Join the Right Wing Conspiracy

[Tim Gratz]

Almost all members of the Education Forum who log into the JFK Debate believe in conspiracies.

Last night when I logged in the Pop Up Ad stated: "Join the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy." Unfortunately, I forgot to notice the group behind the advertisement.

Is John really a right-wing conspirator pretending to left-wing politics?

Or has whoever placed the ad never bothered to look at the opinions posted here?

Just thought it was an amusing ad placement!

[John Simkin]

Last night when I logged in the Pop Up Ad stated:  "Join the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy."  Unfortunately, I forgot to notice the group behind the advertisement.

Is John really a right-wing conspirator pretending to left-wing politics?

Or has whoever placed the ad never bothered to look at the opinions posted here?

The who process is automated by Google. The advertiser buys keywords. However, it cannot determine the way the web page is treating this keyword. For example, Wim has emailed asking me why the Forum is advertising his website. He is under the impression that I have changed my mind about James Files.

Google do in fact exert certain political controls. For example, my page on the Ku Klux Klan appears in the top five of searches. I was therefore concerned about the Google ads for that page. In fact, it always displays charity ads. In other words, it does not allow advertisers to buy the keyword “Ku Klux Klan”.

I have just checked to see what Google is advertising on my J. Edgar Hoover page. It is Black Belt Magazine. Gerry Hemming is an interesting one. His page is currently advertising PFI. That is a right-wing policy that I am particularly opposed to.

[Tim Gratz]

John, at the risk of exposing my ignorance, what is PFI?

[Tim Gratz]

Well now whenever I click on this thread the banner ad popos up.

Apparently the organization sells membership cards, bumper stickers, T shirts, conservative books, etc.

I briefly searched the site and what is interesting is I could find no reference whatsoever to the people who are behind it (no names mentioned even when you go to the "About Us" portion of the web-site). For all that can be told they could be nothing but entrepeneurs who have a similar web-site to sell liberal memorabilia. One would almost think there is a reason the names behind it are so hidden. But maybe I am wrong.

Anybody else out there know what a PFI is?

Edited April 4, 2005 by Tim Gratz

[Guest Stephen Turner]

John, at the risk of exposing my ignorance, what is PFI?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tim

PFI stands for Private Finance Initiative. Private companies tender to build hospitals, schools etc, which they then lease back to the Government, for periods of up to 30 years. The right wing in this country have always hated the NHS but will never engage in an all out attack, because it would be political suicide, so hence, this half- baked attempt to bring in privatisation by the back door.

[Tim Gratz]

Thanks, Stephen. I am fairly widely read but I am not sure I have encountered this. I have read about private organizations contracting with the government to run prisons and of course there are privately chartered schools. My landlord's wife runs a private high school in Key West. And it is only designed to have better teaching than the public high school--not designed for private profit or to advance any religious or political agenda. My landlord, who is one of the nicest men I have ever met, is a successful businessman and has successfully raised two daughters. He is also very leftist: strong supporter of Kerry and Michael Moore.

Edited April 4, 2005 by Tim Gratz

[Antti Hynonen]

Tim Gratz Posted Today, 08:32 AM

  Thanks, Stephen. I am fairly widely read but I am not sure I have encountered this. I have read about private organizations contracting with the government to run prisons and of course there are privately chartered schools. My landlord's wife runs a private high school in Key West. And it is only designed to have better teaching than the public high school--not designed for private profit or to advance any religious or political agenda. My landlord, who is one of the nicest men I have ever met, is a successful businessman and has successfully raised two daughters. He is also very leftist: strong supporter of Kerry and Michael Moore.

Tim, maybe you haven't read about this as it is a UK program(me) not US.

Edited April 4, 2005 by Antti Hynonen

[John Simkin]

My landlord, who is one of the nicest men I have ever met, is a successful businessman and has successfully raised two daughters.  He is also very leftist:  strong supporter of Kerry and Michael Moore.

I am surprised that it has taken you so long to realize this. All the nice people I encounter are left of centre. Of course, you are an exception to this rule.

[John Simkin]

PFI stands for Private Finance Initiative. Private companies tender to build hospitals, schools etc, which they then lease back to the Government, for periods of up to 30 years. The right wing in this country have always hated the NHS but will never engage in an all out attack, because it would be political suicide, so hence, this half- baked attempt to bring in privatisation by the back door.

