Yep, the ideal is to make the career paths of true believers easier. There's no "controversy", as there is never any direct quid pro quo. And in the long term it's incredibly effective at pushing narratives in your direction. Imo the way the Kochs have managed to completely normalize their relatively extreme ideas in a few decades by simply funding econ departments and think tanks is a great example.
People need to imagine this stuff being done in office buildings by office dudes they've worked with and not dark rooms where shadowy figures smoke cigars and they'll get a way more real picture of how this shit works.
Yep, the ideal is to make the career paths of true believers easier. There's no "controversy", as there is never any direct quid pro quo. And in the long term it's incredibly effective at pushing narratives in your direction. Imo the way the Kochs have managed to completely normalize their relatively extreme ideas in a few decades by simply funding econ departments and think tanks is a great example.
People need to imagine this stuff being done in office buildings by office dudes they've worked with and not dark rooms where shadowy figures smoke cigars and they'll get a way more real picture of how this shit works.
James Bond, but it's Garry in accounting
Misuse of company resources goes a loooong way