Quote
corboy
I call it derivative legitimacy.
Persons in academic specialities that are high prestige and newsworthy are also vulnerable to this kind of set up.
Ikeda loves academics; it stems from an inferiority complex deep inside of him (which explains all of his over the top, hundreds of, "honorary" degrees).
Ikeda "donates" financial contributions to causes or projects that are close to the influential person's heart, in essence, pulling on their heart strings. The motive is to gain access for a quick photograph ("$oka Press" / "$oka TV" are always in tow with him), or even better, a meeting, or best of all, an "official" dialogue that The Dear Leader can exploit and (indeed) "derive legitimacy" from (excellent term, corboy). Many have fallen for it, but some have also stepped back once they quickly caught on with what was actually happening (ethics, morality and principles winning out over money or imagined obligatory social graces).
The ultimate legitimacy derivation that Ikeda covets is a Nobel Peace Prize. This is also why he meets with so many peace prize laureates; again, donating to their foundations or pet-projects, gaining access, setting up a meet and greet, or at minimum a correspondence to cultivate a potential relationship for the future. Keep in mind that nobel laureates officially nominate others for prizes in their same category.
Ikeda has pestered the Nobel/Swedish Academy so much, that I think he got some sort of certificate "acknowledging" his efforts as a consolation prize, but, alas, no nobel for the pudgemeister. He's not stupid either, I think he knows that he's not ever going to get one and has instead set his sights on the next best possibility, deriving legitimacy for the cult org. by having a gakkai member win one.
The Dear Leader is one slick con-man, with very deep pockets, that's for sure. Just about everything he does is an attempt to derive legitimacy for himself and his legacy, the Cult Org..
- Hitch