Front Groups - The Hidden Persuaders

[randalusa]

You have been deluded. While there truly are front groups and while the tobacco illustration is a good one, the people supporting the global warming hoax ARE the ones funded by organizations with no concern about truth. Global warming is a multi-biliion dollars business, the trading of carbon credits already eaching state and national levels. Speaking out against these liberals means getting government funding pulled. So opposing research MUST obtain underwriting from companies.

[Anon371]

4:05 HOLY SHIT A POKEMON BILLBOARD

[Dayversion]

Global OIL Warming news, the the Global warmers lie and claim they despise:

"The European Climate Exchange (ECX) was launched by CCX in 2005, and is now the leading exchange operating in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Since 2006, CCX and ECX have been owned by Climate Exchange PLC.

More than 65 leading businesses, including global companies such as ABN AMRO, Barclays, BP, Calyon, E.ON UK, Fortis, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Shell have signed up for membership to trade ECX products."

[randalusa]

You might be a lot more credible if willing to name any of the many many front groups advocating liberal policies. Until then, you are merely spewing propaganda. And we can get that all day long on ABC, NBC and CBS (along with the New York Times, Washington Post and from the Democratic Party).

As if NOW isn't a front group for hardcore liberalism. Same with Jesse Jackson and Al Shartpon, each of them acting like preachers of God.

[TheForwardGaze]

In europe public schools actually have classes on marxism, anarchism, capitalism, etc. What do we get here? Maybe we need a parlimentary system. Fat chance. One day we'll have a single mega-corporation running everything. I don't think most Americans are interested in real bottom-up democracy, as long as they have their bread and circuses.

[etiennealive]

I've experienced myself that this is a real issue. Thanks for posting.

[seigneurvoland666]

WHERE IS THE TRUTH?! WHO IS THE ENEMY?

[seigneurvoland666]

@aerobique ha thats what i think to, sometimes the thinktanks talk with such confidence and reassurance. I get vulnerable when they argue economics and such. I need to know more

[SocialistReign]

Time to support underground scientists! They do this in Archeology too, in an attempt to attribute the success of today's society to a specific race. Information omission to further one's personal agenda is not new. Unfortunately it shames the intellectual industry.

Pseudo science makes me sick, because I base my ideas and values on true scientific data.

[petroniaskho]

Good video..one thing you fail to point out is that there are front groups on all sides of political battles. Having worked in various orgs and corps I can assure you that all the tactics you present are pretty well common practice and for lobbyists, think tanks, political parties and advertising agencies. They all feed the same media with 'facts' and research and any position can be supported when desired. The science world also plays with stats and info to make a point. Everyone has an agenda.

[JstNEarthling]

They are called lobbyists in "polite circles"...

[j0hnwi11iams]

5 stars, subbed. The people who are best at fooling others usually excel at fooling themselves.

[curiouschem]

great video!

thanks

[PhuqueU]

Yeah but it is so F.U.B.A.R. now, videos like this could be put out by disinfo,

so you really have to watch 'em good, they use a lot of truth to sell one lie. For instance, he mentions scientists whom publish without "Peer Review" as being the bad guys, which is probably true in many cases, but that same Peer Review is also used to prevent the publication of cheaper cleaner energy inventions, all they need is one oil company payroll shit head on that peer panel and he can veto publication.

[PhuqueU]

But this video does have a lot to expose so I put it in my favorites list.

I'm just saying, even the vids that appear to be on your side, might have a disinfo seed planted in it, what better way to grow it, eh? So just anylize all contents carefully, even wehn viewing apparent friendlys.

[toodance]

huge fave

thank you for the upload

[organdva]

This need more views and you deserve more subscribers.

[TheLeftLibertarian]

I really do need more subscribers. I have 20,000 views so thats pretty cool. Part of the problem, I think, is that people only see one video which leaves them with more questions than answers. E.g. my Direct Democracy video is vague and so the thought of self-managing your community or workplace is ridiculous because people think that society is stupid. Well, I agree but they don't see how these issues are resolved in other videos or I haven't made the videos that address their complaint.

