Corporate-Funded Lap-Dog Watchdogs, AntiWar.Com, Whistleblowers & Bradley Manning

Last year, in our series ‘Mega Corporate Foundations’ Lap-Dogs’ we took on pseudo-whistleblower watchdog organization Project on Government Oversight (POGO) and their consistent betrayal of legit government whistleblowers, their corporate sugar-daddies such as Soros-Rockefellers-Carnegie, and their incestuous relationship with the Executive Branch, especially the White House. You can read our coverage here, here, and here.  We also produced a video report on POGO begging the obvious question: Who’s Watching the Watchdogs: Read more È

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How Israel Offered to Sell South Africa Nuclear Weapons

100 Hours in Israeli Detention for Trying to Visit Bethlehem

**** Read more È

In the spring of 2010 the Carnegie Corporation issued a glowing report on their favorite government watchdog Project on Government Oversight (POGO). The report was meant to justify and showcase the large grants given to POGO by the corporation over the last few years. In 2008 and 2009 alone the corporation had given over $700,000 to this pet-project (lap-dog aka watch-dog). After reading the report one can’t help but wonder at the miscalculation that went with this report’s intention. What was intended to be a glowing report ends up being a major indicator as to the real nature of this corporate-foundation funded government watch-dog turned lap-dog. Allow me to explain further:

Real government watchdogs, if they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, if they are engaged in what they say they are engaged in, become the object of the government’s wrath and hatred. There is no way around this. No way. The executive branch agencies would be up in arms against them: digging their graves as ferocious and as fast as they can; overtly and covertly. And this includes the office of the United States President; the White House.

The legislative branch would be extremely wary of real government watchdogs. After all, real separation of powers ceased to exist a long time ago. Not only that; the last thing the US Congress wants is the existence of whistleblowers in their own backyard. Considering the level of corruption in Congress (think foreign lobby influence; think various methods of going around campaign finance laws; think campaign donors and conflicts of interest when it comes to the congressional decision and legislation making process) how many whistleblowers have we had coming out of congressional offices with reports of corruption, bribery, and other related misdeeds? I believe I have made the case here; suffice to say, Congress has never liked whistleblowers or genuine watchdog groups, evident by their resistance to providing real protection for whistleblowers, holding real hearings on legit whistleblower cases, and holding the executive branch accountable based on proven reports provided to them by whistleblowers.

I’ll go even further: The corporate mainstream media has never been very kind to government whistleblowers, and they usually perceive a genuine watchdog group as a real threat exposing their own cover-up or biased-filled reporting tainted by their masters in corporate and government. I mean, come on, what happens if a genuine watchdog group issues a report exposing illegal wiretapping by the government, when a giant media group, per order of their bosses, chooses to bury and sit on that same revelation? You see what I mean? The reason for the dislike goes beyond a ‘competitive’ relationship; way beyond it.

Now what should be the first thing, first inference, first conclusion, to come to mind (a rational mind that is) when one comes across a self-proclaimed tax-exempt mega corporation-funded watch-dog that happens to be adored by mega corporations, intensely liked by the Congress, truly liked by the executive branch including the White House, and very much admired and complemented by the tainted corporate media? Do you see something extremely disturbing yet very revealing with this picture? Then, with that in mind, let’s read the glowing report issued by the mega corporation, Carnegie Foundation, on their favorite watch-dog, POGO: Read more È

Last month, the EyeOpener investigated the “transparency award� that was bestowed on Obama this past March by a bevy of government watchdog NGOs who are ostensibly advocating for more government openness. As we saw in that report, dozens of high profile government whistleblowers and organizations have launched a petition at takeawardback.org calling on these NGOs to rescind the award in light of the Obama Administration’s abysmal record of government secrecy and unprecedented levels of whistleblower prosecution.

 In response to the petition, one of the NGOs named in our report posted a reply defending its decision to honor Obama on the transparency issue and questioning the motives of those opposing that decision. In the rebuttal, Danielle Brian of the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) wrote:

“It is undeniable that the Obama administration has achieved more openness than any other recent president,� adding that “Public debate and disclosure is often healthy. But there is so much to be done to safeguard our rights and expand openness – our community just doesn’t have the luxury to waste time on distractions.�

A new investigation into the funding sources of the very NGOs who are supposed to be holding the government’s feet to the fire reveals some alternative explanations for why these organizations are so reluctant to call out the Obama administration for its egregious expansion of government secrecy.

