2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumCharles Koch Calls on Donors to Reduce Focus on Politics
Koch brothers aim to effect change without lawmakers' helpBy REBECCA BALLHAUS
Jul 30, 2016 10:06 pm ET
COLORADO SPRINGSBillionaire industrialist Charles Koch opened a gathering of about 400 conservative donors involved in his sprawling network by calling for a reduced focus on politics.
Speaking at the luxurious Broadmoor resort, the billionaire voiced concern about an increasingly stagnant two-tiered society, with the rich and politically connected doing well, and most everybody else stuck down below. But those seeking to overhaul institutions, such as the education system, err in looking to politicians, he said.
I recognize reluctantly that politics needs to be a piece of this strategy, Mr. Koch said. But weve got to keep in mind that if we just focus on politics, were going to continue to lose. Were going to continue to deteriorate.
Mr. Koch said he and his brother had crafted the massive donor network to be able to effect change without lawmakers help. That puts us in position to make progress in spite of the current political situation, where we dont really in some cases have good options, he said. The Koch network has said it wont spend money to support Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump or to attack his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
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No paywall to the above article:
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/07/30/charles-koch-calls-on-donors-to-reduce-focus-on-politics/
C_U_L8R
(45,020 posts)and showed them the chart illustrating all the money they threw away
gordianot
(15,245 posts).....on investment. Turds such as Scott Walker willing do your every desire with every advantage provided just do not pay out.
SFnomad
(3,473 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)along with many other wealthy ultraconservatives who have also semi-secretly infiltrated all institutions of society, including most of our colleges that now teach as mainstream thought what used to be considered unacceptably far right, dysfunctional legal and economic theory. We now have 30 years of these graduates operating in high levels of business and government.
He is not changing his spots, simply his strategy now that his name is well known and he has backlash to worry about. He'll be 81 soon and has to know he is running out of decades. So close...
"The only legitimate functions of government are protection of person and property."
DemonGoddess
(4,640 posts)It bodes well for HRC in the short term but wondering where those dollars will be spent is creepy.
TheBlackAdder
(28,211 posts).
They got away, with the help of E&Y to dodge US taxes, only paying 0.75% tax in Luxembourg. Nice "Americans"
https://www.icij.org/project/luxembourg-leaks/new-leak-reveals-luxembourg-tax-deals-disney-koch-brothers-empire
In 2014 tax arrangements negotiated by EY for The Walt Disney Company, Koch Industries, Skype, and other multinational corporations became public in the so-called Luxembourg Leaks. The disclosure of these and other tax arrangements led to controversial discussions about tax avoidance.[28][29][30]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_%26_Young
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TheBlackAdder
(28,211 posts)Mellomugwump
(93 posts)I figured that their lack of willingness to donate to and support Trump just meant they were going to focus more on education and brain washing of their subjects while they're good and young. They're looking do a long term investment now because they know that throwing money at Trump is a losing cause.
TheBlackAdder
(28,211 posts).
Kids would force their parents back in the day (including me) to go to McDonalds--even though my parents knew it was crap food.
Then, when I got older it was OK to take the kids there, especially to get that Inspector Gadget seven-part toy.
Only recently, when they went too shitty, when they went too abusive to their workers, did things come home to roost.
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AgadorSparticus
(7,963 posts)We are f*cked for the next 40 yrs. So we aren't going to play politics anymore.
But his pudding analogy says it all. Im not saying this will be easy, or instant pudding, as the saying goes, he said. Weve got to remember that the test isnt in the pudding, the test of the pudding is in the eating. And we want to have good eating here, so weve got to deal with a lot of issues.
It is not about winning. But it is about still reaping the benefits. This is alarming to me. Is democracy gone? Does this mean we can look forward to just 1 machine pulling all the levers? Wth?