By contributing writer Carol-Ann Edwards.
Glenn Greenwald is an iconic journalist most known for his work with whistle-blower Edward Snowden and the NSA spying programs including the “5 Eyes” program with Australia, NZ, UK and Canada.
Now eBay billionaire Pierre Omidyar is investing $250m for Greenwald to start-up an independent news venture that promises the return of real investigative journalism. Really? Since when did big money and honest news go skipping hand in hand down the matrimonial isle?
As soon as Omidyar was rich enough to join the miniscule fabulously wealthy club he formed the Omidyar Network, yet another tax-free billionaire foundation to do “good” works. The US Reece Committee in the 1950’s investigated billionaire foundations including Rockefeller, Carnegie, Ford and others. It raised serious concerns with Foundations and:
“an emerging elite that has control of gigantic financial resources: ‘An unparalleled amount of power is concentrated increasingly in the hands of an interlocking and self-perpetuating group. Unlike the power of corporate management, it is unchecked by stockholders; unlike the power of government, it is unchecked by the people; unlike the power of churches, it is unchecked by any firmly established canons of value.”
Big money buried the Reece Committee and the Foundations survived and flourished. Today the Omidyar Network is honoured by the Carnegie Council, works closely with the Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, Gates Foundation and Soros’ Open Society Foundation. Of interest, George Soros provided the seed money for GetUp which claims to be a spontaneous grass roots movement.
There are more Omidyar connections and networks with Foundations, Bilderberg Group members and other elite cabals all hell bent on creating a One World Corporation. Omidyar is certainly growing in stature within these elite cabals.
This raises the question in our minds – which master will Greenwald’s new venture be serving?