[fjtorres]

Okay, here's how it runs:

1- Jim Baen purposefully positioned BAEN as a specialist in old-fashioned Adventure SF, with no pretensions. "Getting SF back where it belongs... in the gutter..." was one joking description of the approach.

2- Classic adventure SF has always been militaristic. And BAEN got its start just in time to benefit from the 90's surge in Military SF. 9/11 had nothing to do with it--they were doing it since the last century.

3- Since Adventure SF is, like most SF subgenres, very broad in scope, Baen tends to give its authors a lot of latitude. Despite being "specialists" in adventure, they find room in their catalog for high fantasy, urban fantasy, alternate history, techno-thrillers, and straight action adventure. Spoof and whimsy is allowed, romps encouraged.

4- Given the focus on classic adventure it should be no surprise that Baen has been steadily acquiring and publishing classic SF from the likes of Heinlein, Laumer, Schmitz, Goodwin, Chandler, Anvil, Hamilton, Pournelle, Niven&Pournelle... There is a lot of material in the catalog that a serious student of the genre needs exposure to.

Turn a blind eye to Baen and you're missing a whole section of the genre.

So, as to this latest teapot tempest: Baen gives its authors a lot of latitude in envelope pushing, both in genre borders and content. A cross between regency romance and bioSF? No problem? Cautionary tale about extended war between civilizations? Sure. Pushing the bounds of what an anti-hero can do? "Let's see what happens." seems to be their attitude.

Of course, pushing the envelope is going to annoy people.
And the attitudes and mindsets that made Harlan Ellison's DANGEROUS VISIONS *necessary* 50 years ago is still quite common in publishing. Baen has several authors in their catalog whose blatant opinions (and stories) offend some people who would like to see them muzzled. And since Baen doesn't muzzle them, as other publishers routinely do, they take it out on Baen.

I have no idea if the Baen execs agree with their authors, disagree, or just tolerate them.
I don't care. Their job is to find and deliver entertaining reads at a good price. Most of their controversial books I've found to be perfectly fine entertainment, with a bite on the side.

I like stories with bite.
I don't like muzzling authors.
There I stand.
Buy or don't buy according to your taste but don't get in the way.
Live and let die.