Conservative Think Tank - Seeks Comments, Founders, Writers

Vanity | 11/16/2012 | Self

[PieterCasparzen]

I'm exploring a startup entrepreneurial, free-enterprise, Judeo-Christian advocacy group, a think tank of, by and for non-elites.

If you have either a little time or a little money (or both) that you can dedicate to a strictly right-wing think tank, you may be interested.

Some are no doubt familiar with my focus on NGOs (non-governmental organizations), the most infamous of which being the Soros network. While many are leftist, there are also those that purport to be right-wing, though most often they are heavily influenced by big business and academia - and virtually not at all by real-world small business viewpoints.

I'm developing a model for countering the influences of NGOs that, among other things, hurt small business, which negatively impacts families and local economies.

It struck me that small business offered a more manageable member base than the general public and also closely aligns with principles of the rule of law and economic liberty. By being by, for and of small business pure academia is avoided.

Interested parties, constructive comments are sought at this time.

So far in the exploratory phase, this is a high level of the vision (see first post):

[PieterCasparzen]

What is your stance on illegal immigration? Here’s one of my proposals. From my home page:

Since this would be a legitimate think tank business concerned with small business, one of it's core principles is the rule of law. Incidentally, with the true unemployment percentage well into the double digits, the sensible immigration policy at this point from a small business perspective would be to halt all immigration except for special cases.

Regarding specific solutions, that is what our Fellows and members will work on - so I will add your name to our list of those interested, seeing as how you're rarin' to go !

[1010RD]

Why not a third possibility? Big business has a vested interest in blocking innovation, new entrants and small businesses. Hidden in the Obamacare bill is a provision that bans doctor’s from opening new hospitals. Why is that in there?

Socialist central planners who want to destroy America or the American Hospital Association who wants to destroy competition?

[RitaOK]

My sentiments exactly! I am still seeking twelve white Republican women politicians who bothered to answer the twelve black Marxist women who called a presser to berate the merits of legitimate criticism on the subject of Benghazi, turning it, instead, into some racist, sexist rant.

Speaking the language of the enemy is the only way to mount an argument, giving back exactly as good as we get and then some.

[Ouderkirk]

I like your idea but will play devil’s advocate for a minute

The experts are experts because they have claimed that ground for themselves. It was a gift tot them they seized it of their own accord to benefit themselves.

Think of it like the education mafia. If one goes to a school board meeting to question the efficacy of some hair brained scheme
, you are immediately dismissed as unenlightened and if you don’t have education credentials you are the enemy.

I have a Ph.D in applied physics from an Ivy...yet I am just a quack in their minds because I do not have an Education background and am therefore unqualified (in their minds) to render an opinion or question their assertions.

I believe that this same “think tank” idea is fraught with some peril for those who write these white papers and don’t have the credentials to back it up. That you were a successful business owner is too easily dismissed as anecdotal and not representative of the macro.

I am not trying to poo-poo your idea and it does have significant merit. Better to be prepared for the inevitable criticism that will come from those who do not share the opinion presented.

[PieterCasparzen]

Thanks for posting - this is the type of thinking that is needed.

That certainly is one of the basic challenges that I grappled with at the beginning.

I’ll add you to the list so you can be in on discussions.

[PieterCasparzen]

Anyone wants on/off the Conservative Think Tank ping list let me know - thanks.

[jazusamo]

Am pinging the Sowell ping list at the request of the poster of this thread in case any of you are interested regarding the formation of a Conservative Think Tank and ping list.

The two following links are to the second and third threads regarding this endeavor.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2960965/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2961730/posts

[jazusamo]

Am pinging the Sowell ping list at the request of the poster of this thread in case any of you are interested regarding the formation of a Conservative Think Tank and ping list.

The two following links are to the second and third threads regarding this endeavor.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2960965/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2961730/posts

[jazusamo]

Am pinging the Sowell ping list at the request of the poster of this thread in case any of you are interested regarding the formation of a Conservative Think Tank and ping list.

The two following links are to the second and third threads regarding this endeavor.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2960965/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2961730/posts

[oldbrowser]

It is an interesting concept. I do believe that it must have an element to hold it together. I think the concept is too ethereal to bond the members for very long.

Some sort of small business association that might provide a service such as group purchasing, legal services, etc. to organize around and then have a function where they can discuss, develop, disseminate, educate, and advocate for small business.

[dcwusmc]

Self-ping.

[PieterCasparzen]

You touch on a key issue, thanks.

Only those interested at all will join, of course. Not every member, but some small percentage at least will be interested in sharing ideas and networking. The networking, however, is not the primary purpose, it’s just inherent. Every member would belong to two groups at least: their state and their industry.

The research is collaboratively developed: all business members have access to the system where we develop our research - so they can all input concerns and ideas if they want to.

Members can also attend meetings; each state can decide how often they’d like to meet; will not necessarily be monthly, since people will be able to use the collaborative system to communicate with each other.

If members have issues regarding their local town or state, they can type it right into the system and it will quickly get to the think tank’s research staff.

It’s an ongoing process, always coming up with ideas, tracking down organizations, laws, regulations, business practices or anything that is a source of problems. Our members can input whatever they want to; ideas, general concerns, etc.

Our researchers will not, however, deal with each input item as an issue all by itself. We’re not going to make a call to get a building permit issued ! Instead, the member is inputting their issue to get it into the discussion. All the input is collaboratively analyzed as a whole as part of our researchers work, which is writing white papers that analyze various issues that are systemic, then typically present solutions. Some solutions presented might be simple or conventional, others more complex or outside the box. Some papers may be more theoretical and broad, aimed at changing the overall mindset of thought leaders, others may be more concrete and detailed.

