The pernicious influence of oil, along with other rents such as foreign aid, is easier to measure.

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Jilani argues that the money being spent by a host of billionaires and education reform philanthropic organizations is having a pernicious influence on the education reform debate, and is leading toward the privatization of public schools.

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For starters, there are the usual legions are Rupert Murdoch haters who believe the Australian-born media mogul is a pernicious influence on the culture, corrupting politics via Fox News and cheapening once-noble institutions like The Wall Street Journal.

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So even if Mr Putin loathes Mr Berezovsky, as some say he does, and regards his influence as pernicious, there would be no point in turning on him and his chums until after the election.

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Rolland's influence is denounced as pernicious by self-styled champions of wine's eccentricity, who think Rolland and Parker are engaged in what amounts to a campaign to homogenize flavor.

FORBES: Grape Doctor

Leaving aside the broader question of whether the government should pay PR firms to influence doctors in the first place, doing so in secret is pernicious.

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