The new series on Project on Government Oversight (POGO) and Corporate-Foundation Sugar Daddies looks further into corporate-foundations and Watch-Dogs turned Lap-Dogs. Here are the first two parts in our series:

Part I. The Tentacles of Megas: Reaching from the Government to the Emasculated Watchdogs

Part II. The Journey from Watch-Dogs to Lap-Dogs

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A Classic Story of Government Watch-Dogs Turned Corporate-Foundation Lap-Dogs

I am not a big fan of ‘one size fits all.’ I do not subscribe to ‘everything is either black or white.’ I usually refrain from hasty labeling and categorization based on too few facts. With that said, and with no hesitation, I am about to tell you a classic story applicable to most, if not all, multi-million dollar profitable nonprofit  watchdog organizations with mega corporate-foundation sugar daddies. It is a sad story, but more importantly, it is a highly troubling pattern successfully disguised by the corporate media and corporate-foundation backed quasi alternative media. Because without seeing this pattern, without looking at the entire picture with all the pieces in place, people tend to chase their own tails or run around like headless chickens thinking they are engaged in some kind of active citizenry. Some groups exhaust themselves by futilely targeting elected officials, whether White House or Congress. Other groups burn out chasing after corporate-run media. Other people stumble upon each other protesting and screaming about mini scandals as they pop up at a bewildering rate. It is as if the ‘real culprits’ have put out these mock targets for people to waste their time chasing, targeting, and attempting to shoot.

The real culprits, the megas, hand pick political candidates and finance their election campaigns. They own the media. They fund and control any grassroots or watchdog NGOs that exhibit the tiniest sign of success, visibility and or viability. They foresee we the people’s easily foreseeable reaction and possible restlessness or dissent, and make sure it is properly misinformed, misguided, channeled, and diverted. Thus, the small minority of active citizens continues to become exhausted, burned out, and never gets anywhere. Then, the cycle repeats itself; again, again, and again.

Okay, back to the classic story of government watch-dogs turned into lap-dogs. Read more È

Who Controls Who with What

The mega billionaires of the mega corporations directly influence and control the mega public servants – think from presidents down to presidents’ appointees. Some aptly refer to these ‘megas’ collectively as the shadow government. The mega billionaires of the mega corporations set up mega foundations to channel, centralize and control grassroots dissent and activism in order to shield and protect their mega interests. The little watchdogs turned lapdogs and activists turned puppets run the nitty gritty errands, and do their dirty work under the pretense of activism and watchdog-ism for their mega masters while they dream of becoming mega NGOs. If we get past the illusions, all that pretense, and the entire smoke and mirrors settings, we see a mega country ruled and run by these mega elites and their errand boys making mega profits and with every passing day becoming even more mega. But that is a big ‘if.’ Because the mega tentacles of these megas have also wrapped themselves tightly around educational channels and media outlets – coercing them into producing mega lies and more illusions.

Have you had enough mega? I have. I am sick and tired of fighting megas everywhere and feeling like Don Quixote day in and day out. Whether it is elected representatives being bought out by the megas, thus mainly representing the megas, or, mini megas down the ladder in the media pumping more smoke into the atmosphere already filled with smoke and mirrors, I am sick of megas. So let’s put  megas in general aside for a while and discuss a few specific examples. Since our series deals with self-proclaimed transparency and government whistleblowers NGOs funded primarily by a handful of megas, let’s talk about these megas, their tentacles in the government and wrapped around these NGOs. Let’s talk about Project on Government Oversight (POGO) and their mega masters: Soros, Carnegie, Rockefellers and Ford.

It is one thing to have big corporations set up foundations to help with…let’s say the homeless and with setting up soup kitchens to feed the poor or maybe even funding art projects. However, it is an entirely different ball game when the corporation foundations who are heavily entrenched in high-level governmental positions start funding, thus influencing and controlling, the NGOs’ that claim to be government watchdogs. I mean come on, you have a powerful billionaire X who finances elected officials and presidents big time, who places his J, K, L, M, N men and women in the government, and turns around, funds and controls government watchdog NGOs who are supposedly watching, investigating, and reporting on that same government that is financed and managed by their master, billionaire X.

Carnegie Corporation is one of POGO’s primary donors. This mega contributed $350,000 in 2008 and $400,000 in 2010 to POGO. That’s a lot of zeros, no? Okay, at the same time, Carnegie is a major supporter of White House presidents and in return, the presidents are very grateful to Carnegie, so grateful that they like to handpick their appointees from (or maybe be given their list of appointees by) Carnegie Corporation. Let’s check out a few Carnegie-Executive Branch appointees; let’s take a look at a few Carnegie men and women in US government and other related institutions; shall we? Read more È

Author, researcher and Global Research associate Andrew Gavin Marshall joins James Corbett to discuss the American robber barons of the 19th century and how they used tax-free foundations as a vehicle for transforming their vast fortunes into political and social control. You can listen to this highly informative interview here.

