Philanthropy as a Service
Pity the Billionaire
Bill Gates has sponsored the Guardian Development Section for nearly ten years now.
Many journalists say that if he didn’t fund it that there might not be a development section at all. That at least he pays.
That argument implies that without Gates we wouldn’t know about development issues.
His international expansion is dependent on moral support to make him look like he’s not evil.
He is funding the Guardian operation to stop the staff saying anything bad about him.
Or they’d lose their jobs.
The Guardian says Gates has nothing to do with the editorial line.
But he’s gagging them. He’s buying their silence. And filling the media with his puff.
So do they ever criticise him? Of course not.
Stand Together
Every cult needs to recruit. One would have to start somewhere.
So how about using powerful imagery & slogans to tap into undefined ideas about Social Justice?
That would get ‘right thinking’ people feeling that a necessary national debate is taking place.
That one ought to pay attention, and make one’s voice heard.
I feel well qualified to talk about propaganda because I have fallen for so much of it.
Here’s an image from the Stand Together website. Compare the image above with the less adulterated one further up.
As I previously admitted, I’ve fallen for Left and Right propaganda. I would rather find out what the right’s strategy is before it happens than than simply hearing about it on the news.
I doubt very much the right would put up with much dissent among its ranks either but perhaps more than the left.
Charles Koch
This is Charles Koch. Owner of Koch Industries. He refers to himself as a philanthropist. It is clear that ‘philanthropy’ is a billionaire’s strategic way to fund ther wider business aims.
Different billionaires have different approaches.
Back in 2011 Thomas Frank covered the way the Tea Party sold the idea of billionaires being ‘of the people’ and Democrats all being elitist.
Of course this helped explain how Trump did what he did.
In 2014 the English ‘left’ – by which I mean a group of NGOs – decided to copy the Koch’s and set up a left wing media hub.
It was a very controlling group that was very unwelcoming of debate or dissent of any kind.
The link is below but it comes with a warning.
