Americans’ War Against the Koch Brothers
On an average day, I get two or three action-oriented emails like this one from “Climate Hawks”:
We’re delighted to endorse Morgan Carroll in Colorado’s Sixth Congressional District, challenging the climate-denying, Koch-backed incumbent Mike Coffman. Morgan is a climate hawk and a 5th generation Coloradoan.
While the carbon-billionaire Koch brothers and their lackeys are slashing jobs and destroying the environment, Morgan is creating jobs that save the climate. In the state Senate, she wrote the bill that brought solar leasing to Colorado. Because of Morgan’s work, Sunrun, Sungevity, and Solar City all opened up shop – and created jobs – in her state. She’s fighting frackers, too. She ran tough bills through the state Senate, and she’ll be standing up for Colorado’s two anti-fracking ballot initiatives this fall.
Her race, in the eastern Denver suburbs, is one of the most competitive in the country— President Obama beat Mitt Romney by one point in 2012.
The Kochs are so worried that they’re spending six figures to attack Morgan, through their Americans For Prosperity PAC. Colorado’s Sixth District is the only House district, so far, where the Kochs are openly backing a House incumbent.
Can you help take out a Koch-fueled climate denier and send Morgan to Congress?
Though I seldom make the donation requested, I certainly approve of the thinking here. I know there are a few readers here who believe that railing against th
e Koch Brothers is childish and unproductive, but that’s hard to understand. In its simplest form, you have two people worth a collective $80 billion who are investing heavily in making sure that the U.S. remains dedicated to fossil fuels and repealing laws that would protect our environment. They’re getting richer by making the rest of the world’s people suffer. If that’s not evil, it’s hard to know what to call it.
Railing against evil is important stuff, as illustrated here:
@ Craig
Indeed Craig Good On You for taking on the so called Too Golden and Rich to Criticize let alone drive off the public square where they exert negative forces too many to write about.
Your critics are trapped in Pretending to the End view points and one has to let it go, its their comfort zone . Just like every lil baby or young child prances around at home wrapped in a blanket even in the Heat of the Summer.
If the parent or adult takes away the comforter , well all H breaks out. We know the drill. so most people s parents relent and let the child form an Identity and Mental Twilight zone around a comfort zone in the form of a blanket but this stays with them mentally and creates a sort of Arrested Development that they carry forward into their adult lives.
They need and rely on a false comfort zone so if a Wise or Caring Person who has a better solution that works for all arrives , they draw up their drawbridges of intellect and go to great means to explain away a new reality. Because they Remain Trapped in their Child hood comfort Zone. They never let go of their mental crutches. So arguing or debating them is quite a taxing exercise bordering on Futility as they are not playing with a clean deck of cards.
Truth be known of the origins of the Koch financial empire would challenge the same corrupt system that allows them to have too much negative influence on our society.
A person in search of the Truth would visit Oklahoma and visit with the various Native American leaders and visit the Museums and read the cases and the case that went to the Supreme Court but was killed by a BRIBE by yes a Gomer Senator and corrupted Supreme Court manny manny Moons ago.
The Kochs and the Trumpster have some common Denominators , Also major differences.
Main Difference is the Kochs actually do have Billions of dollars. Trumpster He does not.
Both earned their start in a multitude of illegal and immoral means
Amen enough thanks for Shedding the Dark Rays of Ignorance or Economic Privilege on the Truth in these Matters carry on
The influence of the Koch brothers would be greatly reduced if voters refused to be influenced by endless repetition of political campaign advertisements.
Politicians need plentiful money to campaign successfully to be re-elected. The super rich, like the Koch brothers, provide the campaign funds for politicians who do their bidding. But if voters were well educated, influenced only by objective information, and were not influenced by endless campaign messages, then there would be no advantage to spending excessive amounts on political campaigns and being rich would not buy influence.
@ Frank
Agree with you and as I said in a different posting you have good Headlights and they are Clean too.
ALEC and all this Citizens United and the flood of Dark Money has Disrupted our country not good for real people who work and want to be decent citizens on all sides.
Who are the Koch brothers?
And what influence do they have on the majority of the worlds people (194 countries – 6.9 billion people)?
Or is it only the USA they focus on (1 country – 320 million people)?
In those countries where I do all my work in the renewable energy technology industry (China, India, Australia and some Asian Countries) which accounts for about 15 times the population of the USA, their names don’t seem to be commonly known or evident in the media at all.
