There a significant difference between a paid PR campaign and a letter to the editor of The Wall Street Journal. Parent didn't said silence the rich, he says ban PR stories.

Personally I would ban unattributed PR. If Larry Ellison want to buy a thousand billboard and write: "Don't taxe me or I will leave. I am Larry and endorse this message" that's ok.

But if he use a PR firm to shift the public opinion with unattributed advertisement and paid-for journal articles that should not be acceptable.

Alas the US Supreme Court decied otherwise in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission...