Canadian Think Tank Watch

if one is concerned about canadian public policy being influenced by think tanks in the same manner that those in the u.s. have done for the past ten-plus years (very planned, strategic and machiavellian, no?), it would be quite an enlightened approach to survey them for a year, say, to figure out their strategies and underpinnings. wouldn't just watching them, though, be kind of like, "yup, there they go. i told you they were going to do that"... seems like there would need to be an action strategy as well. and as for the crowd decision-making matrix...i'm much too tired to be involved with that...reminds me of trying to keep frogs in a wheelbarrow and i have enough of that at work! besides, isn't there a lot of information from psychological studies that indicates that crowds really are essentially mindless and illogical? this crowd-decision-making matrix sounds like something someone may have thought up when one was stoned (no offense to the author of the webpage link who obviously spent quite a lot of time thinking this one out...i just can't see the logic in asking a crowd to figure out a problem?

<p>First Dave Pollard's text was referenced here for the part where he describes Canadian think tanks. Secondly, I would tend to agree that the use of the term "Watch" in the title of this post is pejorative. However, it is widely in use on the web and does convey the right of citizens to keep an eye on organizations (public or private) that presume to influence their thoughts and their lives. <p>I do not know whether there has been a post on "deep integration" at Vive before. At any rate, I think it bears repeating as I believe it is an issue that could impact our lives in a major way in the years ahead. At the beginning of this year, the <a href="http://www.canadians.org/">Council of Canadians </a> did a seven-city tour as part of a campaign against "deep integration", i.e. continental integration with the US. The results of this tour are contained in a report that can be obtained on its website. Here is a short excerpt that relates to this post: <p>"The tour and strategy sessions have been highly successful and demonstrated a clear concerns from most participants on the impacts of deep integration as pushed forward by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and the C.D. Howe Institute. <p><b>Much responsibility for the push for deeper integration rests with the think tanks.</b> Participants who did not know about the C.D. Howe Institute were surprised to know the extent of the efforts they did put into legitimizing deeper integration as a purely economic issue, thanks to their 15 or so papers. <p><b>To fight their influence, it is crucial that we know more about them, that we understand where they are coming from so that we can spread this knowledge to activists. <p>Montreal participants suggested that there is a need to actively debunk the work of organisations such as the C.D. Howe, the Fraser Institute and the Institut économique de Montréal and their pseudo-academic status. They also pointed out that this could be a component of a larger project for popular education, due to the pressing need to popularize the issue by making it more accessible.</b> To this aim, they mentioned the project of an activist school, cosponsored by <a href="http://www.alternatives.ca/">Alternatives</a> and the <a href="http://www.catalystcentre.ca/"> Catalyst Centre</a>, which should see the day as a pilot project as early as September. <p>There is also a need for the opponents of continental integration to undertake their own research, so that we are able to connect actions, issues and consequences. <p>On a more general level, it was mentioned that we should start taking part in some of the pro-continental integration events, to witness the rhetoric being used as well as trying to have our concerns voiced and heard." <p><i><b> <a href="http://www.canadians.org/documents/DI_Tour_Sessions.pdf"> Colony or Country: The Future of Canada U.S. Relations Strategy Sessions </a></b></i>, March 8-30, 2004.

The Left in Canada have dozens of government funded 'think-tanks' already, they're called Universities. Hopefully the Right in Canada can finally provide some balance by funding their own think-tanks. Balance is not allowed on Canadian campuses, you must repeat the leftist 'progressive' agenda. If you don't believe this to be true - try attending a Canadian University and provide a rational perspective in the classroom, you'll be hated for it!