[romm95]

@TheLeftLibertarianGlobal warming is a ruling elite meme, they want 2 increase the power of the state, limit competition and profit. we have found out how scientists at East Anglia University UK falsified data to make global warming appear to be true The truth is we are destroying the planet by our techniques and the way we are organized The root of the problem is we are encouraged to consume this drives production and fractional reserve banking and usury are dependent on people getting in debt

[aerobique]

@romm95

AGW is a measurable and bulletproof scientific fact... not a conspiracy... all these "sceptic" concepts are convenient lies, shameless manufactured by "free" market system and its "front groups" since ~30years they constantly confuse the public, .. and thats a well known, provably fact too.

Welcome to reality.

[ua751920]

Have to agree with Jaguarclaw on this video. It has long been a western policy to stop 3rd world countries from developing - climate change is the latest manifestation of this strategy.

[TheLeftLibertarian]

I agree with you about the third world but explain to me how individual scientist around the globe (some who work on their own) are empirically manipulating information that converges onto human caused global warming. Almost all the evidence is public domain. Why? Then explain the mechanism that manipulates these people without assertions about hippies, liberals, aliens, NWO, or something that AJ told you.

[ua751920]

This is a simple issue of funding and access to the media. The people who give out the funding will only give it to people who say what they want to hear. I understand that nearly al media is owned by a handful of corporations.

[TheLeftLibertarian]

Apparently, some people are confused about my view on groups like PETA and MADD and my views on global warming. The point of the video was not to promote these views but the fact that industries can pay for people to attack them for financial gain. It is no coincidence that the alcohol and food industry attacks groups like PETA and MADD and that the energy industry attacks global warming. I hardly know anything about PETA and I think MADD is full of crap.

[TheLeftLibertarian]

Also, some people are equating MADD and PETA with front groups. They are not the same thing. Most people in these groups volunteer and as far as I know they are just groups of concerned citizens.

[EVERYtimeImHIGH]

@TheLeftLibertarian I am certain that PETA is a front group. PETA led me into vegetarianism 6 years ago and I have been receiving their mails ever since. What I find is that the way of life and food choice they speak about left many people I know devoid of nutrition and with an increased feeling that they are doing something wrong all the time. If one gets too involved in PETA, one may find that they became a self-righteous unhealthy activist having less and less food/environtment options left.

[TheLeftLibertarian]

Whether their views are right or wrong isn't what Im concerned about. The environmental movement started in the late 60's and is starting to influence the public. A front group has the power to change public opinion overnight. I can't remember the last time I saw a PETA member on NPR but they dont have any problems giving airtime to front groups on a regular basis.

[RenegadeTimes]

Absolutely correct...Great video !

[Tressco]

3rd party strategy

[DanUuNoel]

Corruption of science? Its modern apex may be the shameful technical reports by U.S. scientists that covered up the controlled demolition of the twin towers. Where will it end?

Love,

[jackhalfaprayer]

Also, while Science as a self-correcting feedback loop can be advantageous for catching errors, a system that is self-referential can also invite major flaws in its foundation, such as Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem taking down Newton's Principia Mathematica. Because the system is self-referential it often bases its hypotheses and proofs on assumptions and givens that limit the entire system from within, instead of seeing itself from without.

[jackhalfaprayer]

Great video- but leave out the attacks on PETA. PETA actually DOES kill animals- putting down more dogs and other animals each day than the humane society. And they don't want it mentioned. PETA, because it uses no scientific facts to back up its agenda, is itself a front group that opposes most hard science because of arguable reasons. This clear bias towards PETA degrades the integrity of your video.

[10mintwo]

It's a shame that you chose to tarnish what would've otherwise been a fine video on the subject of corporate bastardization of science with nonsense of an ideological bent that has nothing to do with that subject. Specifically, I am referring to your comments on PETA and MADD. You will find that the organization "mothers against drunk driving" for instance, actually IS a neo-prohibitionist organization that cares far less about the reduction of DWI than they do about acquiring power at all costs

[unityrover]

I don't believe in human caused global warming. In fact, I think it's a farce and both sides have their front groups (oilmen and hippies). 4 other planets in our Solar system heated up in the last decade. We aren't on THOSE planets. Global Warming is a hoax, being used to tax people and create new niche markets. I agree that energy should be cleaner, for the environment's sake but I will not abide by lies such as Greenpeace's 30 years till the icecaps melt "prediction". Also, RAND corporation.

[TheLeftLibertarian]

Yes, it's true that 4 other planets have heated in the last decade but another 100 plus bodies in our solar system have not. Why? Mars, Neptune, Jupiter, and Pluto are heating for different reasons. Jupiter is heating because of massive storms heating the center of the planet. Mars in heating because of dust and albedo. And yes, the hippies are saying global warming is true but so is every major scientific institution in the world.

