Will the apologists for our emerging American oligarchy try to talk their way around even this?
According to the Heritage Foundation’s 2012 Index of Economic Freedom, the United States has an economic freedom score of 76.3, which makes the United States rank tenth out of one hundred seventy-nine ranked countries. Hong Kong ranks first, with an economic freedom score of 89.9.
For those who don’t know, here‘s who they are:
Heritage’s stated mission is to “formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense”.
They think we’re not doing so well. And in case you didn’t know, here’s who they are:
Heritage is primarily funded through donations from private individuals and charitable foundations. Businessman Joseph Coors contributed the first $250,000 to start The Heritage Foundation in 1973. Other significant contributors have included the conservative Olin, Scaife, DeVos and Bradley foundations.
In 2007, Heritage reported an operating revenue of $75.0 million dollars. As of February 2011, Heritage reported 710,000 supporters.[28] Heritage Foundation is also a part of the Koch Foundation Associate Program.[29]
Those are family foundations, very very conservative family foundations that provided much of the funding for the anti-Clinton crusade of the 90’s: the eternal Paula Jones lawsuit, the fake Whitewater ‘scandal’ – even personal financial support for the public accusers around the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
They are also drivers of a new American oligarchy. Putin would love them.
You can have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, or democracy. But you cannot have both.
If people wonder why politics has become so harshly partisan, I think you’ve put your finger on one of the causes.
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It gets even worse Donald – they finance a lot of the Christianist stuff. Not for their love of god, but because it serves the purpose of distracting the populace. I think money played a big role in turning Christianity into some kind of nationalist militaristic theocratic movement.
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Don’t be too hard on them: they designed your brand new healthcare reform…
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Sssshhh . . . it’s unAmerican of you to dare to remember that jay!
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But wait, the healthcare reform bill was a purely socialist plan 😉
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But that’s only AFTER Heritage and Newt liked it. Back then it was sound policy.
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Those are family foundations, very very conservative family foundations
I get the fact that they are conservative. I get the fact that they are going to produce conclusions you disagree with.
Do you think that this is a phenomenon only observed from the right or do you think there are liberal think tanks that are just as partisan and wrong as Heritage?
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No, I don’t think this exists only on the right. There are plenty of liberal think tanks as well. Who on the left would you liken to Heritage?
My original point (which upon rereading I see I drifted away from – hate it when that happens!) was that since Heritage is making a claim long held by liberals – a claim that is at the heart of the Occupy movement – would conservatives accept what they’re saying. Do you think they will?
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Heritage is making a claim long held by liberals
Hmm…I think you should check out what they mean by Economic Freedom. They think high taxes is less free. They think more regulation is less free. They think more redistribution is less free.
They don’t think that what the Occupy Racist Criminals think is valid.
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As I’ve seen it used, ‘economic freedom’ means opportunity for economic success, which is something all people aspire to – differences are in what exactly would constitute a blockage to that success.
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‘economic freedom’ means opportunity for economic success, which is something all people aspire to
I agree. However, the policies that Occupy would enact to generate this “freedom” would result in Heritage reducing our ranking.
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