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In
the past weeks, the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) has been
getting a growing amount of attention. It should, since it is, perhaps,
the "rosetta stone" for understanding the Bush regime. Though
around for at least five years, it has just recently truly begun to fully
bear fruit. It is one of about five or six neo-conservative think tanks
that have received in the area of a billion dollars of support in the last
ten years. That money has come primarily from very large very conservative
foundations, primarily endowed by corporations or corporate execs and
founders.
Reading
now, the goals of the PNAC, and comparing its’ signatories on letters of
five years ago, it is clear that today, the PNAC has fulfilled its dreams—filling
the highest levels of office with its people, manifesting it’s
principles and visions of America’s future through the George W. Bush
regime. This cabal, funded by some of the world's wealthiest individuals,
through their foundations, has taken over control of the US government
several layers deep. It is implementing its vision of getting rid of
government and corporate regulation, freeing the megacorporations to
accelerate their takeover of the planet, transcending nations. Their
efforts to marginalize the UN is but one example. .
Upon
researching this phenomenon, I’ve come upon articles reporting on the
development of this right wing strategy. These articles are four and six
years old. .
How
Conservative Philanthropies and Think Tanks Transform US Policy
More details
on the above report Must read!!
And
$1
Billion Dollars for Ideas: Conservative Think Tanks in the 1990s
Five
or six years ago, those reports might not have raised too much interest,
outside of the fact that more money was being spent on think tanks than on
soft money for republican campaigns. But now, we can see how successful
these right wing investments have been. Now, we are faced with a
realization, like the US encountered when it discovered the Sputnik
program, that the left must begin a massive effort (like the US space
program) to catch up with the right, or…. the right will finish its plan
to take over the planet with its grotesque vision.
A
few colleagues and I have been working at trying to find out just what
kind of equivalent or counterpart exists on the left, progressive side, to
these right wing think tanks.
We
see think tanks for voting rights, for registration, for ecology, for
consumer awareness, for democratic rights. But are there any that are put
together like PNAC or CATO or American Enterprise—that have people
connected who are high up enough to, like the PNAC has done, literally
become the leaders of a democrat led Whitehouse? Are there any
progressive think tanks that are looking holistically at the big policy
picture?
Besides
establishing a vision, the neo-conservatives have also built an incredible
apparatus for education and influence—vacation seminar retreats to
educate judges that 40% of judges have attended, an organization for state
legislators with 3,000+ members. Free info and research help for
republican causes… Ghost writers for hundreds if not thousands of OpEd
articles that big name members of the think tanks put their names on, then
send to major media.
So
a group of colleagues are looking into what’s already in existence, not
wanting to re-invent the wheel, but wanting to make sure that we on the
left get back in the race. I have been organizing cutting edge meetings
that bring together the world’s best experts in their fields. I want to
do what I can to help put together an organization that will be able to do
for the left what the Right has been doing for ten years.
The
report at http://www.monitor.net/rachel/r589.html
on Conservative funding of think tanks is excellent, essential
reading. Keep in mind it is five years old.
There is a loosely assembled collection of additional information and
articles at PNACWatch
It
appears, from the disarray and lack of leadership in the Democratic party,
that any such left oriented groups have been ineffective in developing a
vision and set of positions and principles that can be agreed upon and
enthusiastically embraced while having a shot at pulling voters to get
behind them.
After
reading the reports mentioned above, I see some of the issues that need to
be covered:
Progressives
now find themselves in the same position the US did after realizing that
the Russians had started a space program. We now need to catch up. Here
are some elements of a vision and platform that will compete with the
neoconservaitves, yet embrace the democratic, fairness and humane issues
of the progressive world:
Deep,
multi-tiered levels and layers of influence strategies: once
policies and principles have been identified, it is not enough to just
envision them. As the conservatives have done, we must saturate the media
with position papers, editorials, documentaries (think of Michael Moore’s
Bowling for Columbine as one successful independent example,) must line up
publications ready to regularly accept position papers from top visibility
“faces” who put their names on papers created with the help of writers
(papers they agree with and add their own ideas to.) And then, going down
to deeper levels, we must fund projects like educational vacation seminars
for judges (if this is legal. If it’s not then the judges involved on
the right should be exorcised) we should have one or several organizations
for state legislators, for grass roots organizers, for bringing law and
social change students (new blood,) for educating fundamentalist groups to
see why progressive causes and approaches are most consistent with their
beliefs. These should provide resources such as position papers, research,
media assistance aimed at helping to get the goals and visions of the
organization effectively into law and practice. Building a left,
progressive media strategy that includes talk shows, electronic and print
news media is an essential element in recovering the ground that has been
lost in the 10 years plus that the right has taken the lead.
