PHM-Exch> The role of conservative think-tanks in misinforming the public

[Claudio Schuftan]

PHM South Africa has been involved in an important drive to unmask the role
of conservative think-tanks in misinforming the public. It is time for PHM
Global to rally support against them. The drive has been centred around an
article by J. Mchangama published in Business Day (a business friendly daily
newspaper in S Africa). The article debunked and undermined the right to
health and other social and economic rights.



When PHM South Africa responded with a letter to the editor; the letter was
heavily edited for publication by the periodical. Despite the editing, our
colleagues unmasked the author as a member of the International Policy
Network (IPN) a conservative British think tank known to have corporate
funding and whose CEO is Julian Morris. Mr Mchangama never responded, but
Professor Morris, his boss, did so describing the claim regarding IPN’s
funding and partiality as a lie …”.  Nevertheless, he still did not name
IPN’s funders… Mr Morris is just paid to do what he does (misinformation)
full time.



Moreover, outrageously, Julian Morris says in his letter that PHM claims to
speak for the "the people"…but has no credibility to do so. PHM SA’s
response to him was further edited down by Business Day.

As is 100% warranted, we really do need some international pressure on
newspapers like Business Day, as well as on the mainstream press and other
mass media and  expose IPN for what it is --. It regularly  lashes out a
market approach to health, food security and global warming, among others,
in ways that promote the profit of its corporate funders, --while pretending
to be impartial. This "impartiality" is contrary to evidence of massive
corporate funding as per information that is readily available on the
internet. It is important to make sure that IPN’s veneer of legitimacy is
removed. They can trumpet their opinions as much as they like, but not
portraying themselves as an independent think tank when, in reality, they
are the voice for large capital and should be seen and acknowledged as such.



We here propose an international writing campaign through PHM Global to
expose the machinations of IPN and other 'think tanks' like this.  Conservative
think tanks/lobby groups --IPN is certainly not alone-- are closely
connected to each other; they form a highly co-ordinated global network
whose main aim is to influence public opinion in favour of capital and the
market. One of their main strategies is posting articles in influential
mainstream newspapers around the world. We suspect that their focus on South
Africa has to do with current discussions on the introduction of a National
Health Insurance; they may want to support private capital’s intention here
to influence that process introducing neoliberal perspectives as far as
possible.



It would be very helpful if others, who have information about IPN in
particular or about similar think-tanks (or who have access to networks that
know of their activities) can (a) share such information through
phm-exchange, and (b) challenge the hegemony of these ‘think-tanks’ through
publishing their findings. In particular, we would like to see responses in
the form of letters to Business Day reflecting PHM members standing; this,
to counter IPN’s insolent contention that PHM S Africa does not speak on
‘behalf of PHM Global and ‘the people.’



We therefore request PHM individual and organizational members  to be alert
for allegedly erudite and impartial articles in the mainstream press and
mass media that deal with issues like human rights [social and economic
rights in particular], health and health services, as well as tobacco
control and climate change. These articles are made to appear as emanating
from expert groupings, think-tanks or development institutions. We urge you
to check whether such articles favour market approaches to the detriment of
human rights, or undermine scientific evidence. Try and get good information
about who is funding the author or the institution behind her/him.
Sourcewatch has a useful guide for doing this kind of research with many
useful links. See:



http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:How_to_research_front_groups



Once you feel you have enough information; write a letter to the editor of
the publication concerned to expose poor arguments, conflicts of interests,
corporate funders, hidden agendas, as pertinent. Follow the publication's
"letters to the editor" policies and do write and cc us at phm-exchange.



We should use our international network to mobilise an international writing
campaign through PHM.  Do write when you can find 10 minutes to draft a
note. We have to help orchestrate a set of responses (daily letters from
different PHM members highlighting different issues in response to Julian
Morris (e.g., IPN's track record elsehwere in the world; the fallacy of
freewheeling markets; the role of self-proclaimed 'independent' think-tanks,
etc.



Hereunder are short excerpts of the original article and the letters that
followed; they may be of further interest to phm-exchange readers:

*Beware the blind alley of the ‘right’ to health*

*JACOB MCHANGAMA*

Published: 2010/01/04

Mr Mchangama is the author of Health as a Human Right, published by
International Policy Network, a London-based think-tank.