Whoever they are – please keep them where they are – based on what you are reporting.
Lawrence Coomber
Now I understand why the “team” comment before.
Please meet the opposing “team” and feel free to acquaint yourself with the playing field.
1 country.
320 million people.
Consumes 25% of the world’s oil production.
Posses a military more powerful than the next 10 countries combined. Maybe more.
This has influence over the entire world whether you are aware of that influence or not. That is why the Koch brothers concentrate their influence here.
Brian
@ Lawrence C
Right on Mate on the Koch Brothers . Their concentration of political activity is limited for now in the US.
They do have a Global business enterprise s their carbon related product lines go into china and others in large volumes. They push Celanese and other oil / gas by products.
They fund many Astro turf grass roots political forces in the US and they use these to Undermine and circumvent the legislative process or democracy .they fund climate denier politicos and causes.
Too numerous to write about.
Their political world view is quite in Contrast to the tenets of a democratic civilized society. They have tried to undermine Warren Buffett’s efforts to transform his Utility and energy business to more Wind and solar and less pollution.
Buffett’s Utilities are installing carbon and other scrubbers at vintage coal plants in Wyoming and Utah and the Kochs have used their groups to undermine these improvements as not cost justified expenses that local rate payers should have to pay for?
They go to extreme efforts to subvert the Mission of your Academy in short , but for now they are limited to the US for their negative war on Sustainability.
All carbon is good is their Motto Profits over People and the less control the better is their Mantra. Industry knows best and that is all that counts.
The tragic part is so many politicos and their minions are DUPED by these Fraudsters.
Amen Carry on with the Goals you have Thanks for supporting our comments as they are the Truth.
Some people say the Kochs may have over played their dirty mischief and a back lash is Brewing in the US to them. We shall see.
(Editor’s Note: This “Craig” isn’t Craig Shields.)
Southern Co.
Climate sceptic researcher investigated over funding from fossil fuel firms
Over the years, Soon received more than $1.2m from the Southern Company, a coal-heavy utility, Exxon Mobil, the American Petroleum Institute lobby group, and the Koch family of oil billionaires as well as anonymous donors.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/11/cclimate-sceptic-researcher-willie-soon-investigated-funding-fossil-fuel-firms
ALEC is trying to stop renewable energy in ALL the states.
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). ALEC is a group that brings together state legislators and representatives of corporations to draft model bills that can then be introduced at the state level of government. An archive of ALEC documents was recently leaked to the Center for Media and Democracy.
http://www.npr.org/2011/07/21/138537515/how-alec-shapes-state-politics-behind-the-scenes
Koch brothers, Koch Industries and Home Depot
Notorious Nazis Ilse Koch, her husband Karl Otto Koch and Erich Koch are the ghosts of Koch Industries, who seized the U.S. conservative political agenda years ago and seem capable of seizing the government in total through the Tea Party. Ilse Koch was the Nazi’s specialist in making objects from human skin; was the only woman charged with war crimes; and along with her husband was in charge of one of the most horrific horror camps in Nazi Germany.
Koch Industries is the child of the violence of Buchenwald, widely regarded as one of wartime Germany’s most notorious “death camps”.
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-500857
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilse_Koch
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/09/1254355/-The-Kochs-A-Nazi-Past-Oil-The-Foundation-of-The-Right
Home Depot
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/03/19/3416030/home-depot-nazi-germany/
Craig,
You recently wrote a piece about you’re desire to stand up against “evil”.
Well, I don’t know of anything more evil than to deliberately and maliciously malign anyone knowingly, for cheap political purpose.
You know perfectly well there is absolutely no connection (apart from similar names) between David and Charles Koch or Koch Industries and the husband and wife concentration camp officials of the same name.
Koch is a common Germanic name shared by hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
“Koch Industries is the child of the violence of Buchenwald” is a scandalously untrue claim, without a shred of credible evidence !
Koch Industries never had anything to do with Buchenwald, and you know it !
The founder of Koch industries Fred Koch was fiercely anti-communist and an outspoken opponent of Josef Stalin. That doesn’t make him pro-Nazi !
Now here’s a couple of fact’s you may not want to hear, but may trouble your conscience.
1) Fred Koch founded Winkler-Koch Engineering Company, with an MIT classmate, Lewis E Winkler in 1925. Lewis E Winkler was Fred Koch’s business partner for over 20 years. Had Lewis Winkler lived in Germany during the Nazi era he would have been a victim of Buchenwald !
