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Lambert, DC Blogger and various commenters at Correntewire report an observed problem at The Wonk Room. Experience, tests, and screen shots indicate that the Wonk Room site is rejecting links to the PNHP and Health Care-Now web sites. Both sites advocate for enhanced Medicare for All, while the WonkRoom and its parent organization the Center for American Progress are advocates for the public option.
The problems observed by correntewire bloggers could be due to technical difficulties as well as an explicit attempt to censor comments that link to Medicare for All web sites. If censorship is involved, however, this would not only be highly inappropriate and unethical from the viewpoint of progressive ideology, but considering that the Center for the American Progress is one of the “progressive” organizations backed partially by both George Soros, the leading advocate for Karl Popper’s ideas about Open Society, and the Open Society Institute, the organization he founded and supports to encourage the evolution of Open Society worldwide, the inconsistency between the practice of censorship and the ideals OSI and Soros-supported organizations are supposed to uphold would be striking to say the least.
I hope for the sake of the Center and its purported ideals that the appearance of censorship in the comment section of the Wonk Room is just due to a technical glitch and not to a deliberate attempt at censorship. I, personally, would feel great disappointment if any Soros-assisted organization were involved in censorship aimed at Medicare for All advocates and, having followed his activities and writings for some time, I suspect that George Soros would be just as disappointed at any such practices.
(Also posted at the alllifeisproblemsolving blog and Correntewire.comwhere there may be more comments)
22 Comments
Think Progress isn’t for the public option, they are for Obama’s plan as far as I know. They are financed by John Podesta, a lobbyist, and his sister, Heather is a lobbyist who’s striking it rich this year. http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/John_D._Podesta
Podesta was in charge of Obama’s transition team and helping him choose much of his inner circle. He’s tight with Jarret, Axelrod, Mayor Daley, Dachle…etc.. He’s served in the same administration as Emmanuel but I don’t know how tight they are because It seems Podesta took a shot across his bow last week.
http://palestinenote.com/cs/blogs/topnews/archive/2010/02/08/obama-s-presidency.aspx
It says here that Podesta got seed money from Warren Buffet and Buffet is definitely not a single payer PO advocate. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10876
A lot of the White papers at developed by CAP are the same as on the White House’s HCR site.They got in trouble with these papers for advocating for a PO publicly but then they were announcing what the HC Plan’s would look like and they didn’t include the PO on the site.
I’ve felt for some time that this is another arm of top down control, a fake progressive site to absorb progressive energy and sink it. I don’t even visit there anymore.
I’d be wary about ignoring the dark side of the Open Society and Soros funded orgs. They are globalists and neoliberal capitalists. Single payer is a social program that doesn’t contribute to the rich. You seem to take them at their word they are good because they are liberal or say they are progressive. Doesn’t make it so, necessarily. That’s how the DLC/New Dems got a hold of the D party.
have you been able to get any official response yet from the wonkroom?
thanks and rec’ed.
Nice posts, SKF, and letsgetitdone as well. Rec’d.
Bill O’Reilly bashing Soros doesn’t make him a good guy either.
Like most blogs, I’m sure they moderate their comments. I can’t speak to this specific incident, but given that Lambert et al. have been kicked off many blogs, this one included, I’m not terribly surprised.
I used to go to Think Progress, but it became to obamarahma centric and full of trolls. Actually, I couldn’t tell what they really wanted to accomplish or support in terms of real policy.
Hi skf, Soros has pretty consistently expressed concern about growing inequality in the United States, and also about the redistribution of wealth and the growing weakness of the middle class in the United States. He’s also been consistently concerned about the lack of financial regulation, was opposed to the repeal of Glass-Steagall, and also predicted the Crash of 2008 during the Spring of that year and tried to get the US Government to do something about the mortgage crisis and the developing toxic assets long before the collapse. No doubt Soros is a capitalist. But he is also one who believes strongly in regulation and constantly is pointing to the fallacies in free market ideology. He has been a persistent critic of the efficient market hypothesis and doesn’t believe in market equilibria. In fact, his own theory of reflexivity is opposed to classical economic theory and to neo-liberalism and he is supporting research into alternative economic theories that counter “free market zealotry.” In addition, he is currently actively advocating for global regulation of the financial system.
In the hcr area, Soros and his organizations have been consistently supportive of those favoring a PO-based reform he’s supported a number of veal pen organizations supporting the PO and has been a major contributor to HCAN. He doesn’t back Medicare for All, but I don’t know whether this opposition is ideological or whether he just bought into the Herndon Alliance Kool-aid on this, or was persuaded by John Podesta or others tied closely into the DLC political elite.
In any event, based on his writings and the opinions he often expresses in personal appearances, I don’t consider Soros a neo-liberal. Indeed, I think it would be more accurate to say that he is a New Deal liberal, closely aligned in economic policy with people like Stieglitz and Krugman and having considerable overlap with some of the views of even Jamie Galbraith, though I don’t know, if, like Galbraith, he is friendly to Modern Monetary Theory.
