The Center for Consumer Freedom

The Center for Consumer Freedom did one thing right: they chose a name that sounds respectable.

• "The Center" is less think-tanky than, say "The Institute," but still very official-sounding.
• "for," which is positive. Better to say what you’re for than what you’re against, from what I hear.
• "Consumer Freedom." Damn, who doesn’t want that, right? They must be on the side of the average person who wants to know the truth about what they’re purchasing!

Au contraire.

The best thing to do (as with everything) is check them out yourself. Don’t listen to me.

Then, get the facts about who began The Center and why. Here’s a quote from the man who started it all, with funds from Phillip Morris. I’d like to use his words rather than speak for him.

"The concept," he wrote Philip Morris at the time, "is to unite the restaurant and hospitality industries in a campaign to defend their consumers and marketing programs against attacks from anti-smoking, anti-drinking, anti-meat, etc. activists." (The rest of this article can be found at washingtonpost.com.)

Once again, regardless of what an organization appears to represent (here, consumers), when you follow the money, they often represent something entirely different (here, the tobacco, fast-food, and alcohol industries).

Net message? Never, ever take action until you do your research. And by research, I mean both sides of an issue, and follow the money trail. Who stands to gain? Who stands to lose?

Then, and only then, should you align yourself.