"He who has the gold makes the rules."

Does it help Wheeler's brand to be associated with that group? I liked knowing she was working independently of any organization.

You like to say "just another fucking libertarian." I think that phrase could ALMOST be applied to Pierre Omidyar, who now pays Wheeler. But I would say he's "just another fucking pseudo-libertarian." (A libertarian with real convictions in Omidyar's position would have forcefully spoken out against the WikiLeaks blockade and Ebay's complicity in the government's hunt of online activists long before Omidyar did. That's for sure).

What does this organization offer Wheeler-- or her readers --that shouldn't be possible if she remained an independent?

Greenwald should already be sharing his NSA docs with her already. What's he been waiting for? She shouldn't need to be part of some fucking libertarian-wannabe's fucking entity to participate in that.

Joseph Cannon doesn't need a fucking organization. Neither does Wheeler.

Given the hideous way the Internet is developing, it might well be the right choice for Wheeler--the least worst option for her even. Nevertheless, we have contrary examples like Andrew Sullivan, who claims to be making serious money as a blogger. Why can't more decent bloggers be financially viable as independents? That's why I think there's actually something very pitiful about Wheeler signing up to this thing and everyone acting as if it's a "promotion".

First Look may not make a lot of difference, or it may be a small improvement over the present state of the media, or it could be some kind of major clusterfuck. Too early to say. Nevertheless, I too hope the best for Wheeler.

- Skeptic
 

Skeptic, I believe the phrase I used was "lupine interlopers in sheep couture." Omidyar is the new Soros -- that is to say, the new Satan. I guess he must be a real threat, eh?
 

Omidyar is no George Soros.

I would feel better about Omidyar if you could point me to where he has shown half the courage of George Soros. Soros funded marijuana delegalization in a number of states.

Painting Omidyar as the "New Satan" is useful to the far right whatever his actual politics, but especially if he's close to being one of their own, because the process of demonizing a moderate conservative helps to move discourse further to the right. We've seen how that works with Obama.

My comment wasn't really about Omidyar's politics, but situation whereby an anti-establishment blogger cannot find adequate support from the 99%, but perceives herself in need of an organization backed the full faith and credit of a .001% man to sustain her investigative blogging. You know, from experience, the overhead of a blogger is quite low. There's no reason it SHOULD be necessary to get in bed with a guy like Omidyar to fund the production of good investigative journalism.

- Skeptic