Oh, no! We've got it all wrong. The Kochs really care about the "disadvantaged".

[Contrary1]

"Taking the principled path..." Yeah, right, If that was the truth, they wouldn't be Repubs in the first place.

"As top GOP presidential candidates arrived at a hotel here to court the influential donors of the Koch network, Charles Koch called on retreat attendees to unite with him in a campaign against "corporate welfare" and "irresponsible spending" by both political parties.

Speaking on the hotel's grassy lawn with the Pacific Ocean shimmering behind him, Koch opened the gathering hosted by Freedom Partners by noting that the theme of the weekend would be "Unleashing Our Free Society." Koch network donors and politicians alike must work toward "eliminating welfare for the wealthy," he said.

"We're headed toward a two-tiered society -- a society that's destroying opportunities for the disadvantaged and creating welfare for the rich," Koch said. "Misguided policies are creating a permanent underclass, crippling our economy and corrupting the business community," he said, "present company excepted of course."

Koch said clearing those obstacles would require getting business leaders to recognize that accepting "corporate welfare" -- which he defined as subsidies and special preferences for business -- is "suicide long term."

More of the -worthy article: http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/02/politics/charles-koch-corporate-welfare/index.html

[bemildred]

1. So CNN wants to launder the Koch's now? That should be amusing. nt

[Downwinder]

2. They may not but they had better.

All of their wealth is ultimately coming from the consumers. Take just one of their industries for an example. How many billionaire asses are there for Georgia Pacific toilet paper to wipe compared to the disadvantaged? In a world of mass production they are dependent on mass consumption. If the masses don't have money to spend, Koch has no market. The masses are not dependent on Koch, Koch is dependent on the masses.

Supply side economics will not work without a consumer side.

[BadgerKid]

5. Global markets, global consumption.

Maybe it won't matter what the US does. Ban a corporate portfolio of products? No problem, since it's sounding as if corporations would be able to sue to shore up any projected sales figures.

[6chars]

4. The Onion, right?

Love his last 5 words.

"We're headed toward a two-tiered society -- a society that's destroying opportunities for the disadvantaged and creating welfare for the rich," Koch said. "Misguided policies are creating a permanent underclass, crippling our economy and corrupting the business community," he said, "present company excepted of course."

[Volaris]

9. All of that what he's all in a tizzy about stops the MOMENT we get publicly-funded elections.

I won't hold my breath for that being part of his next speech.
also, because OF COURSE we're just supposed to trust him that HE'S in no way a corrupting influence in American politics...

Charles and David are from the Elizabeth Warren wing of the of the Democratic Party, AND they hosted a super-duper, Super-Secret organizing event for Bernie Sanders last Wednesday...(YOU didn't get an invitation because YOU hate America).


Sure they fucking did.

And Donald Trump will be the next POTUS.

This is cover because they know what's coming down the pike. Minus the last 5 words, every democratic candidate for election should quote that sentence VERBATIM, with the addition that even the Koch brothers know how badly the middle and working classes are getting screwed.
Fuck Them.

[gollygee]

6. They are doing some kind of political maneuvering

They must see the writing on the wall. This was posted not long ago: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7005389

[pampango]

7. Interesting that he feels the need to throw in some populism. 5 years ago I doubt he did.

Perhaps that is a sign of some progress in raising the awareness of inequality in society even if his 'concern' is self-serving and hypocritical.

[gratuitous]

8. And homelessness is caused by bad divorce lawyers

The Koch brothers and their fellow travelers have worked relentlessly over the last several decades to tilt the economic playing field more and more in their favor. They're wealthy beyond all reason while their fellow citizens starve in the streets. Jesus had some pretty harsh words for people like that. So did Jeremiah, Isaiah, Deutero-Isaiah, Amos, Micah, and Moses (or, if you prefer, the authors of the Torah). Spoiler alert: It doesn't end well for David and Charles.

[HughBeaumont]

10. 35 years softens a guy, don't you think?

Or maybe he's just full of shite.

Here are just a few excerpts of the Libertarian Party platform that David Koch ran on in 1980:

“We urge the repeal of federal campaign finance laws, and the immediate abolition of the despotic Federal Election Commission.”
“We favor the abolition of Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
“We oppose any compulsory insurance or tax-supported plan to provide health services, including those which finance abortion services.”
“We also favor the deregulation of the medical insurance industry.”
“We favor the repeal of the fraudulent, virtually bankrupt, and increasingly oppressive Social Security system. Pending that repeal, participation in Social Security should be made voluntary.”
“We propose the abolition of the governmental Postal Service. The present system, in addition to being inefficient, encourages governmental surveillance of private correspondence. Pending abolition, we call for an end to the monopoly system and for allowing free competition in all aspects of postal service.”
“We oppose all personal and corporate income taxation, including capital gains taxes.”
“We support the eventual repeal of all taxation.”
“As an interim measure, all criminal and civil sanctions against tax evasion should be terminated immediately.”
“We support repeal of all law which impede the ability of any person to find employment, such as minimum wage laws.”
“We advocate the complete separation of education and State. Government schools lead to the indoctrination of children and interfere with the free choice of individuals. Government ownership, operation, regulation, and subsidy of schools and colleges should be ended.”
“We condemn compulsory education laws … and we call for the immediate repeal of such laws.”
“We support the repeal of all taxes on the income or property of private schools, whether profit or non-profit.”
“We support the abolition of the Environmental Protection Agency.”
“We support abolition of the Department of Energy.”
“We call for the dissolution of all government agencies concerned with transportation, including the Department of Transportation.”
“We demand the return of America's railroad system to private ownership. We call for the privatization of the public roads and national highway system.”
“We specifically oppose laws requiring an individual to buy or use so-called "self-protection" equipment such as safety belts, air bags, or crash helmets.”
“We advocate the abolition of the Federal Aviation Administration.”
“We advocate the abolition of the Food and Drug Administration.”
“We support an end to all subsidies for child-bearing built into our present laws, including all welfare plans and the provision of tax-supported services for children.”
“We oppose all government welfare, relief projects, and ‘aid to the poor’ programs. All these government programs are privacy-invading, paternalistic, demeaning, and inefficient. The proper source of help for such persons is the voluntary efforts of private groups and individuals.”
“We call for the privatization of the inland waterways, and of the distribution system that brings water to industry, agriculture and households.”
“We call for the repeal of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.”
“We call for the abolition of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.”
“We support the repeal of all state usury laws.”

[MisterP]

12. that whole movement was created by Ayn Rand (no business experience), Heinlein (no war experience),

Gary North (fundie that makes Rushdoony look like Bertrand Russell), and the Hunts, Scaifes, Kochs (megacorps who specifically made their money squashing out the little guy)

it's almost like it's an astroturf movement or summat

[TBF]

11. I've had enough of their "unleashed" society -

which means billions for them and crumbs for everyone else. I think we can come up with something better than that.