The other problem with PFI is that it leads to corruption. When the Conservative Party was in power a large part of its funding came from companies bidding for government contracts. The same is true for the New Labour government. For example, one of the most successful companies in obtaining PFI contracts is Jarvis. Before 1997 it was a major supplier of funds to the Conservative Party. After New Labour’s victory it changed sides and began pouring money into the new government. This seems very strange considering the chairman (Steven Norris)is a member of the Conservative Party (former MP and current Conservative candidate for the post of mayor of London). This has resulted in Jarvis getting a host of these PFI contracts. This has included contracts to run educational services, something it has no experience in.

Jarvis' reputation has suffered after a number of failed PFI contracts, and its involvement in the Potter's Bar rail crash. The firm now calls itself Engenda when it bids for PFI contracts.

PFI is one of the main reasons why I no longer support New Labour. It is now a corrupt organization led by the most corrupt politician in British history.

[Tim Gratz]

John, first, thank you for the compliment, and as you know the feeling is reciprocated. But I have known for years that people whose political philosophy is wrong can be and often are very nice people. I have always enjoyed a dialogue with people of the opposite political persuasion and in high school I was very friendly with the state chairman of the Young Democrats. In fact, one of my first lady friends was the chairman of the Stevens Point Young Democrats.

One of the reasons why, I think, left-wingers are often nice people is because they do become politically active because they have a very sincere interest in helping better the lives of other people, a very noble sentiment. And if they are sincere, their social compassion should also be seen in their private lives. It is sometimes difficult for me to understand where the dedication to social justice comes from in people whose morality is not based on religious principles. (Of course, it was Jesus who said that the second greatest commandment was to "love thy neighbor" and the parable of the good samaritan demonstrates the command to do good even to people who are social outcasts.) The reason I think I have difficulty understanding social morality in atheists or agnostics is because if there is nothing after this life why should one spend one's time or money on anything that does not maximize one's personal pleasures, or perhaps the pleasures of the members of one's immediate family.

Interestingly, I think one reason why conservative business principles work is because many (most) people are naturally selfish. Many people are willing to work hard, and/or invest their capital, because they think their dedication will bring them profits that they can use for their pleasure or to assist their own families. Thus, it can be important that the tax system provides incentives for adequate profits for entrepeneurs since these entrepeneurs create jobs and benefit the social system. JFK saw this and his tax cut (which went into effect under LBJ) was very successful.

I do not want to indict all businessmen as selfish. Many of the early American industrialists were dedicated philantrophists. While I am sure these capitalists were sincerely interested in the causes they supported, I also suspect their egos were satisfied in their ability to set up large charities and have a positive impact on the lives of many people.

Of course I also recognize there were and are many "cut-throat" businessmen whose only interest is their own profit and do not even treat their employees fairly and I recognize the need for government regulation of business practices. Indeed. while I am critical of many JFK policies, I suspect JFK was right when he took the steel industry on.

But I think I am rambling. My original point was that the urge to help achieve social justice, to defend the poor and the oppressed, etc.-- the things that motivate many people to left-of-center politics is exactly why, as John puts it, many of the nicest people are left-wingers! So I think it is more than a coincidence that many nice people are left-wingers.

[Guest Stephen Turner]

Thanks, Stephen.  I am fairly widely read but I am not sure I have encountered this.  I have read about private organizations contracting with the government to run prisons and of course there are privately chartered schools.  My landlord's wife runs a private high school in Key West.  And it is only designed to have better teaching than the public high school--not designed for private profit or to advance any religious or political agenda.  My landlord, who is one of the nicest men I have ever met, is a successful businessman and has successfully raised two daughters.  He is also very leftist:  strong supporter of Kerry and Michael Moore.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tim

I for many years described myself as Socialist, I now feel this term has little meaning. When an out & out carpetbagger like Blair use's it to describe his political belifes,it is beyond satire.

As with words like Liberal,radical etc, these have been appropriated and stripped of their original meaning. These days I place little faith in how people describe their politics,but wether they seek the truth In this way all people of good faith, can make a possitive difference to this sad old world.

[Tim Gratz]

Very well-said, Stephen! We should leave our political baggage behind us and seek the truth and seek to bring peace, freedom and justice to all the people in this world!

[Guest Stephen Turner]

Very well-said, Stephen!  We should leave our political baggage behind us and seek the truth and seek to bring peace, freedom and justice to all the people in this world!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As an atheist may I just say Amen to that,oh by the way congrats on becoming a SUPER MEMBER!!! now I suppose we had better get back to the JFK thing.

Steve.