Progressive
Strength: The
right has worked long and hard to portray liberals and progressives as
weak, even unpatriotic, cowardly and blind. It is essential that policy be
envisioned that is bold, dynamic and strong, which builds a future based
on US strength. The difference in strength on the right and the left must
be the principles used to guide the policies. The values chosen must make
both Americans proud and the rest of the world appreciative that we are
acting in a way that not only maintains US hegemony, but at the same time
builds a better world for the rest of the billions on the planet.
Keeping
America Strong through policy and action that benefits other countries and
peoples as well;
It is clear that the voting population needs to feels safe, secure that
the leadership is not relinquishing our position of power and strength.
But this has to be maintained in a way that maintains the United State’s
reputation for fairness, for being the “good guy” upholding
democractic principles and freedoms.
Building
a Strong US and Global Economy: Rather than taking the attitude
that the “US’s style of life is not negotiable,” as George Bush
senior stated, we must take the approach that a rising tide raises all
ships, and develop policies that not only maintain the US standard of
living, but also raise the rest of the world’s
Deal
Strongly with Terrorism, Rogue States and Corporations We must
effectively demonstrate that the most effective way to decrease terrorism
and cut it at it’s seed and roots is through economic, democratic,
diplomatic and political means. This requires very tough, clear policies.
A review of the World Trade Organization and the role of Transnational
corporations is an essential part of this area of policy, since these two
groups are among the prime contributors to political instability and the
economic factors that breed the hate and fear which nurture terrorism and
the ability for rogue governments to rear their ugly heads.
Strategies
to correct long term influences of the conservative ideologues.
This is particularly true for issues such as computerized voting, where
there is a totally unacceptable risk of corruption, and the appointment of
federal and supreme court judges, where the influence of such appointments
can last decades. It is essential that actions like the fillibuster
against the Estrada appointment effort be made routinely to protect the
long term future of the branches of government. Since one of the primary
goals of the right wing policy think tanks and their super wealthy
foundations sources is the dismantling of government and the deregulation
of industry, commerce, resources, etc. for the benefit of
mega-corporations.
Technological
Policy It is essential that the US quickly undertake a
Kennedyesque “moon landing” like program aimed at freeing the US and
the world of its addiction to the rapidly dwindling supply of fossil fuel.
This program should be aimed at producing proprietary technologies owned
and controlled by the US, licensed to other “partners.”
Dealing
with China and the Arab World The two biggest groups that
threaten the US in the near future are the Islamic world through terrorism
and anti-US hatred, and the Chinese, who are hungry to make the 21st
century the Chinese Century. It’s no coincidence that China has kept
silent on North Korea. Strong policies that stand up to China must be
established quickly. Corporate influences must not be allowed to weaken
the US resolve to force, via economic and diplomatic means, the changes in
China that must occur if it is to be shaped to become a good planetary
citizen and prevented from becoming a threat to the US and the planet. The
same is true for the Arab world. Once viable energy alternatives are
established, it will be much easier to influence them.
Take
America and the Planet Back from Corporate Interests. Eliminate
corporate rights to be treated as people. Establish corporate “death
penalties.” Establish new lawas that make people more responsible for
what corporations do.
This
a first, first draft—a gossamer of beginning ideasThe conservatives have
had ten plus years and a billion or more in funding to work with. We need
to do the same. Failure to do so will virtually mean the handing over the
US to rich special interests and the establishment of a planetary
corporate feudal state… until the Chinese face this wall and there is
the biggest war the planet has ever seen.
Further
info is available on openews.com at thinktank
and PNAC Watch
Rob
Kall rob@opednews.com
is publisher of www.opednews.com
and organizer of cutting edge meetings that bring together world leaders,
such as the Winter Brain Meeting and the StoryCon
Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story This
article is copyright by Rob Kall, but permission is granted for reprint in
print, email, blog, or web media so long as this credit is attached.
Other
writings of Rob Kall
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