The idea that healthcare is a “human right” is impracticable in its
definition, treating health as an enforceable human right creates serious
legal and democratic problems --and does not improve healthcare…

Revisionist interpretations of the UN’s International Covenant on Economic
Social and Cultural Rights by unelected human rights experts have made
signatory governments legally obliged to uphold the right to health for
everyone…

Absurdly, this means that governments are theoretically liable for
everything from providing water to food and medicine….

Sinisterly, this new interpretation of the right to health is being used to
drive out private healthcare… especially in developing countries, this
creates an intolerable burden…

Those who care about health should promote the traditional rights that
underpin the personal and economic freedom necessary to pay for good
healthcare…



PHM S Africa’s responded:

Jacob Mchangama’s illogical diatribe against the right to health uses
discredited arguments and ignores evidence. We pose four counterarguments:

First, social and economic rights, including the right to health, have
frequently been shown to be justiciable…

Second , Mchangama misleads us that the UN Nations system is undemocratic by
smearing “unelected experts”…

Third , there is ample evidence of massive inefficiency in market- provided
healthcare…

Fourth, nowhere have markets alone rectified health imbalances…

IPN, the so-called “London- based think-tank” for which Mr Mchangama writes,
is a powerful, well-connected, corporate-funded lobbying group. Not
surprisingly, it opposes public health initiatives…

As members of the People’s Health Movement, a global network of civil
society groups, researchers, activists and teachers involved in health, we
base our belief that health is a fundamental and realisable human right on
evidence…



About this, J. Morris wrote in Business Day.

*Not a lobby group*



Published: 2010/02/01

Professors London, Reynolds and Sanders accuse IPN of being a “corporate
funded lobby group”. That is a lie…

Unlike the People’s Health Movement, the organisation the good professors
represent, IPN does not pretend to speak on behalf of “the people” --though
we do seek to address the concerns of the poor. IPN is an independent,
nonpartisan think-tank…

We do, as the professors point out, believe “that free enterprise and its
supporting institutions are able to harness human potential better … and are
the best way to address the poverty and tragedy faced by many people in the
world”. We believe this because it is true…

Merely asserting that individuals have a “right” to health is no substitute
for people to generate wealth, improve their health, and develop new
technologies that improve the health of others…

The “right” to health is used as a justification for arbitrary interference
in the operation of markets, it can actively inhibit improvements in health
outcomes…



This prompted the deserved following response:

*Partisan activities*

*Leslie London and Louis Reynolds*

Published: 2010/02/24

Julian Morris accuses us, in public, of lying when we say that IPN, of which
he is executive director, is a corporate-funded lobbying group. He claims
that it is an independent, nonpartisan think-tank supported by voluntary
donations from “individuals, businesses and foundations”, without revealing
who these are…

In 2006, Mr Morris admitted on the BBC that the IPN received more than
£160000 from Exxon and the tobacco industry. The IPN also receives funding
from pharmaceutical multinationals…

Not surprisingly, the IPN lobbies against greenhouse gas reduction and
tobacco restrictions, and promotes private for-profit healthcare…

Mr Morris’s beliefs are, therefore, very partisan and closely aligned with
corporate interests. We support his right to express his views, but he and
his organisation should stop pretending to be nonpartisan and be open about
whose interests they serve…

We do not “merely assert” that individuals have a right to health. An
extensive body of international human rights law confirms the right to
health as both justiciable and measurable…

Giving rich corporations the opportunities to generate wealth for
shareholders at the expense of services and systems to protect the poor does
not improve health, and only worsens health inequalities…

This response was heavily edited by Business Day to remove examples and
references to evidence that public health systems are more efficient than
market-based private systems; they insisted on 300 words and edited the
letter unfairly.



Mr Morris promptly responded:

*Prof Julian Morris: The truth about IPN*



Published: 2010/03/01

Profs London, Reynolds and Sanders once again call IPN a “lobby group”…

This is not true. We do not lobby. Nor are we partisan. IPN holds no
allegiance to any political party or narrow cause. We are independent…

We do not allow funders to dictate our research outcomes…

In spite of a supposed “right to health”, hundreds of millions of people
around the world lack access to healthcare…

Fortunately, private organisations --for profit and philanthropic-- are
stepping into the breach…

Organisations claiming to represent “the people” should stop misrepresenting
the facts.
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