"What I don't quite understand is why anonymous giving to politically-minded organizations only becomes a threat to democracy…when it's done by free market organizations"

Matt Welch | 9.8.2011 1:26 PM

Radley Balko notes some double standards over at Mother Jones (and elsewhere).

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Max 14 years ago

There's a lot more than just that you don't understand, Matt.
1. Matt Welch 14 years ago
  
  True. But at least I understand quotation marks!
  1. SugarFree 14 years ago
    
    BURN!
  2. WTF 14 years ago
    
    PWN'D!
    1. sloopyinca 14 years ago
      
      BOOYAH!!
  3. Warty 14 years ago
    
    Did Edward get unbanned, or did he just find a new computer?
    1. Episiarch 14 years ago
      
      Undoubtedly he did the rectal: go to the library and use their computers. Which is hilarious.
      1. Trespassers W 14 years ago
        
        The proper terminology is "going the rectal route".
        
        Episiarch 14 years ago
        
        Back door computing?
        
        BakedPenguin 14 years ago
        
        Huh?
      2. Warty 14 years ago
        
        One of us needs to seduce whoever's in charge of the site and get the IP addresses for our trolls. I call not it.
        
        Episiarch 14 years ago
        
        I nominate Warty.
        
        Scruffy 14 years ago
        
        Second.
        
        JW 14 years ago
        
        We're going to us e that info to go and kick their asses, like Jay and Silent Bob, right? RIGHT?
        
        Warty 14 years ago
        
        More to point and laugh, but you've got the general idea.
        
        Also, that sounded like you volunteered.
        
        Episiarch 14 years ago
        
        I nominate JW!
        
        Scruffy 14 years ago
        
        Second.
        
        JW 14 years ago
        
        This is more than a one-man operation.
        
        I'll let you be the Clit Commander.
  4. Trespassers W 14 years ago
    
    PUNCTUATION-OBSERVATION-FAIL PWNED
  5. Colin 14 years ago
    
    And commas.
  6. Max 14 years ago
    
    God, you're right. How embarrassing. Sometimes I type before I think.
2. Max's Mom 14 years ago
  
  Max still doesn't understand how to wipe his own ass, poor little dear.
  1. Max has made his last post 14 years ago
    
    Max|6.24.10 @ 3:29PM|#
    
    Go suck ron puals dick, morons. You peeple are fucking retarded. I`m done coming to this wingnut sight. this is my last post.
    1. Colin 14 years ago
      
      If only this were true.
      
      If only!
PantsFan 14 years ago

Prince Charles warns of 'sixth extinction event'
Mankind faces extinction, the Prince of Wales has warned, unless humans transform our lifestyles to stop mass consumption, run away climate change and destruction of wildlife.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ear.....event.html
1. Apatheist 14 years ago
  
  Just as soon as you give up your inheritance!
2. SOFL Hockey Fan 14 years ago
  
  Does a wedding that cost over 52 million pounds, which is about 85 million dollars count as "mass consumption"?
  1. PantsFan 14 years ago
    
    that was essential
    1. Apatheist 14 years ago
      
      Prince Charles' existence is nonessential. So I guess he's planning to off himself. Right?
      1. PantsFan 14 years ago
        
        But he's a prophet
        
        Citizen Nothing 14 years ago
        
        No. A loss.
3. Isaac Bartram 14 years ago
  
  As Prime Minister Francis Urquhart says in To Play the King, Part 2 of the House of Cards trilogy, when referring to his fictional king (obviously based on Charles), his statements about his social conscience would be much more convincing if they weren't coming from a man who owns four Bentleys.
sarcasmic 14 years ago

You mean lefties want to apply the rules differently, depending on political persuasions?

I'm shocked!

Shocked I tell you!

Shocked!
Trespassers W 14 years ago

Someone's getting BALKO-PWNED in the comments over there.
1. Amakudari 14 years ago
  
  > I still think it's not necessarily hypocritical to think there's a public interest in knowing who's contributing to an organization like Heritage, which spreads blatant lies about climate change, but not necessarily a public interest in knowing who donates to every charity.
  
  Seems to me you're saying you think donors to organizations that advocate positions contrary to yours should be disclosed. But donors who give to organizations that advocate positions you support have the right to remain anonymous. If that isn't an accurate statement of your position, please feel free to clarify.
  
  Please Balko don't hurt 'em.
  1. SugarFree 14 years ago
    
    Please Balko don't hurt 'em.
    
    Radley, I will ask no such thing of you.
Eduard van Haalen 14 years ago

You don't get it, do you? Contributors to Mother Jones's parent company shouldn't be forced to reveal their identities, because the Tea Party and Glen Beck would put them in concentration camps. In contrast, donors to right-wing organizations run no risk of reprisal, because they're all holed up in secret fortresses, like Bond villains.
1. Colin 14 years ago
  
  Don't you get it? Progressives are a force for good and righteousness. They would never do bad things.
  