Of course, members will be able to read all these papers, peruse any underlying data, and comment back on them.

The system they have access to would therefore have input from members, paid researchers, other contacts throughout their state - every member can log in and look at things, i.e., what’s going on, probably a nice synopsis of new entries for the month, categorized, etc.

While the think tank is not a lobby group, it will work with legislators on a consultative basis; our researchers will have worked with our members to develop some super ideas that would be great for business in their state and studied problems in the state. We’re not there to help a politician get elected, we’re simply consulting with them, giving them our analysis of what is good and bad for small business. Perhaps we write a paper for a roadmap for the future regarding some topic. That will not have been developed in a vaccuum, but collaboratively with our members, so the roadmap would be one that would have a high degree of palatability. Our members, therefore, have a voice in policy, while non-member businesses have no voice nor can they see the information in our system (they’ll read about what happens in the newspaper if the paper decides to cover the story).

There would be various outreach programs, to schools and colleges, veterans groups, churches, the general public, etc., promoting things that are good for small business. Members could volunteer to work on these projects if they wanted to. The organization would take all the submitted member ideas into account when deciding what programs they undertake.

There would be State and National Conferences to attend on various topics (this represents hearing your favorite speakers, breakout sessions, networking opportunities, helpful information opportunities, food, fun, t-shirts, etc.).

Group purchasing, however, makes it not a think tank; no think tank does these things since they’re not industry organizations. If the tank did things like that, it would shift members focus to the product or service they’re buying. It’s like AARP then, hocking a product and a magazine; other than that members don’t know much about it. Research white papers would not be viewed as scholarly or intellectual. Typically industry groups have separate think tanks set up to do their research, which is then open to criticism that it was biased research put together just to promote the group’s interest. This almost made me shoot my own idea down at first; the only way around it I see is to keep the members all on board as researchers using a collaborative system together with the research staff, so they are all there primarily to think and contribute to the research effort.

For small business, there already is the chamber of commerce, national federation of independent business (NFIB), etc. Those groups, however, simply send questionnaires to a small sampling of members and tally the results. They are not owned and operated by what I call “small business types”, but folks who would be working for Fortune 500 companies or lobbying firms if they weren’t where they are.

The goal is that the organization becomes influential as a think tank but that it’s perspective stays “anti-elite”, real-world, small business.

[golux]

Bump - ping

[Chickensoup]

bttt

[Wuli]

I wrote to Peter, with the following comment:

Before commenting further I need to understand your knowledge, understanding and opinion of the following think tanks: American Enterprise Institute, Heritage Foundation, and CATO.

Why? Because it concerns me that at least two of these think dates does not, to me, fit your unflaterring opinion of known “right wing” think tanks.

[MHGinTN]

“NGOs have got to go, that’s my slogan.” ... And yet this thread invites freepers to join in forming an NGO. Alinsky would be proud.

[PieterCasparzen]

Bear in mind, as the threads say, the proposal is a for-profit company, not a non-profit. So it is free-enterprise, small businesss through and through.

And, as you alluded, the way society and government power structures work today, there are only two avenues to approach lessening the influence of NGOs - getting Congress and state legislatures to choose to not be under their spell somehow on their own or by individuals pressing them on this issue (fat chance) or by forming an entity that will use similar tactics.

[Kenny Bunk]

Back in the heady early days of GW's first term, a redoubtable Bush trooper, Jim Nazios, was tasked with "reforming" or something, the USAID/State Department/NGO amalgam that was literally spending billions every year with no oversight, no documentable results, and according to vague and UN-inspired agenda.

The wildly outspoken left-wingers of this community resisted his efforts with all of their politically correct and politically connected might and merely went into their bureaucratic bunkers until GW went away and his people stopped annoying them. In the meantime, the junketing, the meaningless but elaborate meetings in top international resorts, the incredibly high salaries, the incestuous revolving door between favored FSO's, the NGO community, and UN committees continued unabated. Their projects, which have no beginning, no middle, and certainly never an end, live on and flourish on our dime. Results? The only one I ever saw was an elaborate lifestyle enjoyed by those in charge.

Very Typical Example: A 2-week meeting on the AIDS Situation in Africa was held in Phuket, Thailand. Official results: "If an African Child loses both parents to AIDS, it seems that ... gasp ... that child will be considered an "orphan," according to WHO/UN Guidelines." Of course, the NGO representatives did not return home after this conference, but instead went to WHO HQ in Lausanne to review these earth-shattering findings with UN representatives. On and on for 8 years.

Question: If GW's first administration, which if one recalls, had both Houses, could make no headway against this entrenched cartel, how specifically are we to "Defund The Left," which has been building this juggernaut since the 1930's?

The Federal Government operates on its own, and is 100% Left-Wing from top to bottom in every agency ... with the possible exception of a few Mormon FBI agents! The higher echelon of DC is staffed today by the grandchildren of loony-left socialists who literally came to town with FDR. Your elected Republican Representative in all likelihood staffs his DC operation with them!

We can do very little about the Democrat Party. What we can do is figure out how to lay the moribund Republican Party to rest with minimal long-term damage. The Republican Establishment long ago traded safe seats for complaisance. I have no idea how to fix something like a Boehner. I have no idea how we are supposed to resist the dominant ideology.

The only glimmer of hope for constitutional principle rests in the arduous task of reforming state and local goverments in those areas in which an intelligent electorate can still be found.

[ex-snook]

There is an opening for a conservative candidate who would attract votes from both parties by advocating:
1]Formal declaration of war before military action
2]Control inflation
3]Make what we consume.

It is really quite simple

[PieterCasparzen]

Ping



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