¶ Five Myths About the Koch Brothers - Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Theda Skocpol - 2016

and Why It Matters To Set Them Straight

I've had a few more days to continue my crash course into Americans for Prosperity, the Koch brothers and "Libertarian" ideology in general.  The convoluted logic and the ruthless efforts I'm learning about get overwhelming.  Thankfully I have my Maddy dog who makes sure I get out for good long walks regularly, which helps clear my head and allows me to breath some fresh air and regroup.  

Why do I think this is so important to discuss and share?  Because liberalism, or more accurately, enlightened-self-interest, our democratic process of learning from and considering each other, and compromise - understanding critical thinking skills and the scientific process for assessing the world around us - all this is under existential threat.  

We have this group of faithful people who genuinely believe they have a personal reciprocal relationship with God (a Being billions of years old and encompassing the universe) and who now want to totally crush the Children of the Intellectual Enlightenment and our pluralistic society.

When all the layers are scraped away that's what I'm coming down to, this huge group of people who have convinced themselves that their own goals are God's own goals.  Think about this.

To believe that your personal goals are those of the God of Light and Time, Life and Love!  That is what's going on here!  Yet, the Bible warns us, God is beyond human understanding.  Yet, we have leaders marching around proclaiming they are doing God's Will and all who oppose them are damnable enemies deserving no quarter.

Self-certitude and absolutism, that leads right into totalitarianism and I understand too much history to delude myself into presuming it could never happen here.  It's happened in plenty of equally unlikely places before.  Particularly when few care to, or dare to, think about it, let alone talk about it.  A healthy Democracy demands an informed and engaged electorate.    

Well, that intro went way longer than expected, but than, this exercise is about wrestling with this information and ideas and seeing where they take me.

Okay, for the main feature, this addition to my Americans for Koch's Prosperity Collection is the product of two scholars who's investigations enabled them to share some important background information most have overlooked, important details worth thinking about if you're trying to understand what's happening today.  It does have a long history.

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Five Myths About the Koch Brothers — And Why It Matters To Set Them Straight

Democratic reformers need to know exactly what they are up against — now and likely for years to come.

BY ALEXANDER HERTEL-FERNANDEZ AND THEDA SKOCPOL | MARCH 10, 2016

http://billmoyers.com/story/five-myths-about-the-koch-network-and-why-it-matters-to-set-them-straight/

{Here again these quotes are simply a teaser to encourage you to read the entire article}

Senator Reid Exposes the Radical Koch bros - 2014

In March of 2014 Senator Reid gave a speech to the Senate, that lays out what’s going on here.  Below the fold I include the full text of his talk.

The Radical Koch Brothers, Exposed By Senator Reid

The Daily Conversation  |  Published on March 13, 2014  |  6:33 min

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiS_un4hKAs

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) speaks out against the efforts of Charles and David Koch, who are using their vast fortunes to push for right-wing, pro-industrialist policies.

Subscribe to The Daily Conversation for more progressive videos like this.

https://www.youtube.com/TheDailyConversation

Full transcript:

¶ Americans for Prosperity's Siren Song

To offer a feel for this organization I’ve taken the liberty of copying from Durango’s Americans for Prosperity Facebook page and sharing the text along with a few comments.

AFP’s siren song:

Our Colorado Chapter

One of 36 state chapters nationwide, Americans for Prosperity–Colorado has over 85,000 activists and an ever-expanding base of local donors. 

The grassroots volunteers of AFP Colorado advocate for public policies that champion the principles of limited government as well as regulatory and fiscal restraint. Part of our mission includes holding elected officials accountable for promises and votes throughout the legislative session.

“Americans for Prosperity exists to recruit, educate, and mobilize citizens in support of the policies and goals of a free society (Implying what, we are shackled?, and why are AFP’s meeting so secretive?) at the local, state, and federal level, helping every American live their dream – especially the least fortunate. 

(Then why does AFP oppose a woman’s right to self-determination and self-defense?

Why does AFP oppose universal health care efforts?

Why is AFP trying to destroy our public school systems?

Why does AFP have contempt for effort to protect the environment that supplies our life support system?  

Why does AFP lie about the dangers of fossil fuels burning and global warming’s increasing harm to the less fortunate?

Why does AFP act as though paying your fair share in taxes is equivalent to rape?

Why does AFP hate our government that created this amazing society in America? )

¶ Why start this blog?

Last Thursday a Durango Herald article by Jonathan Romeo informed me that Koch’s political machine, “Americans for Prosperity,” has now invaded our nice little town.  It’s first target is County Commissioner Gwen Lachelt because she has the audacity to be concerned with our environment’s health.  Worse, she believes the Oil Industry needs to take responsibility for the messes they consistently make.  Ironically, Lachelt has never voted against an oil development permit, but that’s not good enough, ideological purity is Koch’s goal.

That Gwen is competently fulfilling her sworn duties and representing the sentiments of a majority of her constituents, means nothing to Americans for Prosperity.  She’s doing what We The People wanted, but she’s unsupportive of Koch’s unbridled prosperity, thus she must go.  A lesson to make all understand who our future belongs to.

I’ve long been familiar with the “Americans for (Koch’s) Prosperity” on account of their dirty tricks regarding communicating climate science reality.  Campaigns based on deception, innuendos, misrepresenting the science, along with wholesale malicious lies and a good dose of bullying opponents.  But since learning about our climate and Earth’s evolution in general, along with defending climate science, has taken up what free time I have, I’ve pretty much ignored them.

Time to stop that, so the past days I’ve spent a bunch of time getting to know them through their website.  The high pressure recruiting effort is astounding, their absolutist tenor is terrifying.  Still I refuse to let my sense of defeat and dread immobilize me, thus I've decided to share my findings and report on local AFP shenanigans as we move forward.

After perusing their blog, and other articles, I’ll wager AFP may well wind up breaking the GOP and morphing into an ‘independent’ political party run by and for oligarchs as they force their radical changes onto our pluralistic American Way.   It sure smells like that's their endgame.  

They only want their fair share - All of it!  

Frighteningly, the Koch bro’s and friends have the ruthlessness along with the ways and means to accomplish their dream.  Realistically, at this point, who’s to stop their juggernaut of deceptive siren song, exclusivism and dedication to Profits Über Alles under the banner of Americans for Prosperity? 

La Plata County liberals/progressives it’s our move.