The Billionaires' Tea Party

Shulgin

I saw Max Keiser interviewing the guy who made this documentary the other night, Well worth a watch.

http://vimeo.com/20622744

The Billionaires' Tea Party
How Corporate America is Faking a Grassroots Revolution

The Tea Party movement has taken American politics by storm. But is this truly a populist uprising or one of the greatest feats of propaganda ever seen? Australian filmmaker Taki Oldham sets out answer this question, finding that behind the movement’s rhetoric of ‘freedom’ versus ‘socialism’ lies a highly co-ordinated network of shadow groups, funded by the likes of billionaire ideologues Charles and David Koch. Are the Tea Party protestors really just pawns in a plan to replace government with a privatized America?

Chuck Stone

That's why it's referred to as astro-turf activism.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

Are the Tea Party protestors really just pawns in a plan to replace government with a privatized America?

no.

well, saved you all an hour or more there. no need to thank me, why don't you check out zeitgeist or branch out into another genre of conspiracy theory movies. something involving jews or freemasons maybe.

Black Swan

Movie review on Astro-turf Wars:
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/zdnet-uk-book-reviews-10015295/movie-review-astroturf-wars-10021679/

Interesting conclusion made at the end of the review:

"Finally, a significant danger on the internet has always been the ability to create an echo chamber, where the only ideas and opinions you encounter are ones you agree with."

Manic Moran

With that thread title, I thought you were referring to the fundraisers that the President was over for yesterday.

Just the dinner party two days ago was $35,800 a ticket. Breakfast the following morning, $5-10k (And according to people on the radio this morning who were there, the breakfast wasn't all that impressive).

I don't know about you, but I'm not going to be spending $35k on dinner unless I'm at least a multi-millionare, if not a billionaire.

NTM

Manic Moran

"Finally, a significant danger on the internet has always been the ability to create an echo chamber, where the only ideas and opinions you encounter are ones you agree with."

There was a study done on that about two or three months ago, which concluded that the effect of the Net was that the exposure to multiple sources of information overrode the echo effect. Even the most die-hard Democratic Underground inhabitant is going to read opinions that don't agree with his.

Edit: Didn't take long to find. From the Anteaters:

http://www.macfound.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?b=4294243&c=lkLXJ8MQKrH&ct=9139903

The study's findings run counter to two commonly held assumptions: first, that the Internet makes exposure to divergent political viewpoints unlikely, the so-called "echo chamber" effect; and second, that the Internet promotes shallow activism among youth, so-called "slacktivism."

NTM

Black Swan

Manic Moran wrote: »

There was a study done on that about two or three months ago, which concluded that the effect of the Net was that the exposure to multiple sources of information overrode the echo effect.

Good catch!

Manic Moran wrote: »

Edit: Didn't take long to find. From the Anteaters

I'll tell UCI Anteater alumni Cin. She will be pleased.

jank

Some truth to this though. The tea party movement has received lots of funding from vested interests. They never protested on wall st. that is the killer for me.

Change wall st. and its relationship to government you change the country for the better.... but small rallies in little towns with little flags sounds "grass roots"

Manic Moran

Black Swan wrote: »

I'll tell UCI Anteater alumni Cin. She will be pleased.

Still waiting for her to come up to my tank museum. It's only ten miles away.

I'm up there all day tomorrow. I'll let her pet my anteater.

NTM