Glenn Greenwald – Political Blogs and Opinions – Salon:
The Fred Kagans and his dad [Donald] and his brother [Robert] and his wife [Kimberly] and his best friend Bill Kristol sit back casually demanding more wars, demanding that our troops be denied any relief, demanding that the President call for other families to volunteer to fight in their wars — all “as an intellectual or emotional exercise,” as [Senator Jim] Webb put it.
That’s all revolting enough. But to then watch Fred Kagan sit around opposing Senator Webb’s attempts to relieve some of the strain on our troops — all because it would require too much paperwork to figure out and because they haven’t yet won Fred Kagan’s war and thus deserve no breaks — is almost too much to bear. But it is worth forcing oneself to observe it, as unpleasant as it might be, because within this ugly dynamic lies much of the explanation for what has happened to our country since the 9/11 attack, and the personality type that continues to drive it today.
I didn’t realize one could have the organ that causes one to feel shame removed. Evidently, you can. How else do these heartless, spineless, gutless bastards get through a day?
And how do they survive? From the wingnut welfare system:
AEI’s $25 million annual budget comes from a mix of corporate, individual, and foundation donations. Major donors include the heavy hitters of the conservative foundation world: the Smith Richardson Foundation, the Olin Foundation, the Scaife Foundation, and Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, as well as smaller right-wing foundations such as Carthage, Earhart, and Castle Rock. From 1985 through 2005, AEI received more than $40 million from right-wing foundations. (For more on AEI’s funding, see MediaTransparency.org.) In the 1970s, the Howard Pew Freedom Trust was a major supporter of the institute’s growth spurt. In the mid-1980s, the right-wing foundations, notably Olin and Smith Richardson, cut off funding to AEI out of concern that the think tank was moving to the center politically. However, under the leadership of DeMuth, AEI regained the confidence of Olin and other major conservative foundations, though it was not until 1997 that Smith Richardson resumed funding AEI.
According to People for the American Way, corporate donors to AEI have included the General Electric Foundation, Amoco, Kraft, Ford Motor Company Fund, General Motors Foundation, Eastman Kodak Foundation, Metropolitan Life Foundation, Procter & Gamble Fund, Shell Companies Foundation, Chrysler Corporation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, General Mills Foundation, Pillsbury Company Foundation, Prudential Foundation, American Express Foundation, AT&T Foundation, Corning Glass Works Foundation, Morgan Guarantee Trust, Alcoa Foundation, and PPG Industries. Wal-Mart is also a major contributor to AEI.
According to AEI, “National and multinational corporations who support AEI maintain close relationships with the institute’s scholars and regularly receive top-level research and analysis on specific policy interests and priorities. In addition, corporations provide important input to AEI on a wide variety of issues.” Corporations provide approximately 35% of AEI’s revenues.