I don’t take them at their word. I take them according to their actions. They have been consistent supporters of Democratic organizations around the World and also of financial regulation of the market, and they have liberally fudned Demovratic organizations all over the world. Soros, is vilified in many quarters for his stated distrust of the market and his lack of acceptance of the free market religion, and in addition, he has consistently supported, with funding, organizations that try to protect civil liberties in this country. He has also been a consistent opponent of the War on Terror and of the language used to talk about it.
Finally, single-payer is a program that contributes to the rich, just not the rich in the health insurance business. On the other hand, the rich in many other industries would benefit from single-payer and from the many jobs it would create. As far as Soros’s position with respect to it, is concerned, I suspect that his support of PO-based reform rather than Medicare for All was a mistaken political judgment he made, and nothing more ideological than that, given his opposition to free market ideology.
hi selise, Thanks. To answer your question: no and neither have DC Blogger or Lambert.
Hi Jason, It seems to have nothing to do with Lambert. DC Blogger first discovered the problem and others have Corrente have confirmed it. Also, it’s not restricted to pnhp.org, but also includes healthcare-now.org. In other words, it isn’t about people, but only about elimination of single-payer hyper-links.
meh. you’re just making an opportunity to smear some single payer advocates. “lambert et al” can post comments at the wonk room unmoderated — unless the comments contain links to pnhp or hc-n. comments with links to hcan, no matter who makes them, seem to be completely free of moderation.
You are touching a huge widespread problem. At both local and national levels, I’ve seen grassroots movements for progressive issues sabotaged. The new censorship, list-moderation, could be used to stop hecklers. But I’m seeing it used to silence new ideas and maintain control for a few grasstops.
This pattern sabotages and attempts to redirect a progressive movement at the most critical times. When the sham health reform passed the House, some tried to shout, “we won, support the democrats.”
I saw an anti-war activist report the same problem, naming groups. I experienced the message locally. When Obama won, they said, “the anti-war movement is over, support Obama.” The real anti-war, anti-empire activists understood that the movement was more important than ever.
When these professional activists have their true agenda exposed, they shout for togetherness. The same people, who engage in the censorship, do not want a movement but instead want an audience. Whatever the hidden agenda is, this pattern has at its center; maintaining control of the issue for a small group of grasstop leaders.
People keep asking, where is the progressive movement? I think this is huge and we need to share our stories about this infiltration and sheparding of issues. I believe this is the key reason that our grassroots movements are being destroyed and silenced before they get going.
In Philadelphia, I know that every new grassroots response to a new issue will be infiltrated by a group of professional “progressives.” These organizers use a bag of tricks including censorship and meeting controls. Civic association leaders sometimes use the same bag of tricks, when they seek control over the general population of their communities. Silencing dissent or progressive ideas is a vital aspect of maintaining control.
Great post, glen.
There should be a web site…
That’s an idea.
Citizen protection, instead of consumer protection.
Or Citizen Reports, instead of Consumer Reports.
Any catchy ideas for a name?
Thanks Bill. I agree about a web site and would be happy to publish my experiences with the professional infiltrators, who I experienced in Philadelphia. Censorship is one part of a larger system of control.
Our mayor was planning to close some libraries and recreation centers. There was a massive public backlash. That is when I got involved and watched the group of professional activists shepherd, and then, destroy the nascent grassroots movement.
I thought about going to New York and talking to Democracy Now about this serious problem.
Looks like correntewire is the place to go for progressives itching to break from the stifling environs of the access bloggers.
Lgid, Soros should be much more helpful to outsiders, but he has a ceratin weakness for celebrity and establishment organizations. Too bad. Maybe you can establish a dialogue with him and perhaps more. It might be worth your time.
It’s a pity that people like lambert get kicked off, who is at least honest, which cannot be said of certain, ahem, others.
It is a really good Idea, and this abuse extends across all movements as well.
I read about this earlier, where the D party Governor is using the state police to spy on political blogs and even had a green party activist arrested on a false charge to stop him from protesting.
http://www.courant.com/shopping/hc-krayeske-charges-police-1220.artdec20,0,3377048.column
I’ll look up some things about soros. If I remember correctly he was there pushing for democracy along with USAID during those color revolutions that have turned out so well. /s I remember a book salon he did, and he does want financial reform.
what specifically was his offense? was the banning justified? did he do anything you or others have also done? or was it a case of different rules for different people?
unless you can provide answers these questions, your comment is just an ugly and unfounded smear (to add to the list of your smears of kip sullivan and the cms actuary).
the golden rule is a progressive value: treat others as you would like to be treated.
…….
also, would you please explain why your “daily health care news” posts are censored of single payer news and analysis?
thanks. i will be curious to know if there is ever a response. i hope you will keep us informed.