[unityrover]

Yet 40,000 other scientists have dissented. Do they all work for the Cato institute? Is there no bad data coming from Universities? Is there no peer pressure amongst scientists? Have you yourself studied alternate theories as to why the earth is heating up?

[TheLeftLibertarian]

This is great. You actually prove my point. The study you mention comes from SEPP which is one of the groups I actually mention! The poll was done in 1992 and it was so vague I would have also signed on to it. This document was then passed to all the other front groups I mentioned including GCC and BM. And yes, I have looked at the Global Warming debate. Plus, you never answered my original question!

[unityrover]

Do you understand how Global Warming and carbon taxing is being used to bring us into global governance? Scientists still disagree to this day. They are contrarians so was Galileo.

[DaleHusband]

@unityrover No one need give a damn what you don't beleive or what you think. Science is based on what you can support via experimental or observational evidence. Nothing else matters.

[unityrover]

It is important to hold dissenting views for the ADVANCEMENT of science. Otherwise, it is a religion. ie: The radiation from solar flares are causing particles in our atmosphere to heat up, and that alone could possibly be the cause of global warming. There ARE many other credible ideas about this problem. And though many scientists hold and support the CO2 idea, many others do not. I guess theyare heretics, or shills, or morons with advanced science degrees, or whatever the media paints themas.

[unityrover]

The problem is, of course that ideas don't get discussed. because of media blackouts, and attack dogs and slanderers. Of course many people don't entertain that possibility because the majority of them can't think for themselves, and absorb propaganda by groups like with money and agendas like Greenpeace. (The icecaps are going to melt by 2030. we forgot to factor in summer melting, etc.) Of course oilmen back and promote their science too, why can't people see that BOTH sides are doing this?

[DaleHusband]

@unityrover

Because in any conflict in which science is involved, only one side can be right, and the purpose of science is to determine empirically which side is right so science can move forward. Assuming that both sides are equally bad or good prevents investigations to find the truth and halts scientific advancement.

[unityrover]

>Because in any conflict in which science is involved, only one side can be right,

Oversimplify much?

[unityrover]

Also, people still have arguments which haven't been disproven. The argument isn't over, just because group A says it is.

[manicmetropolis]

I don't believe in animal rights or global warming and i'm not paid off or hypnotized.

[hayria123]

global warming was thought up by a think tank called "the club of rome". they brag about it in a book called "the first global revolution". animal rights is another way to take away more freedom. its all about bringing us into a world government. Al Gore belongs to the thank tank, its connected with the U.N.

[oldhacks]

GREAT great video. thanks for upping the game

[whoo689]

The Left and Democrats really underestimate their own actual power when they go around pretending like corporate America is impossible to fight off. I'm sick of it.

[boing3887]

there's a story by a journalist who interviewed pol pot in the last days of his life. he asked pol pot why he killed so many of his people. pol pot looked confused when the interpreter told him the question, asked the interpreter to repeat the question, then said "everything i did was for the good of the cambodian people."

should the media have fallen over themselves saying "you see? pol pot was just trying to help cambodians but it just all went awry! poor him!"

of course not, and rightly so

[boing3887]

and you can't equate corporate self-preservation with small-business or regular people's self-preservation. for small businesses and regular people, oftentimes self-preservation means being able to feed oneself. for corporations it means something totally different.

[boing3887]

"the left and democrats." why do we say that democrats are leftist? guys like myself and noam chomsky certainly don't identify with democrats. in fact, it's pretty well-established that democrats are corporate funded as well - and in fact often are sponsored by bigger business than republicans. republicans tends to be supported by labor-intensive, domestic industries while democrats are funded by capital-intensive, international industries.

so in fact the Left is fighting the democrats too.

[boing3887]

why are you making these arguments defending corporations when on your profile you bitch about audioswaps and youtube "caving to big corporations" ? is that just a joke then?

your arguments almost make me think you're a public relations worker who is "sock puppeting"

[whoo689]

The bias a lot of Americans have against corporate money is very peculiar, if you ask me. Does that mean ANY other group or individual that gives money is "ok"? Really? Even if it's Hitler? Why are corporations attacked so virulently? They are not evil institutions; they are amoral. It's the people behind them that we have to pay attention to. Corporations merely provide products and services and employ people. Hell, every group that pitches something is a sort of "corporation."

