False Spontaneity of the Tea Party: Al Gore

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/16042-focus-false-spontaneity-of-the-tea-party

new study funded by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health reveals that the Tea Party Movement was planned over a decade ago by groups with ties to the tobacco and fossil fuel industries. The movement was not a spontaneous populist uprising, but rather a long-term strategy to promote the anti-science, anti-government agenda of powerful corporate interests.

The two organizations mentioned in the report, Americans for Prosperity and Freedomworks, used to be a single organization that was founded by the Koch brothers and heavily financed by the tobacco industry. These organizations began planning the Tea Party Movement over ten years ago to promote a common agenda that advocated market fundamentalism over science and opposed any regulation or taxation of fossil fuels and tobacco products.

The disturbing history of links between market fundamentalists, the tobacco industry and the Tea Party movement is part of an even larger trend that I describe in my new book, The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change. Following the era of Progressive and New Deal reforms that restrained corporate influence in American politics following the infamous Robber Baron Era, market fundamentalists were once again motivated and radicalized by the social turbulence of the 1960s. In 1971, a prominent lawyer for the tobacco industry, Lewis Powell, wrote a memorandum for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that presented a comprehensive plan aimed at shifting the balance of political power in favor of corporations. President Nixon appointed Powell to the Supreme Court just two months later.

Guided by the Powell Memo, market fundamentalists have pursued a comprehensive strategy to dramatically increase corporate influence in American politics. Powell himself worked with other pro-corporate justices to interpret laws in ways that were favorable to corporate interests, most importantly expanding the precedent of corporate personhood. As a direct result, corporate lobbying exploded, increasing from $100 million in 1975 to $3.5 billion in 2010. Corporations also used increasingly voluminous campaign contributions to promote the election of pro-corporate politicians at all levels of government. Wealthy donors founded conservative think tanks to influence public opinion in favor of market fundamentalism. The Tea Party is a clear extension of Powell's strategy to promote corporate profit at the expense of the public good.

[busterbrown]

1. Well They sure did a fucking good job!!

Then again it’s like bribing kids with candy bars and candy cotton...Not difficult.!!!

[upaloopa]

2. Maybe we can stop saying the 60's young people

became right wing and are screwing young people today.
Most of us are still progressives and have been fighting conservatives for going on 50 years now.
It wasn't us who let the dogs out.

[JNelson6563]

3. Tell me, what age group is in charge?

It may not be the peace-niks of the 60's running the show and screwing us all badly but it's certainly of that generation.

Mine too, being just right behind the age group you mention (born in 63).

So yeah, some of us of each age group are doing as much for progress as we can while others do the opposite.

Julie

[busterbrown]

4. Listen, we had a war which we were up against that scared the shit out of us...

Im sure I’m not alone when I say a lot of us had friends who were drafted who are still suffering immensely from their experience in Vietnam...The kids who turned 20 in 1980 didn’t need to be interested in any causes just finding a mate and obtaining a job they like. Why would they be interested in turning on the news at night? And I realize their are many exceptions.. However with the media’s push for acquiring more and more things why the hell would they be interested in anything but themselves and a few close ones?

[upaloopa]

5. Yes and everyone of you is a lazy bum

That makes about as much sense as your post.
Nobody can take what you say seriously because you don't acknowledge reality.
On edit:
Who screwed us? 3 assassinations, threat of nuclear war and almost WWIII, riots and destruction in our cities, police killing Black Leaders, a ten year war were all of us males had to stand the chance of being drafted, I was drafted and sent to war.
Did we say the generations before us are screwing us yes, but we also did domething about it.
You are born into a era and you are delt a hand and you have to play the cards your delt.