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CATO Power Struggle...
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I45owl Offline
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Post: #1
CATO Power Struggle...
Cato must not turn into a tool for Koch - CNN.com

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/02/opinio...index.html Wrote:For 35 years, the Cato Institute has been a nonpartisan and independent source of libertarian views on key policy issues in America. We stand for limited government, individual liberty and peace.

No matter who is in the White House or has control of Congress, scholars at Cato have consistently argued that the federal government should treat every person as an individual, regardless of background and lifestyle choices. We have advocated for limiting military engagement in foreign conflicts that have no bearing on the safety of our country. And we have opposed legislation that would involve more government control, even when that legislation is supported by some free-market organizations
...
As partisan wrangling threatens to polarize Washington to the point of paralysis, there should be at least one organization to which elected leaders and the public can turn for credible, consistent, free-market policy prescriptions. Any imagined benefits from a takeover of Cato will be more than offset by the flight of its greatest assets -- its scholars. Similarly, any attempt to direct or influence Cato initiatives will result in quick devaluation of the Cato brand. This would be devastating -- not just for Cato, but for the libertarian movement that Koch conspicuously supports.

The Kochs can easily work through their activist grassroots organizations to advance their political goals. But the Cato Institute cannot be just another tool to promote their interests.

Apparently the Koch brothers were principals in the founding of Cato, but had ceased any involvement for an extended period. They have recently wrested control of the board and put in their own people.

I think it's pretty clear that this power play will hurt the credibility of both Koch and CATO.
04-02-2012 02:32 PM
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DrTorch Offline
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Post: #2
RE: CATO Power Struggle...
(04-02-2012 02:32 PM)I45owl Wrote:  I think it's pretty clear that this power play will hurt the credibility of both Koch and CATO.

Carpe Diem blog has been tracking this, and what you wrote is exactly what the CATO staff is saying.
04-02-2012 02:34 PM
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Native Georgian Offline
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Post: #3
RE: CATO Power Struggle...
I've heard something about this in conservative media, but haven't really paid much attention to it.

Cato Institute has had a good run and I hope it can continue, but quite honestly even if doesn't, there are plenty of other organizations out there ready to carry the fight forward.
04-02-2012 02:36 PM
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I45owl Offline
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Post: #4
RE: CATO Power Struggle...
(04-02-2012 02:34 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  
(04-02-2012 02:32 PM)I45owl Wrote:  I think it's pretty clear that this power play will hurt the credibility of both Koch and CATO.

Carpe Diem blog has been tracking this, and what you wrote is exactly what the CATO staff is saying.

The article I quoted was written by the Cato chairman. I saw it linked from the Cato Facebook site... I thought this forum was a suitable place to post it.
04-02-2012 02:37 PM
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I45owl Offline
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RE: CATO Power Struggle...
(04-02-2012 02:36 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  I've heard something about this in conservative media, but haven't really paid much attention to it.

Cato Institute has had a good run and I hope it can continue, but quite honestly even if doesn't, there are plenty of other organizations out there ready to carry the fight forward.

There are, but I don't think any of them have the cachet of Cato. They probably have the highest profile libertarian perspective in the media, and they seem to be influential in the halls of congress as well.
04-02-2012 02:39 PM
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Native Georgian Offline
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RE: CATO Power Struggle...
(04-02-2012 02:39 PM)I45owl Wrote:  There are, but I don't think any of them have the cachet of Cato. They probably have the highest profile libertarian perspective in the media, and they seem to be influential in the halls of congress as well.
I'll be the first to admit I do not keep close track of the libertarian-think-tank leader board. But just offhand, I feel like the Reason Foundation carries about the same level of influence as Cato.
04-02-2012 04:53 PM
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I45owl Offline
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RE: CATO Power Struggle...
(04-02-2012 04:53 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  
(04-02-2012 02:39 PM)I45owl Wrote:  There are, but I don't think any of them have the cachet of Cato. They probably have the highest profile libertarian perspective in the media, and they seem to be influential in the halls of congress as well.
I'll be the first to admit I do not keep close track of the libertarian-think-tank leader board. But just offhand, I feel like the Reason Foundation carries about the same level of influence as Cato.

IMHO the Reason Foundation is more of a popular site than a policy-based think tank. They seem to reach the public directly rather than through mainstream media or direct contact with policy-makers (mainly congress) like Cato does. Cato has a semi-permanent seat on NPR, and frequent appearances on Sunday Morning talking head shows. Their policy papers target members of congress and I think they are in frequent contact with them (although I wouldn't consider them lobbyists, though arguably they are). Other think tanks with Libertarian tendencies are Brookings, the Independent Institute, Mises, and others.

The demise of an independent Cato would not leave a vacuum, but I think they would be missed.
04-02-2012 05:01 PM
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Max Power Offline
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Post: #8
RE: CATO Power Struggle...
I wouldn't miss them.
04-02-2012 05:07 PM
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georgia_tech_swagger Offline
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Post: #9
RE: CATO Power Struggle...
(04-02-2012 05:01 PM)I45owl Wrote:  
(04-02-2012 04:53 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  
(04-02-2012 02:39 PM)I45owl Wrote:  There are, but I don't think any of them have the cachet of Cato. They probably have the highest profile libertarian perspective in the media, and they seem to be influential in the halls of congress as well.
I'll be the first to admit I do not keep close track of the libertarian-think-tank leader board. But just offhand, I feel like the Reason Foundation carries about the same level of influence as Cato.

IMHO the Reason Foundation is more of a popular site than a policy-based think tank. They seem to reach the public directly rather than through mainstream media or direct contact with policy-makers (mainly congress) like Cato does. Cato has a semi-permanent seat on NPR, and frequent appearances on Sunday Morning talking head shows. Their policy papers target members of congress and I think they are in frequent contact with them (although I wouldn't consider them lobbyists, though arguably they are). Other think tanks with Libertarian tendencies are Brookings, the Independent Institute, Mises, and others.

The demise of an independent Cato would not leave a vacuum, but I think they would be missed.

I was going to mention the Reason Foundation as well. I think they would rise quickly should CATO be taken over. There are some other very like minded groups out there but with varying degrees of activism (AEI and IJ come to mind in particular).
04-02-2012 06:41 PM
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Native Georgian Offline
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Post: #10
RE: CATO Power Struggle...
Where've you been GTS?
04-02-2012 07:15 PM
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georgia_tech_swagger Offline
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Post: #11
RE: CATO Power Struggle...
(04-02-2012 07:15 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  Where've you been GTS?


1) I'm now the President of the SouthEast LinuxFest, the third largest community ran Linux and Open Source Software conference in North America. Been a crazy last two weeks doing stuff related to that.

2) Been working on some less visible stuff under the hood here. Finalizing paperwork for contractors, creating necessary ad adjustments for when it gets turned on for all but donors, creating automated checkout process and usergroup modification for people who go ad-free premium, monetizing link outs (you may have already found our FTC disclosure?).
(This post was last modified: 04-02-2012 09:33 PM by georgia_tech_swagger.)
04-02-2012 09:31 PM
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