Thread by @docrussjackson

#THREAD

The cranks at US libertarian billionaire-funded #Spiked have sent an email asking for money to help fund their divisive propaganda: "It’s a difficult time out there financially for many people... Over the next few weeks, we’re doing a donation drive!"
#CostOfGreedCrisis

#Spiked are divisive & dangerous, ideologically extreme, #propagandists.

A joint investigation between @DeSmog & The @guardian revealed that #Spiked US Inc. received funding from the Charles Koch Foundation between 2016 & 2018 to the tune of $300,000.

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

#Spiked is just one of the myriad #propaganda wings of the dangerous free-market growth ideology having profoundly harmful impacts on individuals, communities, societies, countries & democracies across the world, as well leading to environmental degradation & the #ClimateCrisis.

The magazine was founded in 2001 by members of Living Marxism, the 1990s media arm of the Revolutionary Communist Party that was forced to cease publication after losing a libel action brought by the production company ITN.

desmog.com/spiked/

The ideology of the Revolutionary Communist gang eg Claire Fox & Munira Mirza, have increasingly aligned with that of the Libertarian/free-market fundamentalist/Brextremist/far-right, & became embedded in the heart of Downing St under Boris Johnson.

https://twitter.com/docrussjackson/status/1489310594255761411?s=20&t=qfaCoDXXRVqc_o-T1yrJpQ

The divisive, polemical & "anti-woke" Spiked were very active in campaigning to leave the EU (a key aim of the Koch ideology was to isolate the UK) & a number of their contributing writers were candidates for The Brexit Party at the 2019 general election.

bylinetimes.com/2019/05/13/ast…

TV & radio regular & spiked crank Claire Fox was recently on #bbcqt arguing FOR fracking, despite any supporting evidence.

The "free-thinkers" at #Spiked promote endless anti-environmental & climate science denial stories - which just happen to coincide with the Koch ideology.

For decades, Charles Koch's objective, & the objective of the global network of extremely influential free-market "think tanks" (lobbying organisations - in the UK based at Tufton Street eg IEA) - has been to "destroy the prevalent statist paradigm."

https://twitter.com/docrussjackson/status/1560901219270492161?s=20&t=qfaCoDXXRVqc_o-T1yrJpQ

The Koch ideology is basically low tax & looser worker, financial, product, & environmental regulation, to enhance corporate power & interests.

It is an ideology that has driven US & UK economic policy for forty years, but has had 'a perception problem'.

https://twitter.com/docrussjackson/status/1560730691905769473?s=20&t=qfaCoDXXRVqc_o-T1yrJpQ

The awful news is that this profoundly misguided, cruel & harmful ideology, which led to the global financial crash, a decade of austerity, grotesque inequality & profound environmental degradation, has reached its apotheosis here, in the Liz Truss Govt.

https://twitter.com/docrussjackson/status/1562410418253041664?s=20&t=qfaCoDXXRVqc_o-T1yrJpQ

And if you want to better understand the personal & political "values" of divisive, provocative contrarian culture war crank Brendan O'Neill, editor of Spiked from 2007 to September 2021, & currently its "chief political (propaganda) writer" here you go:

https://twitter.com/docrussjackson/status/1380929667411144714?s=20&t=qfaCoDXXRVqc_o-T1yrJpQ