  That's why their rules apply only to others.
  1. sarcasmic 14 years ago
    
    And even when they do bad things, they make sure to have voted on it first.
    It's perfectly OK to do bad things if the majority approves.
    Then it's not bad anymore.
Colin 14 years ago

Good to see that Balko hasn't sold out to his new overlords.
1. Citizen Nothing 14 years ago
  
  Weigel, on the other hand...
  I always hoped that young man could be turned from the Dark Side. Too bad. Too bad.
  1. Warty 14 years ago
    
    Weigel was always what he seemed to be. At least he doesn't come around here and argue with us any more.
    1. Apogee 14 years ago
      
      ^This. Again, my first reading of a Weigel column made me check the cover to see if it was actually Reason magazine.
      1. John-David 14 years ago
        
        ^This, as well. Decent enough guy, but just a pretender while writing for Reason.
    2. fish 14 years ago
      
      At least he doesn't come around here and argue with us any more.
      
      Or does he? White Indian...cough cough.
  2. Apogee 14 years ago
    
    It's also hilarious that Weigel fails to understand the possible consequences of public revelations relating to personal political beliefs.
    1. tarran 14 years ago
      
      I'm sure he does; he writes to influence people, not bare his heart.
Res Publica Americana 14 years ago

I couldn't give two shits about democracy. Additionally, the the fact that it's Mother Jones bitching about donations just makes it harder to give a shit about the issue at all. When's the last time Mother Jones said anything that made sense?
1. BakedPenguin 14 years ago
  
  They've had some good articles on the Drug on Wars, immigration, and civil liberties.
A Serious Man 14 years ago

Of course democracy does NOT equate freedom. I notice that a common insult from liberals towards libertarians is that our devotion to property rights and limited government makes us inherently undemocratic.

Well you know what? So frickin' be it because we all know that mob rule is never a good thing.
1. Citizen Nothing 14 years ago
  
  If you can't vote to expropriate your neighbor's lawn tractor, you're living under tyranny, man.
2. sarcasmic 14 years ago
  
  If you want to steal from people simply because they've got more stuff than you, but silly criminal laws get in the way, then democracy is your answer.
  Get enough like minded people together, hold a vote, and declare that those rich people don't deserve their stuff.
  Then you guys get together and determine how to spend the loot.
  It's a party!
  
  That's why liberals despise limited government and property rights.
  Because they want to vote themselves the right to have unlimited government take other people's property on their behalf.
  1. PantsFan 14 years ago
    
    It's not stealing if they owe it to society.
    1. sarcasmic 14 years ago
      
      I've never understood what that meant.
      
      Assuming a person gets rich by some honest means, like something other than government or lawyering, then every dollar they have was acquired by exchanging it for something of value with a member of society.
      
      I'd say they're even.
      1. sarcasmic 14 years ago
        
        Rather by a member of society exchanging it for something of value.
        You know what I mean.
        Bill Gates has his billions and the world has his operating system.
        What does he owe society?
        
        dakotian 14 years ago
        
        I really do think that some people think that wealthy people hide all their money in their mattresses. Rich peoples money drives the economy just as much as poor peoples.
        
        dakotian 14 years ago
        
        or people. Thats what I get for not previewing.
        
        sarcasmic 14 years ago
        
        They don't understand that wealth is not money and money is not wealth.
        They think that having a nice car means the person has money.
        No. It means the person had money, and exchanged it for the car.
        The car is wealth. Wealth is not money.
        
        Would I be rich if I sold all of my wealth except for the clothes on my back, put all the money in a bag, and sat down on a park bench?
        
        Sure I'd have money, but what good would it be?
  2. Tony(s) 14 years ago
    
    If you want to steal from people simply because they've got more stuff than you, but silly criminal laws get in the way, then democracy is your answer.
    Get enough like minded people together, hold a vote, and declare that those rich people don't deserve their stuff.
    Then you guys get together and determine how to spend the loot.
    It's a party!
    
    Now you finally get it.
The Immaculate Trouser 14 years ago

BALKOOOOOOOOOO!!!
PR 14 years ago

And it's just a disgrace that this information is smuggled out of a meeting like a heroin shipment, instead of being disclosed.

thanks journolister!
1. Warty 14 years ago
  
  Ad hom! Tu quoque! Glib!
Democrat 14 years ago

Oh Radley, next you'll be asking why the New York Times gets to talk about politics shortly before an election and Microsoft doesn't, or why the government is allowed to have guns and private individuals aren't.
James Ard 14 years ago

Weigal lost his dream job after outing his own political beliefs. You'd think that would be a lesson that might sink in.
Russ 2000 14 years ago

I stopped reading after "Dave Weigel".
Juice 14 years ago

If we want true full disclosure, then we should abolish the secret ballot.

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"What I don't quite understand is why anonymous giving to politically-minded organizations only becomes a threat to democracy…when it's done by free market organizations"

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