[boing3887]

we judge people by the predictable consequences of their actions. the argument you gave is the argument the israeli govt gives when defending the practices of the IDF. "well, we certainly did not intend for all those women and children to die when we were dropping bombs on the village, we were trying to kill terrorists."

mcveigh regretted that his bombs killed children. he didn't "mean" to. but that's irrelevant. we judge everyone by the same standard on the issue of actions and harm.

[boing3887]

ok, so only a minority of its funding comes directly from corporations. what kind of individuals and foundations do they get their funding from? are the foundations by any chance funded by corporations? are the individuals by any chance business leaders?

is heartland really that influential? why don't you mention cato, heritage, or american enterprise?

[boing3887]

there are grassroots groups all over the country which have no corporate affiliation whatsoever and they tend to lean liberal or left. for example, west virginians in appalachia trying to fight the coal industry to stop mountaintop removal mining and to force regulations on mining companies so they can't pollute the water with carcinogens and toxins.

are these west virginians really a "front group"?

front groups are not the same as grassroots organizations

[whoo689]

Corporate leaders ARE human beings, believe it or not. I'm sure many of them have the same needs and concerns as you and I. As leaders, they're concerned most with what they control. They want as much growth as possible. But I can assure you, they DO NOT want to actively hurt the people. Sure, actions they take may indirectly harm others, and they may be ignorant or indifferent to that, but they do not mean it out of malice. Pollution is an example of this.

[whoo689]

I think the reason people have a problem with corporate money is merely because of the size. Corporations are so much larger than all the other groups.  But that DOES NOT automatically imply that they always have more power. People can fight corporations and win. I mean, in basic civics classes, one of the things you usually read about is C. Wright Mills' study of New Haven, CT city gov't. What he found is that it's a polyarchy of interests getting their way, not just the powerful or rich.

[boing3887]

"i think the reason people have problems with government is merely because of the size. governments are much larger than other groups. that does not automatically imply that they always have more power. people can fight governments and win."

subsequent sociological studies have found that the "polyarchy" of interests tend to be that of businesses, and that "special interests" like women and minorities are almost never involved in that polyarchy

[boing3887]

if you're going to argue about morality and ethics, intentions are irrelevant. in order to maximize growth CEO's are basically forced to undertake actions which are morally repulsive and very harmful to bboth people and the environment. on the other hand, i'm sure most of them are perfectly pleasant and nice people who're nice to their kids and wives and so forth. but that's irrelevant.

i've heard peope talk about how hitler loved animals and was great with kids, and also a vegetarian. who cares

[boing3887]

noone denies that corporate leaders are human beings. i've heard bush jr. and ronald reagan were really nice and pleasant guys, easy to get along with, and i believe it. even their ideological opponents describe them that way. but serious people don't pay attention to that and instead focus on the predictable consequences of their actions.

"george bush jr. is a human being!"

"dick cheney is a human being!"

"stalin is a human being!"

"pol pot is a human being!"

[boing3887]

groups like cato, american enterprise, and heritage have a very well-documented history of letting funding sources affect their output. for example, i remember an article in which american enterprise was for years bashing some african dictator, and then the african dictotar gave some money to AEI through some public relations firm, and soon after AEI published an article praising democracy in the dictator's country.

we can come to our own conclusions on such episodes

[whoo689]

I think it's the same with Cato. The rest are from individuals and foundations and other private groups. Corporations are NOT evil. That's thing that I'm sick of the Left implying. They just have a thing called self-preservation, like everyone else. Is it WRONG for corporate leaders to want to keep their businesses alive and thriving? Sure, consumer and corporate interests sometimes conflict, but that doesn't exactly mean the corporations really want to harm people.

[boing3887]

there's a big difference between a corporation and a small business. sure, a small businessman wants to keep his small restaurant alive and probalby gets satisfaction out of his cumstomers enjoying his food.

thats not how corporations are. corporations legally are created to maximize profits, they don't just stop when they're "healthy and growing." by definition the point is to maximize wealth so others cant get any

[boing3887]

and again, intentions and subjective claims of "want" are irrelevant. what consequences are their policies having on the welfare of regular people?

i'm sure bush really did "care" about the suffering of iraqis and the kurds under saddam hussein. what effect did his policies have on them? it fucked them in the ass. do we really pay attention to his protests that he was "trying to do the right thing" ?

serious people don't even pay attention to those claims. we just examine the consequences

[boing3887]

also, if you're going to talk about free markets, might as well mention adam smith. smith pointed out that the principle architects of government policy are the "merchants and manufacturers" and that their interests were always "so peculiarly attended to" even at the cost of the majority.

