Fighting a Lost Cause

Defending democracy from the philanthropists was the topic of an interesting post by a friend of mine, but you probably get the gist of it: there are those who do what needs to be done, and then there are those who do what can get funded. In the process, those seeking funding over effectiveness usually contribute to misperceptions about the problems we face, often distorting them to suit their self-interest. Which leaves us fighting both the thieves who stole our wealth and the career activists who frequently do their dirty work.

With both integrity and consciousness in such short supply, accomplishing anything worthwhile means accepting that we are likely fighting a lost cause, but taking consolation in the possibility that whatever battles we manage to win means things aren’t as bad as they could have been. Not denying hope, but neither promoting undue optimism.

What I try to convey is that there is great satisfaction in torpedoing bad guys, even if you don’t acquire either fame or fortune. Making a living is a separate problem. My friends and I have brought down corrupt media, governments, and domestic terrorist networks, put people in prison, and shut down criminal enterprises through investigative research and strategic communication–without a paycheck for our efforts. We’ve even written about our work, and made it available free online.