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Do you need to be rich to be an activist?
Alastair McTaggart is a true inspiration. A self-made man who used a substantial portion of his fortune to fight successfully to improve our privacy protections online. McTaggart is not a professional politician. He could have lived his life without getting involved. As Nicholas Confessore called him in The New York Times, he’s an “unlikely activist.”
Tom Steyer also impresses. Another self-made man, a billionaire hedge-fund manager, he has committed himself to fighting for environmental causes and, most recently, for Trump’s impeachment.
There’s also George Soros. Not only a self-made man, but an immigrant to our country. He also put his money where his mouth is, helping start MoveOn.org as well as other liberal organizations.
We cheer for Democratic candidates like Dianne Feinstein or David Trone who can spend millions of their own fortunes on their campaigns to help eliminate the Republicans’ funding advantages.
These folks represent the American dream. Self-made millionaires and billionaires, you would expect them to be active supporters of the Republicans. Instead, they commit themselves to liberal causes.
Of course, most billionaires are Republicans. But the enthusiasm liberals have for their wealthy backers raises an important question: do you need to be rich to be…
