Barry Lynn writes about the dangers of monopolies. Recently he has written critically about Google’s efforts to dominate the tech world.
This became problematic for Barry Lynn, because Google is one of the major financial benefactors of the New American Foundation, which employed Lynn. Eric Schmidt–CEO of Google– was chairman of the board of NAF until 2016. Google and Schmidt’s Family Foundation have given $19 million to NAF.
The New America Foundation just fired Barry Lynn, who has worked there since 2001. Its spokesman said that his ouster had nothing to do with his criticism of Google. Right.
I was a board member of NAF in the early years of this century. What I learned while I was there was that it is not a left-leaning Foundation. It is a corporate-driven Foundation. It is in constant Fund-raising mode, and the board had many corporate moguls, including Eric Schmidt. I enjoyed it because I met Fareed Zakaria and other very cool people.
After a few years, I was asked to leave the board. Unlike Lynn, I never found out why they kicked me out. I have been ousted from some of the finest think tanks in D.C., including Brookings (I was kicked out ostensibly for “inactivity,” but it happened on the very day I lambasted Mitt Romney at the New York Revoew of Books, and my program head was advising Romney). If I lined up the think tanks that ousted me and the ones I abandoned, they would stretch from New York to California.
Lynn is lucky he is out. He is free to write what he wants without fearing the wrath of Google.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Diane Now THAT’s good stuff for your resume. (Remember those?)
Also, THAT’S why private or corporate ownership of educational institutions is anathema to democracy: the limitation of questions to anything EXCEPT the reigning ideology, the mogul, or the corporate brand.
OOOOPS That should read: the openness of questioning to anything EXCEPT the reigning ideology, the mogul, or the corporate brand.
New America was also funded by Gates. N.A.’s plan for higher ed. is titled “Starting from Scratch or a New Vision for Higher Ed”. It reflects the oligarchs’ agenda, one of arrogance and disregard for democracy.
The stink tanks’ hired guns, corporate domination and the richest 400 American families who control the nation will be the cause of the coming class war. That war will honor those who sacrificed to build the United States and to defend it form its enemies. Lincoln warned us against men like those on Wall Street, who contribute nothing while dragging down
the productivity of the American people.
Linda
The class war has started but right now it has turned to a fascist as all too often happens. We can say that Trumps base is significantly better off than much of the Democratic base . How are they or their children doing compared to 30 years ago?. Take the demagoguery, the narcissism and all the other baggage away from Trump and he is touching raw nerves, because there is some degree of truth to the economic issues he highlights . The fact that he will exacerbate inequality not solve it a separate issue.
The topic of this very post being one of those issues. Every day there is “fake news” or lets call it editorialized news, on economic issues, from education, to trade, to skills shortages, to even the coverage of Charlottesville or Phoenix. Why was there inaction in Virginia even to gunshots being fired. . And a repressive response in Phoenix to an overwhelmingly peaceful crowd , reminiscent of the Police responses to Occupy. There are too few Think Tanks who offer a counter narrative to the steady drumbeat from bought and paid for research..
And think tanks like the Urban Institute rely on their prior reputations for liberalism. Then, Mitch Daniels, the wife of TIAA’s CEO and a school-privatizing former mayor find their way onto the board.
The outcome- anti-Obamacare papers, anti-pension funders for the institute’s other “research”, etc.
I tend to disagree with your analysis of the economic difference between Trump’s base and the ‘Democratic’ base. I live in rural Tennessee.
Many people who voted for Trump are poor (but white). Dividing the poor white from the poor ‘black’ is a time-tested way for ‘the Man’ to hold power. It was used by Hitler (black=Jew), by the Southern (and Northern) landed gentry, and now, of course, by Trump.
I think Clinton’s ‘base’ (Chuck Shumer and Wall Street) was at least the economic equal of Trump’s. Not all who voted for Trump were rich (he would never have ‘won’, if it were so), and Black voters understood that no matter which corporate shill they voted for, they would lose… And, so, they stayed home.
You know, Democrats, oddly, think that Black voters will always turn out, no matter how they ignore the real needs of addressing social and financial inequality. They are wrong. Either a Party works for the People (all of them, the vast majority) or it doesn’t, and the Democratic Party is beginning to show itself, more and more, as being undemocratic.
I was once part of the Democratic Base. I actually served as the vjice-president of my county’s Democratic Party. I set up ‘organizing events’ in my district, and met some very frustrated people. Now, I cannot see any future for the Democratic Party. To paraphrase an oft-used meme, the People haven’t left the Democratic Party, the Party has left the People. And it seeks (at least the DNC) to replace genuine action with sales pitches. When, for example, will the Party come out in favor of Public Education?
The Democratic Party needs to be reformed from the bottom up. This will take time. Otherwise, the Party needs to be discarded. Bernie’s trying ‘reform’, so (I think) is Dianne. Maybe it will work, but the odds are even, at best.
The great achievement of corporate-friendly politicians is to convince poor people that cutting corporate taxes is good for them.
Diane Ah, yes . . . the “achievement” of con artists, like P.T. Barnum: A sucker born every minute.
John Wund- “sales pitches?” If that’s what they are, they’re pretty bad.
The funders of the Democratic Party don’t care if Dems win. In reality, they probably prefer if they don’t win. Does DFER make the point?
Very interesting. My business life at a much lower level alway was at risk because I spoke truth to power and often I got zapped. Now you too are free to be frank. Google. Gates, Paul Allen etc. and Apple too for that matter now are as big as the auto and oil industries have been. I am proud to state over and over to my friends that you are my guru!
Gail, some people have told me they got into trouble at the district level for mentioning my name
You must feel like FDR.
“They had begun to consider the PUBIC SCHOOLS of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.
Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one EDUCATOR as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me – and I welcome their hatred.”:
We are known by whom are enemies are.
Dearest Dr. Ravitch:
You remind me that you resemble the character “Khong Minh” in the Chinese classic novel “the three Kingdoms”.
I profoundly respect your supreme state of being intelligent, caring and super duper gentle soul. Your patience, humor and kindness is shown through your wisdom in words and expression.
I pray that God will bless you with health and longevity so that you can train and support more people who are willing to follow your footstep in maintaining and strengthening American Public Education for all. Lots of love to you and your partner.
Very respectfully yours,
May King
Yet the mainstream media insists on referring to outfits like NAF as “the Left.”
True Leftists should be making sure they are a good long distance from what Liberalism has become; it’s some toxic, dead-end stuff…
When media like Politico cite the Walton and Gates-funded Center for American Progress as different from the right wing, the public is misled, intentionally or unintentionally.
Intentionally .
“Trump is a Democrat, Kushner , Gates …. ….. ”
This tent is way too big for me .
So many wolves that like to wear sheep’s clothing: New America Foundation, Center for American Progress, Education Trust…
Nothing “left” about the New America Foundation. When I was on the board, with Eric Schmidt, the biggest funder was Bernard Schwartz, a major defense contractor.
No, and I don’t they would characterize themselves that way, either, but I see frequent confusion about it, with organization’s like this often lumped in with “the Left.”
Bizarrely, Gates, despite his investment in the largest for-profit, seller of schools-in-a-box and his notorious reputation for disdain of democracy and for his love of cut throat business practices gets plastered to America as a face of the left.