<p>At <a href="http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Think_tanks">this link</a> already provided upthread, there is this distinction made between the private think tank and universities: <p>"A think tank's resident experts carry titles such as "senior fellow" or "adjunct scholar," but this does not necessarily mean that they even possess an academic degree in their area of claimed expertise. <b>Outside funding can corrupt the integrity of academic institutions. The same corrupting influences affect think tanks, only more so. </b> <p>Think tanks are like universities minus the students and <b>minus the systems of peer review and other mechanisms that academia uses to promote diversity of thought. </b> Real academics are expected to conduct their research first and draw their conclusions second, but this process is often reversed at most policy-driven think tanks. As writer Jonathan Rowe has observed, the term "think" tanks is a misnomer. His comment was directed at the conservative <i>Heritage Foundation</i>, but it applies equally well to many other think tanks, regardless of ideology: <b> 'They don't think; they justify.'</b> " <i>(emphasis mine)</i> <p>Like you I have found that some university professors do not encourage discussion in their classroom and that’s a shame. However, from my experience, that has been more the exception than the rule. As for state financed think tank, I do not know enough about them to be able to provide any coherent point of view here. Indeed the lack of readily available information IS what I am most concerned about.

hasn't anyone heard of the canadian centre for policy alternatives? <a href="http://www.policyalternatives.ca">www.policyalternatives.ca</a><p>---<br>"We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men" - George Orwell

yes, furgaia, i think you are on to something here in terms of verifying the overall strategy of think tanks and particularly the "how" of the strategy of deep integration being utilized and implemented by think tanks to essentially colonize canada and perpetuate u.s. hegemony, and then taking that further to inform public policy makers...perhaps a legislative impact strategy by a "watch" group with staffers and parliamentarians...with proposals for legislative enactment and/or amendment? i'm not sure if Vive would be interested in such a thing but it certainly seems to have the infrastructure and the proposal appears to be in keeping with its mission statement. (and, thank you for the clarification about the pollard site - i was confused and alarmed about the crowd-problem-solving thing.)

"rational perspective" ? Perhaps "reactionary perspective" is more like it. Sure, universities are centers of liberalism, which pretty acurately reflects the general Canuck attitude. But this is more than balanced by the newspapers which are of the neocon persuasion. Generally we are unhappy about the "Stink tanks" because they are forcing policies on us that 75% of the population don't agree with and which undermine the general sense of what it means to be Canadian.

<p>A contributor upthread is looking for balance between “Right” and “Left” regarding the influence “peddling” of think tanks. I would answer that there is nothing wrong with that per se, except that the point of this post is not to learn about conservative think tanks, but ALL think tanks, including any “leftist” ones that may cause concern to politically conservative Canadians. <p> I guess the goal here would be to demand <b>transparency</b> due to the political activism of those organizations. Inasmuch as those organizations, be they liberal or conservative, left or right, or centrist, are working towards a better Canada, there should not be any cause for concern. However, it would be pollyannish not to heed this warning. <p>Last October, in a post here at Vive, Ron Dart wrote: <i><b>John Foster Dulles once said that there were two ways to control and dominate another state. The first approach was military invasion and occupation. This approach tends to be the messiest, obvious and brutal, hence a last resort. The second approach is to take over the economy of another country. This is more subtle and difficult to detect but it is just as real for those dominated by it. A third approach that Dulles did not mention was the cultural approach, and through such an approach the creating of a comprador class. It is the role of the comprador class to be apologists of the empire while living within a state the empire seeks to dominate and control for its imperial ends.</b></i> <p>Unfortunately some think tanks are indeed run by members of the “comprador class”. <p>P.S. Lisa, thanks for the support. I’ll let the subject be mulled over for the time being and revisit it a bit later. Hopefully we'll have more to share. If any of you have interesting takes on this subject (links, studies, books, TV special report, anything related), please advise. Meanwhile for anyone interested, here are some interesting links on the subject: <p> <a href="http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20031025-111011-1361r.htm"> A think tank oxymoron? </a> (Note: This is a conservative daily.) <p> <a href="http://www.hillnews.com/news/060403/tank.aspx"> Democratic think tank taking shape </a> <p> <a href="http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Think_Tanks/Think_Tank_watch"> Third World Traveller – Think Tank Watch </a> <p> <a href="http://www.atlasusa.org/toolkit/starterkit.php?refer=toolkit"> This </a> one is funny! A “Toolkit” for “Bringing freedom to the World”! Come to think of it, it's not funny. Don’t forget to check the “Freedom Directory” before leaving! <p>And Genuine Canadiana, of course! <a href="http://www.nsra-adnf.ca/DOCUMENTS/PDFs/nfraser.pdf"> The Fraser Institute: Economic Think Tank or Front for the Tobacco Industry?</a> <p>And one <i>étude de cas</i> in Canada: <a href="http://policyresearch.gc.ca/page.asp?pagenm=v6n1_art_04"> The Role of a Think-Tank in Public Policy Development: Caledon and the National Child Benefit </a> <p>Finally, <a href="http://policyresearch.gc.ca/"> this </a> is an interesting site that I still have to explore.</p>

