PrintThe more right-wing cronyism changes, it seems, the more it stays the same. Last night's episode of Nightline revealed that the DOJ's juvenile justice office has been awarding massive federal grants--meant to help seriously at-risk children--to a circus of right-wing groups with the "right" connections, abstinence campaigns, and the like. (Video here.)
Shocking? Kinda. Everyone knows that the Bush administration rewards political hacks with federal patronage. What's more interesting is that nearly the exact same scandal happened in the Reagan Justice Department's juvenile justice office in 1986, when a racy New Republic article revealed that it was distributing six- and seven-figure grants to places like Jerry Falwell's Liberty College, Ed Meese's close friend George Nicholson, and an ongoing attempt to debunk Alfred Kinsey. (The office was then headed by Al Regnery, heir to the conservative Regnery Press that is now pumping out anti-Obama tracts.)
Both stories, oddly enough, were broken by then-high school student, now-Nightline reporter Murray Waas. The only difference is that, today, the sums are much larger--a quarter billion dollars, by one estimate. (My how you've grown, right-wing cronyism!)
At minimum, this case of d
COMMENTS (11)
Waas was in high school when he wrote that piece? Wow.
Waas was in high school when he wrote that piece? Wow.
This is exactly the kind of story - not about the primary, not a campaign issue, not about a particular candidate - that I'd love to see Russert or Stephanopoulos cover on their Sunday shows. Will they ever do in-depth reporting that necessitates having journalists on rather than political pundits or syndicated columnists?
Let's start a campaign to get Murray Waas on a Sunday show!
This is exactly the kind of story - not about the primary, not a campaign issue, not about a particular candidate - that I'd love to see Russert or Stephanopoulos cover on their Sunday shows. Will they ever do in-depth reporting that necessitates having journalists on rather than political pundits or syndicated columnists?
Let's start a campaign to get Murray Waas on a Sunday show!
The Republican party is about nothing OTHER than the theft of public resources. It uses whatever means necessary, war-mongering, stoking social division and animosity, to gain power and cover its tracks so that it can engage in its basic mission: looting. It is nothing but a criminal enterprise.
The Republican party is about nothing OTHER than the theft of public resources. It uses whatever means necessary, war-mongering, stoking social division and animosity, to gain power and cover its tracks so that it can engage in its basic mission: looting. It is nothing but a criminal enterprise.
Roid, there is a part of me that wants to argue this point, but I just got done reading that article and even that part of me thinks you might be on to something.
My question is, how in the hell do they get away with this shit, year after year? Is *this* the liberal media bias they've complained about? Is this why they argue so much for smaller government, or is that just to eliminate money that they can't siphon from the coffers like this?
Roid, there is a part of me that wants to argue this point, but I just got done reading that article and even that part of me thinks you might be on to something.
My question is, how in the hell do they get away with this shit, year after year? Is *this* the liberal media bias they've complained about? Is this why they argue so much for smaller government, or is that just to eliminate money that they can't siphon from the coffers like this?
"The Democratic Party is about nothing other than a theft of public resources, encouraging people to go on the dole so as to multiply the number of votes in support of their candidates. It neglects national security so that it can concentrate on entitlements and it bloats up the bureaucracy in order that its professional wing has enough patronage jobs. It is nothing but a criminal enterprise."
"The Democratic Party is about nothing other than a theft of public resources, encouraging people to go on the dole so as to multiply the number of votes in support of their candidates. It neglects national security so that it can concentrate on entitlements and it bloats up the bureaucracy in order that its professional wing has enough patronage jobs. It is nothing but a criminal enterprise."
LR,
That might be plausible but for the fact that all the money in welfare and "government handouts" to individuals plus the entire non-defense bureaucracy doesn't amount to a pimple on the ass of the elephant of what the GOP steals every day before breakfast.
GS,
The GOP gets away with it for a couple of reason. First, it is a hierarchy, just like the Mafia, in which everyone gets his turn to dip into the public trough IFF that is, you play ball and do your job and respect your place in line. If you buck the hierarchy, you get thrown out and never get your chance to line your pockets.
