this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2023
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[–] [email protected] 120 points 1 year ago (16 children)

If they are donating to Conservatives then they are no more liberal than Joe Manchin is Democrat.

Calling themselves liberal doesn’t make it true. It’s the actions that decide what group they fall into.

[–] [email protected] 63 points 1 year ago (26 children)

Liberalism, at least in the neoliberalism form governing the Democratic Party, is an economically conservative ideology that favors money, business "opportunity" and order over everything else whenever they're in conflict.

That and it's common practice amongst people who can afford it to bet on both horses so they'll have bribed their way to influence no matter what.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I agree with this in general, but it doesn't apply to this situation from what I can tell.

The American Compass isn't something I'm familiar with before this article, but the article says they are trying to leverage right wing populism to traditional conservatism which I read as social conservatism.

As such, both the liberal groups the article highlights donate because the American Compass is anti-corporate.

The Hewlett Foundation did not reply, either, though the group has explained its donations online, stating that American Compass is “working to restore an economic orthodoxy that emphasizes the importance of family, community, and industry,” eschewing “growth for its own sake” in favor of “widely shared economic development that sustains vital social institutions.”

The other liberal group cites their pro-worker stance

In a statement for the Omidyar Network Foundation, a spokesperson told The Daily Beast, “We would encourage you to reach out to American Compass directly for comment on the pro-worker elements they were able to advocate for related to Project 2025.” The spokesperson did not reply to follow-ups seeking specific comment on American Compass’ affiliation with anti-democratic groups and ideologies that appear at odds with Omidyar’s historical support for inclusive global development.

Now, I think their pro-worker stance is short sighted and self serving at best and disingenuous at worst, but, for reasons I can't seem to glean, these organizations weren't able to see that clearly. Or they could, but it doesn't make sense with their other donations.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

It's a bit more nuanced than that. Liberalism isn't the opposite of conservatism. When monarchy was the norm, liberalism was an extremely progressive, revolutionary philosophy. Today, with liberal democracies being the norm, liberalism is essentially conservative. That's not, in itself, a bad thing - I want to conserve the core ideals of liberalism myself, and we can have an anticapitalist, progressive form of liberalism, that keeps what's most important, the real heart of liberalism - individual liberty, equality under law, consent of the governed - while also moving ahead to end warfare and establish pro-social economics. However, we can also have a liberalism that protects generational wealth and funds the war machine. It's far past time for people to decide whether liberalism, alone, is enough.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Alright. Your definitions are fine, correct even. But…

In American press, liberal means left. Full stop. You’re a socialist? American press will call you “extremely liberal”. American readers will understand that.

I get that your would like to use the definition of the word that has global application. Doesn’t matter. In the us, liberal means left.

This article is about left leaning orgs donating to conservative causes and the comments are worrying what liberal means.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Maybe they're "cLaSSiCaL LiBeRaLs"

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[–] [email protected] 110 points 1 year ago (14 children)

Neo-liberals are conservatives.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Not all conservatives are neoliberal.

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[–] [email protected] 81 points 1 year ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Carlin is the best that ever was, and possibly the best that ever will be.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

I don't like selling the future short, but you may be right.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

And we ain’t in it.

[–] [email protected] 78 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The personal foundations for the owners of the Omidyar Group and Hewlett Packard. (Commonly referred to as HP).

Yup totally not rich people bullshit.

Can we stop being surprised the wealthy back fascists?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If there's nobody fashionable doing anything right, then there's nobody to follow who's doing anything right. Therefore the whole world is gearing up for the apocalypse instead of bothering to take the simple steps that would prevent it. We get Elon Musk instead of another Tesla, who died penniless and robbed of his legacy. The apocalypse becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The world gets worse because no one is trying to make it better.

A world populated by nothing more than gorillas is a waste.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

What do you mean no one is trying to make it better?

You're guilty of what you're accusing others of.

Elon Musk has virtually no influence on your life other than being a famous person.

Why don't you start following the Nobel Prize winners? Why don't you start following the people who are actively involved in politics or humanitarian projects?

You sit there and judge the world and the people in it becuse you are too lazy to actually move your head away from the trough of social media.

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[–] [email protected] 69 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (12 children)

What makes something a "liberal org"?

Just because an organization donates to NPR doesn't mean it's a "liberal org" lol

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Hot take:

This is the problem with the public not knowing what liberal means, or having some nebulous understanding that basically means "Democrat"

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Came here to say this.

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, these orgs fund both sides so they have a say no matter what side is in power.

The surprise.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I doubt I can burn them to the FUCKING ground on my own, but every day I start to wonder more and more if the cost of my personal freedom is a worthy price to pay to purge these aristocratic scum from our country...

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago

The Hewlett Foundation lists the grants they've given to American Compass, they list all their grants.

https://hewlett.org/grants/?keyword=American%20compass&sort=relevance¤t_page=1

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago

Of the five groups, two stand out for their prominent histories of supporting liberal causes—the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Omidyar Network Foundation.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

So, we know which groups can't be trusted with donations.

And if we're looking to sow discord among Republicans, we know which recipient to repeatedly out as filthy RINOs who are beholden to librul donors.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not for nothing, but these "groups" are really just oligarchs with too much money. They fund things to buy influence. One of them is the guy who founded eBay. He doesn't give a shit who is in the White House as long as they take his phone calls.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oligarchs with too much money

Modern day aristocracy.

the french had the right idea.

we need some fucking guillotines up in here.

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There is no left or right in capital

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Not surprised that rich people support other rich people

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