I have railed against lobbyists forever. Even knowing that on at least one occasion, I might have been construed as one. The difference is that no one was paying me to do what I did. (I believed- no, I knew- we needed to have the US Government to pay the costs for dialysis for American citizens.)
And, we have corporations paying ex-Congressmen, Senators, staffers to troll the halls of the Capitol. Trying to wean one small favor (read- BIG DOLLAR benefits) on any bill to which they can be attached. I’ve also written about the mill run by Rick Berman (here’s but one example) purporting to be a research organization, that only puts only reports that justify the desires of the funding companies (the restaurant industry, in his case).
If you thought this situation was abysmal, then you are about to become really sick. Because it’s not just businesses trying to buy off our government (O.K., they have already succeeded- and are continuing to succeed), but, now, foreign governments are getting into the act. They are buying off think tanks to induce them to publish “independent” reports and policy analysis. Obviously, they are NOT independent any more.
It’s not one isolated case, either. Some 10, 12 “think tanks” have sold out. Oh, they will say they are still independent, but if you read their newest outputs, you can see they are toeing the line. And, none of these entities have registered as lobbyists, as required by law.
When I was in academia, I looked up to the think tanks. Arthur D. Little, Battelle, the Rand- I strongly considered affiliating with them. (Yes, the siren call of entrepreneurship won out.)
But, now, the Brookings Institution, the Atlantic Council, and CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies) may be closet lobbyists. The UAE (United Arab Emirates) has provided CSIS a million bucks to build their new headquarters. Qatar provided more than 10X that amount to Brookings, part of which are to fund a report on the ‘relationships between the Arab nations and the U.S.’ (At least one of their employees was told they can’t publish papers critical of Qatar. Obviously, that would be a problem if we expect “independent” research.)
The Foreign Ministry of Norway admits that funding think tanks is a way to get their points of view addressed by Capitol Hill. It has funded the Center for Global Development. The main project is supposed to persuade decision leaders in the US to augment funding for forest protection programs (REDD- reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation), a key program that Norway backs. (Sounds like a lobbying project to me…. How about you?)
At least one study reported that some 64 foreign entities have provided about $ 100 million to some 28 “think tanks” just in the past four years. The CSIS admitted to having taken money from 13 foreign governments (China and Germany are among them). Dr. John J. Hamre (a Republican, who served as Deputy Defense Secretary and DOD Comptroller under President Clinton, proving he can work across aisles) doesn’t consider spouting foreign government’s cases to Congress and the President as lobbying. Hmm. I think taking money from a foreign government to present their case to my government to be the very definition of lobbying and acting as a foreign agent.
When Qatar renewed its agreement with Brookings, it publicized its objectives on its website. (That’s the picture above.) It claimed that Brookings “…will assume its role in reflecting the bright image of Qatar in the international media, especially the American ones.” Sounds like lobbying to me, here, too.
There are also “teaming” arrangements. Actually, they are just piggy-back groups, giving our government the 1-2 punch. Akin Gump, a registered lobbyist, has been pushing the Trans-Pacific partnership. And, to insure that Akin Gump was successful, Japan added the efforts of CSIS (who even employs Japanese government officials in their program).
So much for independence. And, here’s to the lobbyists, which now include not just lawyers, but think tanks. Maybe now would be a good time to reread my post from yesterday.
Wikipedia defines a Think Tank thus:
A think tank (or policy institute, research institute, etc.) is an organization that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most policy institutes are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax exempt status. Other think tanks are funded by governments, advocacy groups, or businesses, or derive revenue from consulting or research work related to their projects.[1]
By this definition Think Tanks are not meant to be independent/impartial researchers.
Lobbying is defined:
Lobbying (also lobby) is the of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by many different types of people, associations and organized groups, including individuals in the private sector, corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or advocacy groups (interest groups).
This group also has an agenda and can include anyone, current and former legislators.
So I have to ask you. Just what do you expect?
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Wikipedia is not a valid source in my book, Ann. The last sentence typically occurs in countries that control their economies, although IDA here is pretty much an extension of the Pentagon, purporting to be independent.
Check out the Rand, Arthur D Little and Battelle (bothof old) to see what a think tank USED to be.
That will make the difference clearer.
and, the Washington Post has an update on Brookings in today’s paper….
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/at-fast-growing-brookings-donors-help-set-agenda/2014/10/30/a4ba4e8e-48ef-11e4-891d-713f052086a0_story.html