increased mining, clear-cutting of ancient forests, and destruction of habitats for profit. Very disturbing material.
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