Are the Koch Brothers now backing democrats?

[BugsyPal]

Originally Posted by TreeBeard

The Koch Brothers are for the Koch Brothers. Anything they do or anyone they support are purely for one purpose: To empower the Koch Brothers.

And I thank you!

[wutitiz]

Originally Posted by craigiri

What makes you assume people don't know these things?

"Libertarian" is often shorthand for "more debt and deficit so I can get tax cuts". Or "no money for health care so I can get more tax cuts".

The Kochs are not 100% evil - maybe 75% of their actions are bad for humanity and the country and democracy while the other 25% are good things or neutral. Still, they have so much money and power that it skews our process.

The Kochs don't just donate money. They started and own think tanks (CATO, etc.) and have founded and financed and faked (astroturf) dozens of orgs designed to make people think a "real movement" is happening. They have used ALEC (their creation) to actually write legislation that their Republican employees then vote into law.

It's not just a matter of the $$$ involved - although that is massive. It's the organization over decades to create "alternative institutions" which go against the will of the people and project much more power than any citizen of a democracy should be able to.

I assume many people don't know because they post as if they don't. There are IIRC 4 Koch brothers. We've been over the differences among them in the past on CD. Yet people keep referring to them as if they are some kind of multi-headed monolithic monster.

[wutitiz]

I never forget almost 20 years ago, CSPAN's Brian Lamb interviewed Virginia Postrel. She wrote for Reason Magazine, which was heavily supported by Charles Koch. The funny thing was, when Lamb asked her about Charles Koch, he did not know how to pronounce the name, so she told him.


So around 1999 a guy like Lamb did not even know who the Kochs were. Now 20 years later, sites like Daily Kos have turned them into household names by constantly making nebulous accusations against them.