2)Koch Industries has a good record of racial anti-discrimination and integration. Koch industries, and more recently the Charles Koch foundation, has been a major benefactor to the United Negro College Fund.
3) The Koch family name is Dutch, not German. Harry Koch migrated to America from Workum, Netherlands. His father married the daughter of a Jewish banker, Petronella de Swart whose Dutch relatives escaped from Holland to the UK, after the destruction of Rotterdam. Instead of being sent to Buchenwald, 18 year old Willy de Swart survived to served with distinction in the RAF.
4) Charles Koch was a major contributor and activist anti-Vietnam war movement .
5) Yasha Levine, despite being a staunch leftist critic of the Koch family, has consistently refuted all allegations of the Koch’s being connected with the Nazi’s. (he should know, he lost family in Buchenwald).
6) Harry Koch visited Germany in the 20’s and 30’s as a newspaperman and commented unfavorably on Der Fuehrer. (he also didn’t think much of Roosevelt).
6) Fred Koch was traumatized by his experiences in the Stalinist USSR, becomming a rabid anti-communist after 1935, and remained so all his life. It’s true he was a member of the barking mad, John Birch Society, but due to his hatred of communism.
7)The Chronicle of Philanthropy lists David Koch as in the world’s top 20 philanthropists.
8) In 2015 Koch Industries was awarded the Wildlife Habitat Council’s ‘ Conservation Education Award ‘. For 15 years of significant and outstanding conservation achievements by the company.
Craig, Let’s get something straight. I do not sympathize with the political views of Charles and David Koch. Nor am I a supporter of absurd organizations like the John Birch Society.
However, when I feel it necessary to expose or attack my enemies, or those whose opinions I find distasteful or antisocial, I make it my business to be especially careful, objective and accurate. (Lest I become what I criticize).
No one who has witnessed or even read about the horrors of the Concentration camps, could be so disrespectful as to wantonly abuse that tragedy to slander another. The Koch’s don’t deserve that, and you diminish yourself by such regrettable insinuations.
But more importantly, the Victims deserve better.
My late father was one of the first senior allied officers to enter a concentration camp. The sights stayed and haunted him for the rest of his life.
In defense of Fred Koch, as a young man he glimpsed the horrors of the Soviet camps, and he knew many of the victims personally. It’s not hard to imagine he was traumatized by the experience.
No one who has not seen for themselves these horrors can fully understand the effect on individuals. I have visited the aftermath of the Killing Fields of Cambodia, and personally witnessed the murder of thousands of innocent civilians by the communists at Hue in 1968.
By all means, attack the politics and activism of Fred Koch and his son’s, and I’ll gladly join you…
But it must be fair, accurate and not resorting to the most base of lies !
You should know that the “Craig” who wrote that comment wasn’t me, Craig Shields.
Craig,
Please accept my sincere and humble apologies. In my heart I couldn’t believe you could spout such nonsense.
But it does raise the disquieting thought, why didn’t others including yourself, refute the canard ?
“”The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
@ Marco
Per the discussion on the KOCH Bro and their political influence peddling and interference in the political process.
In Pennsylvania they have thrown another $ 5.5 million to defeat a lady running for Senator. Their second level of paid influence and distortion meddling in the race.
so it goes
carry on
Silent,
It’s interesting to note your choice of terms. ” political influence peddling and interference in the political process “.
David and Charles Koch, are the last time I looked, American Citizens. As such they are fully entitled to participate in the political process.
It’s telling that you reserve these terms for those whom you regard as political opponents.
Also you should check your facts. The contributions by donors associated with the Koch’s to Republican incumbent Pat Toomey are only $2,582,443, while “out of state” corporate donors for challenger Democrat Katie McGinty, total more than $13 million.
Katie McGinty is hardly a poor little woman bullied by the evil Koch bros, her backers include, Fred Eychaner, chairman of Newsweb Corporation, who has supplied $3 million and a lot more in media coverage . The American Federation of Teachers, “Working for Working Americans” and the UAW Education Fund. The organizations supplied not only millions of dollars, but campaign workers many of whom are paid union employees.
The organization Women Vote!, (supports pro-abortion rights candidates) has purchased Katie McGinty more than $1.3 million in media space.
So, be honest, you don’t object to billionaire Fred Eychaner donating $3 million to the Democrat candidate, but you do object to billionaire Charles Koch donating $2.5 million to help the Republican Candidate !
