The September 2010 issue of Fortean Times has a real hagiography of AV4 by Nick Cirkovic.
You can read his rather generous take on events here. Lets see if Fortean Times print my reply, which features below:
Dear FT I fear that the rarified atmosphere at AV4 may have gone to the head of your correspondent, Nick Cirkovic (Alternative View 4, FT266:38-9) Cirkovic is at least correct when he stresses the importance of the mission statement of AV4 "To advance awareness and facilitate discussion of Political, Scientific and Spiritual alternatives without constraint by Consensus Reality and/or Received Wisdom". That really is this alternative view approach in a nutshell - anything that can be styled as 'different' or 'against' is promoted, with no concept of direction or quality control whatsoever. If received wisdom was that there is no such thing as climate change, Ian R Crane's 'community' would be filling the conference with speakers articulating the scientific evidence of that very change! Secondly it is worth stressing the astonishing cost of this 'alternative view'. £60 to access the 'market' and lecturers on the Saturday, whilst if you simply wished to listen to Daniel Estulin's already well known take on the Bilderbergers, the cost was a whopping £15. Some 'alternative' - especially during the worst recession for a generation! Clearly ageing celebrities such as David Bellamy and Johnny Ball don't come cheap. Most laughable of all Cirkovic compares attendees at AV4 to those attending a G8 or G20 protest. Has he ever been near such an action? If so he clearly failed to notice that those organising such protests (in London and elsewhere) would never dream of charging anyone - never mind asking them for as much as 60 pounds! The sad thing about what master of ceremonies Andy Thomas touches upon as 'the conspiracy view' is that it offers little or no real challenge to the status quo. The damage done to our communities is all too often done face on, by bankers, politicians and business people living and working amongst us, not behind closed doors at Bilderberg meetings. Sadly, as the pricing structure, obsession with technology, celebrity and big names at AV4 illustrates, such 'alternatives' all too readily mirror the very world that we are supposed to be critiquing. The revolution will not be televised - but I can't help feeling that under this alternative, it may soon be on pay per view. We can, and will have to, do better. Paul Stott 9/11 Cultwatch