So many 1% Front Groups, so little time.
This one however, struck me with the sly novelty of their youtube "educational approach" to promote their never-mentioned Liberation utopia.
First the "think tank" background ...
Center for Freedom and Prosperity
wikipedia.org
The Center for Freedom and Prosperity (or CF&P) is a lobbying organization advocating flat tax and territorial taxation systems. The organization and its subsidiary Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation (a tax-exempt organization) claims to publish studies and conduct seminars analysing the benefits of jurisdictional tax competition, financial privacy and fiscal sovereignty.
[...]
The organisation's views are rejected by many European nations and many of the intranational organisations which it so often criticises, who see it as a lobbying mouthpiece for the Offshore Financial Centres.
Offshore financial centre
An offshore financial centre (OFC), though not precisely defined, is usually a small, low-tax jurisdiction specializing in providing corporate and commercial services to non-resident offshore companies, and for the investment of offshore funds.
Sounds like, CF&P might be right up Romney's Cayman island alley, eh? ...
What are the stated goals of this non-profit lobbying organization?
Here's what they say about themselves on their own site:
Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Mission Statement
The Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation and the Center for Freedom and Prosperity seek to promote economic prosperity by advocating competitive markets and limited government. The Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation and Center for Freedom and Prosperity will strive to:
* Lower the tax burden and create a more simple and fair tax code;
* Promote economic competition and the entrepreneurial spirit;
* Improve the retirement security of seniors by promoting a fiscally stable system of personal savings accounts;
* Reduce the size of government and return it to the Constitutional limits put forth by the Founding Fathers;
* Protect financial and personal privacy;
* Protect the right to private property; Protect the right to free association;
* Encourage free and open trade;
* Advocate global free market principles; and,
* Defend national sovereignty
The Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation and the Center for Freedom and Prosperity accomplishes these goals by educating the American people and its elected representatives.
In addition, the Center for Freedom and Prosperity lobbies Congress and the Executive Branch on issues of concern to its members. CF&P helps Members of Congress recruit support for proposed legislation and works with lawmakers to stop harmful proposals.
Just what we need -- more Lobbyists protecting that global free market -- from Big Govt interference ... who couldn't use more outsourcing?
Now about their slyly crafted of their youtube "educational video" series on Economics. When I first watched one of these "teaching videos" from CF&P, I actually thought I was getting a lesson from a college economics professor, until she quietly shifted into Right-wing, Tea Party talking-point mode.
Here's another "lesson" along those same lines, however the bias here is not so cleverly disguised:
Economics 101: Four Reasons Why Big Government Is Bad Government
Video Link -- on youtube.
Video Link -- freedomandprosperity.org.
Don't like that teleprompter reader -- No worries they've got many more ...
Apparently it's a bit of a 'cottage industry' for students looking to make a few extra bucks ... knowledge of Economics, not required -- you just have to look good in front of a chalkboard, and know how to deliver a script:
Free Markets, Not Redistribution, Is Best Way to Reduce Poverty
The New Deal Was A Failure: Hoover and FDR Prolonged the Great Depression with Big Government
Economics 101: Seven Reasons Why Tax Increases Are the Wrong Approach
Economics 101: Keynesian Economics Is Wrong: Economic Growth Causes Consumer Spending, Not the Other Way Around
Economics 101: Repealing Obamacare and Restoring a Free Market in Healthcare
Economics 101: The Job-Killing Impact of Minimum Wage Laws
etc. etc.
Here's the wizard behind the Center for Freedom and Prosperity curtain, the guy directing the re-educational show ...
Daniel J. Mitchell
wikipedia
Daniel J. "Dan" Mitchell is a libertarian economist, senior fellow at the Cato Institute. He is a proponent of the flat tax and tax competition, financial privacy, and fiscal sovereignty.
[...]
Mitchell’s career as an economist began in the United States Senate, working for Oregon Senator Bob Packwood. Mitchell left that position in 1990 and began a long career at the Heritage Foundation. At Heritage, Mitchell worked on tax policy issues and began advocating for income tax reform.
In 2007, Mitchell left the Heritage Foundation, and joined the Cato Institute as a Senior Fellow. Mitchell continues to work in tax policy, and deals with issues such as the flat tax and international tax competition.
In addition to his Cato Institute responsibilities, Mitchell co-founded the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, an organization formed to protect international tax competition.
Dan Mitchell is the Freedom and Prosperity's most prolific author too.
And here Mr Mitchell is putting the fun in "cutting entitlements" -- making the Paul Ryan Medicaid Block Grant plan sound, all but inevitable:
Dan Mitchell: Promote Federalism and Replicate the Success of Welfare Reform with Medicaid Block Grants
Video Link -- on youtube.
No wonder the guy started hiring spokes-models to read his Libertarian scripts. He must of learned that trick from Fox News. That, if you can't prove your case with Facts -- just dazzle them with new-market platitudes. And thrown in a few winks and a flashy smile, once in a while too.
Keep tugging on those boot straps people -- just never, never, NEVER ask a Millionaire to live up to their patriotic duty to their Nation. That's not how the Global Free Market works!
And Dan Mitchell has made it his mission to make sure America understands it!
With the help of his patriotic sounding Lobbying Front Group, of course.
Afterall, who couldn't use more "Freedom and Prosperity" -- heck that's as good as Apple Pie ... and WHO doesn't like "more pie"?
