[LINK] For-profit publishers getting ready to trash-talk

[Stewart Fist]

Richard wrote
> 
> Speaking of a hydra ... the Competitive Enterprise Institute is at least
> known to the Cato Institute, since two of its VPs are now CEI directors.

The CEI is an offshoot of the American Enterprise Institute which was caught
this week offering $10,000 each to scientists to author a piece condemning
the IPCC report in Paris.

The CEI proudly proclaims that it "is a 501(c)(3) charity, that does not
accept government grants"  But each year it asked each of the tobacco
companies for a donation of $100,000 and got it.

Our own Rupert Murdoch, a director of Philip Morris and 'best friend' of
Geoff Bible (its last CEO), was also a director of Cato Institute.  It was
also heavily funded by the tobacco industry.

There are so many cross links between business, the Republican (and
sometimes the Democratic) Party, and all these think-tanks, lobby groups,
policy institutes and the like that it is impossible to believe anything
that any of them say or publish.

Which is why I get so mad when the ABC 7.30 report interviews "scholars" of
"fellows' from Cato, CEI or AEI as if they were genuine inquirers after the
truth.

You'd think by now that our top nightly public affairs show would have
learned to avoid them, or label them as lobbyists.



-- 
Stewart Fist, writer, journalist, film-maker
70 Middle Harbour Road, LINDFIELD, 2070, NSW, Australia
Ph +61 (2) 9416 7458