“Where do these people get their money from, anyway? They’ve been pumping out ultra-leftist propaganda for decades now.”
Years ago, I had a highly classified job. The group of us got regular visits from the FBI and, on occasion, the NSA (as codes were involved.) I remember a presentation we got once, where the FBI showed us groups that were being funded by the KGB. It was a long, long list of liberal activists including those on university campuses, gay groups, make-pot-legal groups, decriminalize porn and prostitution, local communist individuals and groups, including the Hawaiian Communist Party. (I remember that one in particular, because at the time, I always thought of Hawaii as non-political; probably because I thought it was paradise with a navy base.)
The KGB had also funded liberal politicians. In one column was the group or individual’s name. In the next was their agenda reduced to a few words, “promote gay rights; destabilize family” in the last column were dollar amounts. Some were as little as a thousand dollars. Some were as high as $20,000. (This was in the eighties and that was a lot of money.)
The KGB’s objective was to break down American society. I don’t recall the Southern Poverty Law center, but I do recall the ACLU was on the list. (I recall being shocked as I thought they were protecting the little-guy’s Constitutional rights.) I think the ALCU got one of the higher denominations. Some tiny campus groups got as little as $1,000.
I don’t recall the FBI agent saying, but my impression was if you had a campus group and you got in the news for a protest, you got an anonymous check in the mail.
I would say they are succeeding well at their objective....
I concur with your comment. I worked in a highly classified area when I was in the military in the late ‘60s. We routinely intercepted communiques from the Soviets and other communist governments concerning their funding of anti-war organizations and other leftwing groups. I have no reason to doubt it is still going on today.
A lot of those groups are still around. And their objectives haven't changed one iota.
I really think we could use another incarnation of the House Unamerican Activities Committee.
Even if there were no prosecutions, we'd learn a lot...
Not only might they have been originally funded by the KGB and are now largely funded by left-wing organizations and foundation, for the most part their largest single source of funds is the federal government!
For further detail, see ACORN. Moreover, environmental groups have been given grants by the EPA -- in order to fund lawsuits against the EPA and force them into more stringent regulation.
In 1994, Newt talked about de-funding the left. He never got it done. The House can single-handedly accomplish this goal. And now is the time to actually start doing it.