Nobody here, who hasn’t sunken untold millions into a dud like Scott Walker, can possibly understand the depth of the pain that this poor, regrettable man experiences.
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Charles, you built the party that made Cruz and Trump possible; you broke the GOP; now you own it. You’re a “terrible role model” yourself. Karma.
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Great post.
Post Script: The most misunderstood political philosophy in the United States is libertarian. It is a shape-shifting placebo attractive to people who wish to indulge in what stimulates them; people who have little or no compassion for their fellow man; people who believe in minimal consequences for their actions; people who are averse to the concept of national defence; people who are individualistic to the edge of where this individualism harms others.
A libertarian can seem a “liberal” to some, a “conservative” to another…and I am convinced that the unfulfilled potential of Occupy can be laid at the feet of the fact that most people following Occupy did not know when progressivism ended and libertarianism began.
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I don’t know if there’s a Heaven, but there must be a Hell for certain types.
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TPM:
“These personal attacks and pitting one person against the other — that’s the message you’re sending the country,” Koch said. “You’re role models and you’re terrible role models. So how — I don’t know how we could support 'em.”
This from the same guy who refused to invite Kasich to any more Koch party political events, after Kasich defended his decision to implement Obamacare in Ohio, at one of the Koch gatherings.
“What was worse was this ‘we’ll have them all registered,’” Koch said. “That’s reminiscent of Nazi Germany. I mean — that’s monstrous as I said at the time.”
Maybe you ought to take a look at the people you’re inviting to your events, Charles. If you exclude the even marginally charitable, and only deign to deal with demons, then monstrous politics is all you are going to engender.
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Meanwhile, am I supposed to be worrying given the poll numbers on the front page has Clinton 1% over Trump?
Or, maybe, how eager Koch is to change the public’s perception of him as Fascisty McScrooge.
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I’m really surprised at how thoughtful, how insightful this elderly, uncle-type gentleman sounded – very fair-minded. I had thought he was some kind of a monster or something. The scales have fallen from MY eyes. From now on, when it’s reasonable insights I’m after, I’m listening to him, you betcha. It’s so unfair, the way they’ve been talking about him!
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Yes, it was interesting to see how the Kochs were willing to lavish millions on lapdog Scott Walker to buy the governor’s seat as long as he followed their orders to bust the unions, deregulate the industries they monopolized and sell them state assets for pennies on the dollar.
They even appeared to initially support Walker’s presidential run, but as soon as Scott showed the world what an incompetent numbskull he really is, they discreetly withdrew their funding.
So it would appear your analysis is spot on.
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So no three way billionaire cage match?
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But of course! He and his brother give donations to the arts, after all, so they must be right about everything.
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They’re terrible role models because they lose in a general election. If only people had followed his advice they’d have picked a candidate who seems not that crazy until he gets elected.
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Ladies and germs, feast your peepers on the Libertarian Party platform that brother David ran on in 1980, and ponder what kind of country we’d have if they were all implemented.
“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.”
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Ryan is their golden boy. Watch and see at the convention.
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“Trump and Cruz are terrible role models.” Pubbies built them and now Pubbies own them. Pubbies, that is your problem.
“These personal attacks and pitting one person against the other — that’s the message you’re sending the country”
This is like John Wayne Gacy complaining about Jeffrey Dahmer’s culinary practices.
“Pitting one person against the other” is the specific desired outcome of the Koch Brother libertarian philosophy.
The day he and his despicable brother are both dead is a day we’re all better off.
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Just as he should love Obama. Hillary, like Obama and Bill before them are the distilled essence of neoliberalism. Koch’s problem is he thinks he is conservative but like all our elites he is neoliberal and neoconservative. Obama and the Clinton’s are neoconservative too.
While the populists have no idea what those terms mean and if they did they wouldn’t like them it is either funny, sad, pathetic, pick your words, that the corporate and monied class think they hate the Clinton’s or Obama. Chalk it up to fandom. Team R vs Team D. As there is no rational reason for Alabama fans to hate Auburn fans there is no reason for Team R fans to hate the policies and legacies of Bill or Obama nor fear anything different from Hillary.
Not that team D fans are any wiser. Josh Marshall himself loves Bill Clinton, third way which is neoliberalism, and all. And all means he brought the neoconservatives back, Reagan it must be admited put the deep into the back bench, to reawaken the war on Russia and embrace the New American Century, and liberals are down with that.
I don’t disagree with the concept, only that it’s eminating from a toxic waste pipe. Role modles? The Kochs will bankrupt Superfund all by themselves.
What term advocates big banks breaking up themselves?
I felt the same way. The study looks really comfy, esp. if you compare it with the Central-Asian-dictator style in Trumps penthouse… And it gets worse. Both Kochs are relentless patrons and donors to the fine arts in New York and elsewhere. Apart from their horrible politics they seem to be people I could easily imagine spending some good time with. Which is frightening.
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