[boing3887]

no one objects to people being able to feed themselves and provide for their families. what IS objected to is accumulating wealth to the point that others cant. this is a world of finite resources, and so by definition you having more means someone else having less - just look at governments fighting over who gets more oil exports from saudi arabia.

that's why people protest corporations - your claim that people are trying to prevent "self-preservation" is extremely disingenuous

[whoo689]

This video is a little biased, LeftLibertarian. You seem to assume or imply that ONLY the right-wing and corporations can have front groups while totally ignoring front groups on the Left. And how can you possibly say that EVERYTHING these front groups say is wrong just because they're funded by corporations or special interests? That's a pretty big generalization, wouldn't you say? Isn't it possible that maybe the global warming alarmists are getting some of it wrong?

[whoo689]

And also, why does everyone have to bitch about certain groups getting funding, in part or full, from corporate America? Does that inherently mean they're biased? Maybe a little, but I think operations like CEI are noble enough to at least TRY to look at the facts and say what's true, even if it does defend corporations. They're just a very pro-consumer pro-individual pro-free market institution. The Heartland Institute only gets a minority of its donations from corporations, for instance.

[boing3887]

what is a "front group." a front group is a group that tries to look independent and grass-roots when it in fact is wholly funded by either big-government or big-business interests. ACORN is not a front group, for example. their funding and their goals are very clearly outlined, and besides corruption among low-level workers that's basically what they do. comparing a group like that to freedomworks or some other astro-turf organization is extremely disingenuous

[DonJack1776]

Like all of your videos, Left Libertarian, this is quite good. You deserve more subscribers.

[ejdesmond]

hey man I love your videos but who at this point doesnt know that smoking is bad for them? I feel you need to get across how important it is for people to demonstrate some self responsibility for their actions. most people are ignorant to the things going on about them but would you argue that a lot of this isn't due to laziness and that they are too self indulgent to read into marketing and propoganda campaigns? why dont you make a video about the builderburg* group?

[poopstreek]

I like most of this video

It is a little "liberal" for my taste. I do understand that the rich corporate leaders run our government, but it focuses too much on "conservative" points. The puppet masters own BOTH parties, and they want to grow the government and make it as powerful as they can, so that THEY can have more power. We can chose not to support corporations we don't like, but we can't chose not to pay taxes and obey laws. Small government is the only way to freedom.

[prototypeix]

Dude, it doesn't matter if you support the corporations you like or not. They'll still get your money from the government in the form of subsidies.

[FatoDrunkoAndoStupid]

Critical thinking should be taught in schools.

Unfortunately our owners do not want us to learn how to think.

In the words of the late, great George Carlin:

"The real owners are the big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians, they're an irrelevancy. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything."

[psikeyhackr]

{{{ Critical thinking should be taught in schools. }}}

Doesn't that assume the educators are capable of it?

Most of the teachers are memorizers who teach children to memorize. How much of what they think is wrong?

Double-entry accounting is 700 years old. How hard can it be? So why isn't it mandatory in high schools with the computers we have now?

[99rhetbaboons]

But school is why critical thinking is so widely atrophied. And now you are going to tish pishaw that, because you've always supported "school". This is why PR works. Everyone is hearing what they want to hear, even those who claim to be above all that. Carlin's audience hooted and nodded, but if you told them that they're owned because they're in debt, because the owe mortgages, they'd say, "hey now, fella..." and rationalize it so it's not wrong, just mishandled, and by the "other side".

[GOPequalsBernays]

Saddest thing of all, most right wing libertarians gobble up the spewage from these sciencewhores and repeat the ponied up data as if it floated from heaven in the arms of angels.

[ljrow49]

I agree with most of this good video except the Global warming part. Not that the vid says it is funded but that it is but the sun.

[organdva]

The are highly organized, only to as they look like they are competing. 

Thanks for putting effort in making this great videos. Another favorite one!

[dankbot420]

awesome vid too bad only a few views......this should be on TV during prime time