The World is Run By Those Who Show Up: Get Involved!
By: Staff Date: 01/7/2012 Category: | From the Offices of NAIA |
When I was in high school Ralph Nader was just getting started and most people were grateful that Ralph and others like him were willing to take on the multinational corporations they said were raping the earth and defrauding the American public. Generally speaking, the public agreed that whistle blowing, like free speech and due process had a positive role to play in a free society. The thieves, plunderers and deceivers in our midst needed to be exposed and stopped.
In the 1950s, this not-for-profit, non-government organization sector was just a fraction of its current size. Many nonprofit organizations provided direct service and aid to the popular causes they championed. A few national humane associations, for example, actually maintained shelters. But then came the various protest movements of the 1960s and everything changed. Soon, anarchists and enterprising marketing types alike learned that by combining dramatic protest style (feigned outrage) with a charitable image and tax exempt status, they could create a platform for manipulating the media and raising huge amounts of tax-free money.
It's no wonder that protest industries are growth industries today. They need no capital, have virtually no overhead, pay no taxes and do not have to contend with the regulations that for-profit businesses (ones that that actually provide goods and services) have to put up with. In addition, free speech is so well protected in the US, they can say whatever they want to say in order to raise money, and they are not held accountable for their actions, no matter how irresponsible, untruthful or damaging. The fact is, by using the protest format, charities no longer have to serve the public good in any way. To be successful, all they have to do is identify the public's deeply held values and figure out how to exploit them. In short, charities merely have to convince the public that they feel their pain.
Today, the American public needs protection from the protest industry and relief from organizations that make their money through lies and intimidation. The not-for-profit sector needs tougher regulations that hold them accountable for their actions and for their support of terrorist acts committed by groups they serve as press agents. To retain their tax-exempt status, these charities should demonstrate that their work results in public benefit. When not-for-profit groups act like mobsters or like members of a hate group, the courts need to treat them accordingly.
On March 4-5, 2000, NAIA will hold a conference to address these and other important issues. As usual our program will be spectacular and our speakers' panel will include some of the finest minds in the US. Come and help us find creative solutions to the problems created by charities that operate like mobsters. As NAIA director Rod Harder likes to remind us, the world is run by those who show up. Plan now to show up. The world is counting on you! Call (503) 761-1139 to reserve your spot.
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