You seem to be very selective in your application of who should or shouldn’t take part in the political process.
@ Marco
Yo Mate, the latest donation is where the $ 5 .5 million figure came from in yesterdays Energy & Environment Publication .
Marco your Johari’s window and world lense is real slanted man, we are commenting on a Environmental Clean Energy oriented site. The Dem lady has a good track record with clean energy including the Spanish Wind Co. And she did some board work with NRG too. And worked on a Environmental Planning Council as well. diverse background.
I am beginning to think that sharing an attack spear in a frontal assault doing a classic inner weave with you as a gunnery mate might be more risky from the Rear than from the enemy in front of me!
I might get one in the Back in a effort to move the line forward !
The Koch brothers wage a ongoing war of political interference against the will of the people and various progressive government policy leaders. They wage Political WAR against reducing carbon, pollution and all related policy that supports a cleaner and more resilient future.
They fund subversive front groups that conspire to under mine the public’s health, wealth and future of the young to be most blunt. Undermine democracy too!
As far as the Mcginnity lady she has earned good donations from many sources several green energy co’s and her positions on important issues are much better than her opposition from what I have read.
Abortion is a non issue for me , that is a personal matter of public policy that was established in 1973 and made legal. When women die they will answer to their maker and that is between them and the Maker! Or it will not even Matter perhaps , we don’t really know. Yes life is Sacred to me that is why I strive for Justice. But real justice is helping women with their challenges in the manner that best fits their decisions. History is filled with failed negative Impositions !
The renewed attacks on women’s choices by the entrenched yet shrinking right wing is a political ploy to subvert weak followers and distract people from real issues.
Save your Jabs for your business associate the Trumpster , he has caused several abortions during his amoral philandering!
Its Politics are like a tool in the tool box that one never uses but lets the others know you have so you can hold it over their heads! like a false weapon of fear!
Point being they never try to vote on it in Congress ,when they have had the votes in the past to change things, another Inconvenient Truth on a certain group of people! Once again there is a voting record in the Congress to look at and the points I make is validated. Lots of Trojan Horses noise but little real action!
The real issue is too much money in the game of politics. It would be better if they just traveled around in buses and made stops and debated and speeches and took questions. All the money flow is bad. But you will come back with some remark that I am limiting Freedom , yeah freedom to corrupt the process.
So let go of the little stuff and get the big picture. the KOCH s interfered with our process for their revenue interests and that is not right.
If they really cared about People More than Things they would bail out their home state of Kansas where the cops, schools, teachers and medical workers and many others are laid off and things closing down. The extreme tax cuts and erosion of revenues enacted in a Cult like frenzy have undermined the basic foundation in that poor state. Kochs policies took hold in Kansas and the results are dismal for the average person and state economy. That’s the record not opinion or bias just facts.
We don’t have to venture to the third world anymore, those conditions are sprouting up in the Heartland of America and it is in Direct linkage to anti human policies of the Koch brothers and their tainted money dependents.
One last bit of Sarcasm – It has been said by some Thoughtful Men re abortion.
1. One may not like abortions, fine. Then as a man keep your zipper up and don’t cause any!
2. If men could carry babies to term and give birth like our Women Sisters do for us, then abortion would be given tax deductions by the same republicons who try to regulate and outlaw it only for their political games.
They really don’t care about the baby to be honest about things. Enough of this distraction.
Many people think the Kochs will Over Play their hand and the Millennials and Growing Minorities will have none of them going forward ! People want Freedom not Feudalism ! One real good thing about America .
Don’t shoot me in the back Mate!
That is it
Silent,
From your reply, I can perceive you see the political process as a fight between good (your side) and evil (opponents).
I don’t. The ‘democratic’ political process must allow everyone to participate. No matter how erroneous, misguided or even bat-shit crazy, rich or poor, young or old, all must be allowed to participate.
The Charles Koch has every right to disseminate or express his point of view, just as fully as you or I.
You can’t say ” Money is corrupting politics, but it’s ok if it’s done by a billionaire I like. (well, you can but it’s a bit hypocritical).
As for candidates “traveling around in buses making stops, debating, speeches and taking questions”, very folksy ! Unfortunately, completely impractical when candidates have to communicate with tens of millions of voters.
Modern election require extensive mass communication,..that takes money, and lot’s of it. It’s just a fact of large populations and modern life.