I also encourage you to check out this page at POGO and download the information. Lately information and comments posted at their site and facebook have been disappearing, and with our upcoming series it would be good to have the following list:

POGO’s Foundation Contributors in FY08 Include:

Anonymous (2)
The Arca Foundation
Francis Beidler Trust
The Herb Block Foundation
Harold and Stephanie Bronson Fund of the Liberty Hill Foundation
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Cavallo Foundation Inc.
Connect US Fund of Tides Foundation
Colombe Foundation
C.S. Fund
Everett Philanthropic Fund of the New York Community Trust
The Ford Foundation
The Fund for Constitutional Government
The David B. Gold Foundation
Helfrich Family Fund
HMJS Marks Fund of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Robert & Ardis James Foundation
The Lawrence Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The New-Land Foundation, Inc.
Open Society Institute
Park Foundation
Pew Charitable Trusts
The Purple Lady/Barbara J. Meislin Fund
Ploughshares Fund
Revenue Watch Institute
Rockefeller Family Fund
The Scherman Foundation, Inc.
William B. Wiener Jr. Foundation

A few facts and points to keep in mind:

The foundation donor information at their site is not ‘up-to-date.’ Our researchers have obtained the incredibly interesting and fairly current foundation donors information, and we’ll provide you with that data in our upcoming reports.

Please pay close attention to two ‘Anonymous’ donors listed at the top. For a self-proclaimed transparency and anti-secrecy organization it is very odd. For example, in reviewing Obama White House ties with POGO donor foundations and the ludicrous transparency award how do we include or exclude ‘anonymous’ donors and their potential conflict of or overlapping interest? You get it, right?

Remember, this is only their list of foundation donors. It does not include individual large $$$ donors and their relationship to the primary corporate- foundation donors. For example, one of their deep pockets individual donors happens to be Alida Rockefeller Messinger who is the sister of Senator Jay Rockefeller, and the daughter of John D. Rockefeller III, thus, a member of (owner of?) Rockefeller corporation funds funding the Rockefeller corporation-foundation. You see what I’m getting at, right?

Pay close attention to Soros’ Open Society Institute, Rockefeller Family Fund, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Ford Foundation.

Again, I highly recommend Corbett’s interview with Mr. Marshall. It will provide you with solid historical and contextual facts.

This site depends exclusively on readers’ support. Please help us continue by contributing directly and or purchasing Boiling Frogs showcased products.

The Upcoming Corporate-Foundations & Watch-Dogs Turned Lapdogs Series

In 2006 I made and announced a decision. I was not going to expand and institutionalize my National Security Whistleblowers Coalition (NSWBC); we were not going to raise a single dollar from foundations, that is, corporate foundations, or wealthy donors. The price attached to doing so, the strings attached in becoming dependent on those funds and donors would have defeated the mission and objectives of NSWBC. It was a firm and absolute decision; one I’ve stuck with to date.

In April 2009, in one of my weekly round ups, I included a disturbing report showing that the antiwar movement in the US demobilized as Democrats, who had been motivated to participate by anti-Republican sentiments, withdrew from antiwar protests when the Democratic Party achieved electoral success.

Earlier this month I coauthored a petition asking five self-proclaimed transparency organizations to publicly take back their “transparency award� to Barack Obama. The release of the petition was followed by articles on Project on Government Oversight (POGO) questioning the real reason(s) and agenda behind their ludicrous and highly damaging act.

Now, what do the above facts have in common?

Well, it comes down to asking the question ‘why’ rather than multiple what’s.

In 2005-2006 I had close and intimate encounters with the convoluted and typically dirty world of corporate foundations and partisan agendas forming and ruling political government watchdog and related institutions. Last March I tried to give you a little glimpse of how these dealings, compromises (more like sell outs), and typical ‘smoke & mirrors’ creations work by providing you with one personal example out of many. You start getting a little bit of visibility as a grassroots coalition, and ‘they’ come to you dangling the carrots-the badly needed funds to do more. Initially, they don’t ask much in return; maybe a few of their guys and gals on the board of directors they want you to set up, or, a gentle request to tone down certain criticisms of a certain congressman from a certain party. All that in the initial stage.

The same phenomenon applies to funding and publicizing antiwar movements. The ones at the top, the ones with the funds, the ones with the publicity and organizational resources, are the ones that decide when atrocious illegal wars need opposing, and when equally or more atrocious wars need not. Read more È