Group bankrolls democracy -WaTimes

[Rose Siding]

snip>
Atlas' goals are in line with those of the Bush administration, which hopes to see democracy replace autocratic regimes throughout the world.

But the "United States government ... can only do so much to advance freedom around the world. Progress of this sort typically is painstakingly slow and almost always comes from within," said Atlas consultant Herb Berkowitz.

For that reason, he said, for nearly a quarter of a century Atlas has been providing local organizations around the globe with "encouragement, advice, seed money and -- more recently, thanks to a $2 million grant from international financier and philanthropist John Templeton -- monetary awards and grants to promote such changes from within."
Since 1981, Atlas has been the leading international organization supporting independent think tanks advancing freedom, officials said. It works with more than 200 think tanks in 67 countries.

Mr. Berkowitz said the results of those efforts rarely make headlines like the U.S.-led wars of liberation in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"But they are no less encouraging -- even startling at times," he said.

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050423-113910-9962r.htm

Would you like a cigarette to go with that democracy?

snip>
Briton Antony Fisher founded Atlas as part of his lifelong campaign to influence the "climate of ideas" and combat "creeping socialism." Atlas credits Fisher with assisting in the early stages of development of several conservative think tanks, including the Manhattan Institute, Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco and Fraser Institute in Vancouver, Canada.
...
...Atlas recruited Vince Breglio, co-founder and senior executive with the market research and public relations company Wirthlin Worldwide. At its mid-August conference in Salt Lake City, Breglio gave PR tips in a two-hour workshop titled "communicating the message of liberty." A veteran of the 1980 and 1984 Reagan Presidential campaigns, Breglio is no stranger to helping sell unpopular ideas. Internal tobacco industry documents reveal he advised both R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris on how to handle public opposition to smoking.
...
In 1995, Philip Morris contributed $475,000 to Atlas according to an internal budget document released as part of the legal settlement with several U.S. states' attorneys general. In 1997, despite a tight budget, PM staff recommended Atlas receive $150,000 because of the organization's ability, through its events and public advocacy work, to "positively impact the regulatory environment, particularly in Latin America." Atlas' think tanks, PM staff wrote approvingly, create "an improved operating environment for all PM businesses."

http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/2004Q3/atlas.html

The Atlas Ecomonic Research Foundation site links to articles like "Why Drug Reimportation Won't Work" and "Proposed Solutions to UK's Pensions Quagmire" ("there should be no automatic right to a ‘citizen’s pension'")

http://www.atlasusa.org/

It's curious that the WaTimes is spotlighting Atlas just now. It seems the sort of venture that doesn't seek out media coverage.

[TahitiNut]

1. Fascist plutocracy, not democracy.

[chicagojoe]

2. These people define democracy as un-fettered capitalism.