Click here to access article by George Monbiot from his blog.
The ruling class always has to deal with the problem of disguising its rule, especially when their indoctrination agencies are always preaching about "democracy". A major method to accomplish this is to disguise their influence through organizations they setup that are called "think tanks" which, of course, are essentially their main propaganda organs. Thus, it is hardly surprising that these propaganda organs are resistant to disclosing where their funding comes from.
But, this liberal author seem oblivious to the fact that the ruling class has many other alternatives to exert their influence throughout society. They own and control all major media, exert powerful influence over educational systems, and with their direct and indirect control of jobs insure that anybody who fails to follow their "party line" regarding policies does not gain any position of influence. What dramatically occurred in the McCarthy period now occurs in a much subtler, but pervasive form.