Second, the GOP "pays it forward" using public money. The wh ... view full comment
LR,
That might be plausible but for the fact that all the money in welfare and "government handouts" to individuals plus the entire non-defense bureaucracy doesn't amount to a pimple on the ass of the elephant of what the GOP steals every day before breakfast.
GS,
The GOP gets away with it for a couple of reason. First, it is a hierarchy, just like the Mafia, in which everyone gets his turn to dip into the public trough IFF that is, you play ball and do your job and respect your place in line. If you buck the hierarchy, you get thrown out and never get your chance to line your pockets.
Second, the GOP "pays it forward" using public money. The whole K Street project is based on the premise that the lobbyists siphon money to the officeholders to campaign (and give them small gifts in a variety of ways). The lawmakers do favors for the corporations that the lobbyists represent, favors that cost the public billions out of which the lobbyists skim a couple of percent, still huge sums of money. Then, when the lawmakers retire, they get to join the lobbying firms and participate in the take. How do the lawmakers and senior bureaucrats know they will get their piece of the action when the time comes? Because that's what makes the system work. If the officials did not constantly see the lobbying machine paying off the people next in line to be paid off, then the system would grind to a halt PLUS it is the public's money that is being used for the payoffs, so why shouldn't the lobbying machine make good?
Third, while it is difficult to steal or give away a lot of money to individuals (what are you gonna do, give someone on welfare a contract for $%100K?), it is easy for corporations to be rewarded with billions in ways that are not obvious. Small changes in law, tax law, environmental law, consumer and worker safety law, can shift billions into the pockets or corporations while barely being noticed. There are government contracts, franchises, you name it. A myriad of ways to use government to enrich the wealthy, not so many ways to use government to enrich the poor even if you wanted to.
Finally, GS, what do you think the whole culture war thing is all about? Why do you think the GOP never delivers on it? Because at best it doesn't really give a damn and at worst it would eliminate that stuff as a campaign issue. The entire GOP electoral machinery is devoted to making as many people as possible believe that someone (other than corporations of course) is doing their best to steal from them and corrupt them and their children morally and sexually so that they will vote GOP and the stealing can go on. But don't think the GOP pioneered these techniques. This sort of thing has been the engine of every right-wing party since the beginning of time. Why? Because the right represents the interest of capital and, by definition, there can never be enough capitalists to win an election with their votes (except under various schemes of disproportionate voting that are another favorite whenever they can get away with it). Thus, they have to surround themselves with the culturally aggrieved to win elections, and they do.
As to why it works psychologically, I think it is because many people do not perceive any prospect for positive change initiated by government. Thus, they are more concerned about defending what they have against all comers than anything else. By making them feel that those who want any sort of change are outsiders of various types (elites, intellectuals, blacks, immigrants, the French, terrorists, etc.) threatening them, the GOP gets their votes.
"After all, if you believe a priori that government programs don't work, yet the public doesn't want to abolish them, then why not turn them to your own purposes?"
Exactly!
"After all, if you believe a priori that government programs don't work, yet the public doesn't want to abolish them, then why not turn them to your own purposes?"
Exactly!
Roid-
Wow.
Roid-
Wow.
Roid - Well done. Two words sum it up: Crony Capitalism. Wikipedia does a nice job defining it.
Roid - Well done. Two words sum it up: Crony Capitalism. Wikipedia does a nice job defining it.
fougasseu,
I'm gonna look it up.
fougasseu,
I'm gonna look it up.
Roid, beautiful!
jfelliot, argumentum ad "self-fulfilling prophecy"?
LR, that doesn't even rise to the level of specious, from where did you pull that, Rove's ass?
Roid, beautiful!
jfelliot, argumentum ad "self-fulfilling prophecy"?
LR, that doesn't even rise to the level of specious, from where did you pull that, Rove's ass?