Gee, I thought that universities were becoming more and more right wing in their outlook as of late. Installing corporate lackey faculty, and of course,students who don`t even, for the most part, want to engage in progressive debate. Just kiss that prof`s ass, get that piece of paper, so that daddy can get me a job on Bay St. making 6 figures. And if I don`t get that piece of paper, no problem! I can buy it for about 10 grand! Oh, this all goes without saying how much corporate donors 'influence' research and development these days. I just want to CELEBREX, know what i mean?

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Dave Ruston

A "stink tank/porta thoughtie" watch could be more effective in shaping our goals than a "government watch". Maybe we all need to start letter campaigning CCCE and CD Howe types to make our points.

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"Yeah, well, [Mr. President] we used all five fingers because that's the way our mittens are made." Antonia Zerbisias

Ha ha. Sure, all universities are centres of progressive thought--that's why Stephen Harper and his ilk are backed by the "Calgary School" including Barry Cooper at the U of C, that's why strategic studies depts are popping up everywhere, that's why Robin Mathews and others had to fight so hard to get Canadians hired at Canadian universities in the past (see Treason of the Intellectuals).



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Now call it extreme if you like, but I propose we hit it hard, and we hit it fast, with a major, and I mean major, leaflet campaign.--Rimmer, Red Dwarf

I'm kind of shocked someone would ask if we've had a post on deep integration before--considering the whole site is obviously about fighting deep integration (see our mission/vision), and we have an entire "Sovereignty Watch" section on these ideas, plus permanent links to the aforementioned Council of Canadians campaign on a box on the main page (which I would have liked to have been more involved with BTW, but which was prevented by lack of response from the CoC to us despite the fact that i attended meetings during the planning stage--the CoC is not all that grassroots in the end and perhaps is concerned about competition? No idea. I will keep pestering Gordon Laxer, a CoC board member, about it, since I know him personally and we respect each other.) <br />
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Vive le Canada.ca was founded after discussion I had with Robin Mathews about the need to create an organization which could provide the basis for non-continentalist research, debate, discussion, actions and such and it has only been a matter of growing the site and building the infrastructure, which we are still doing, to get to that point. <br />
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In the future I think it is quite possible we would get to the point where we (or an extension of this current effort) actually had professional trained lobbyists on the Hill--for this, we will need more $$ and people however. If there is anyone here with the expertise and willingness to help build us to that point we are always looking for input and of course, volunteers. <br />
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I think a "Think Tank Watch" site along the lines of "Democracy Watch.org" would be interesting, and in fact that is perhaps something which could be suggested to that site as well, unless a group here is willing to create it themselves (and if so I suggest jesse's economical and superior web hosting and domain registration services). <br />
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As for a section on this site, I like that idea much better than just including links to such think tanks to our links section without comment, but it would need to deal mainly with continentalist rhetoric and "research' coming out of these think tanks. The thing is, we do already have a "Sovereignty Watch" section that is meant to be for posting both sides of the continentalist/sovereigntist debate; and we have already posted many articles regarding think tanks here before in various sections esp when they have been relevant to integration; see for example: <br />
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CD Howe pushes Americanization as Canadians reject it <br />
<a href="http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php?story=20030826115321986&query=CD%2BHowe%2B">http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php?story=20030826115321986&query=CD%2BHowe%2B</a> <br />
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CD Howe Institute Wants Customs Union with US <br />
<a href="http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php?story=20030701180647400&query=CD%2BHowe%2B">http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php?story=20030701180647400&query=CD%2BHowe%2B</a> <br />
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Bay Street and CD Howe Institute Lambast Conservative Economic Plan <br />
<a href="http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php?story=20040618075634567&query=CD%2BHowe%2B">http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php?story=20040618075634567&query=CD%2BHowe%2B</a> <br />
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The Fraser Institute is now in the Education Business <br />
<a href="http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php?story=20040331131046867&query=Fraser%2BInstitute">http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php?story=20040331131046867&query=Fraser%2BInstitute</a> <br />
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Pt. 1: The "Big Idea", The "Grand Bargain", Our Next PM and the Vanishing Country <br />
<a href="http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php?story=20030808140702824&query=Fraser%2BInstitute">http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php?story=20030808140702824&query=Fraser%2BInstitute</a> <br />
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etc etc etc <br />
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It MAY be useful to include them in a separate section to drive home the point that they are a different kind of organization and to call into question somehow the research they produce. However I'm not certain I'm convinced. <br />
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Section or not, we need people willing to keep an eye on these intitutions and post the information here, and to create original articles that comment on it as well. Just as we need more people willing to attend continentalist events and track down continentalist articles and post them here to alert us all to the rhetoric from that side of the street. A new section doesn't guarantee that people will post to it, and that's what we need first and foremost. Perhaps it would help to have more volunteer researchers" and "reporters" to track down information and post it to the site--and perhaps we could even assign them to different topics, with several people working on sovereignty?? We do have a volunteer coordinator now and this is quote possible. Or are there other ideas which may work a little better? We certainly don't have the resources, at this point anyway, to conduct research in the way the Polaris Institute and others do--we have, however, often posted original work by like-minded academics and can continue to do so.<p>---<br>Now call it extreme if you like, but I propose we hit it hard, and we hit it fast, with a major, and I mean major, leaflet campaign.--Rimmer, Red Dwarf <br />

<p>I hope I have not offended <i><b>Vive</b></i> by laying bare my ignorance regarding its important work. Until very recently, I was not interested that much in what was going in Canada, much more fascinated instead with the US (politics, media, arts, everything!). Although a liberal at heart, I was soon to be enthralled with Bush and his bumbling rhetoric after seeing his "tearful" performances right after 9/11. I became pro-"TheBushCartel", pro-War (what with those WMD's, Anthrax and the whole shebang!) Let us say that when I finally "saw the light" I became a "Born Again Canadian"! Thus it’s only recently that my spirit has landed in Canada and "it" discovered <i><b>Vive</b></i>. I immediately went to the topics <i>du jour</i> and time being short, could not be bothered with its mission and vision statement, FAQ and what not. I did breeze through them but obviously not much was retained! That is said not to be flippant and dismissive, but to make a point. Except for their "regulars" whom you can easily pick up by reading the discussion threads, many if not most of those who visit sites like <i><b>Vive</b></i> do so on an <i>ad hoc</i> basis. When one adds the ephemeral nature of "blog-type" posts, it is not difficult to see how important topics and news are easily missed, thus leading one to ask what’s the point which leads to the question of how to keep the attention of visitors on particular topics and issues and get and/or keep them involved and, even more importantly, ACTIVE in their community. That’s why I like the concept of "blog-active" and not merely an "echo chamber" blog site. I’ll get to the other important points later if I may, Susan. I just wanted to explain why I missed previous <i><b>Vive</b></i> posts. <p>A last word about the <i><b>Council of Canadians</b></i>, I think to be fair to them it may just be a question of guarding their integrity. I know that I for one would not want the <i><b>Council</b></i> to be associated with any particular group, even mine if I had one! Besides what <i><b>Vive</b></i> does now, I believe, complements what they do. They do not provide blog space and allow for citizens’ input and exchanges (like this one!) except through their current structure which has its advantages but also its limits.

<p><i>A "stink tank/porta thoughtie" watch could be more effective in shaping our goals than a "government watch". </i> <p>Doesn't compute! Would you care to explain? I'd like to understand. Thanks!<p>