Koch Koch Cough Cough Blech Barf!

VintageFreak

Note to Charles Koch. If you really believe what you are saying, start a Super PAC to END corporate welfare. Don't give interviews in your twilight years and pretend you are not the problem. It would seem finally (really?) you are not able to sleep any more, so (you think?) giving such interviews helps with that.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/charles-koch--we-re-creating-welfare-for-the-wealthy-160454754.html

Practice what you are (allegedly!) preaching. Throw your weight behind Bernie.

little5bee

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/11/14/hillary_clinton_cites_9_11_women_in_defending_wall_street_donations.html

VintageFreak

little5bee said:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/11/14/hillary_clinton_cites_9_11_women_in_defending_wall_street_donations.html

Point. However, I do grade crap. In the real world it is often about choosing the least offensive item.

little5bee

Just trying to point out that both "sides" have issues, not trying to start a fight....just wish someone could come up with a solution.

Anna

Where is the Soros statement. No discussion of America is complete without it. So let me set this thread on the right track.

SOROS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SOROS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SOROS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Are the Clintons the next Soros? That foundation has indeed been fruitful.)

VintageFreak - Thanks for the link-of-the-day. What a chuckle.

On a more serious note. I don't see that most of these pontificators with access to a podium have any more expertise in or insight into the cause-effect of economic policies that are overly simplified as sound bite bits. Even Koch, even Hillary, even Bernie, even, why even, ME.

LewisBraham

@Anna, The difference is Soros is donating to causes and politicians that hurt his own financial interests--such as increasing his own tax rate as a wealthy person--while the Kochs, Sheldon Adelson, Foster Friess and Paul Singer are specifically looking to have their taxes lowered and regulations on their specific businesses reduced. It is the difference between selflessness and selfishness. Yet you are right to call Soros out in one regard. There's too much money in politics in general. And even Soros has exploited the system to evade taxes in the past, even though he now says taxes should be higher on the rich. None of these billionaires should have control of our political system on either side.

little5bee

LewisBraham said:

There's too much money in politics in general.

You got that right...so, in the interest of fairness that we all seem to share, here is an illuminating article about the philanthropic Mr. Soros (so much material to choose from, but I decided to go with this one as a tribute to my MFO board bff, @davidrmoran...his beloved economist, Paul Krugman, weighs in:)
http://www.westernjournalism.com/koch-brothers-george-soros-fear/

Crash

VintageFreak said:

Note to Charles Koch. If you really believe what you are saying, start a Super PAC to END corporate welfare. Don't give interviews in your twilight years and pretend you are not the problem. It would seem finally (really?) you are not able to sleep any more, so (you think?) giving such interviews helps with that.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/charles-koch--we-re-creating-welfare-for-the-wealthy-160454754.html

Practice what you are (allegedly!) preaching. Throw your weight behind Bernie.

Right-on, sir.

little5bee

Oh...do you mean the Bernie Sanders who said climate change is responsible for the rise in ISIS? How quaint!
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/SciCheck_Sanders_stretches_on_climate_link_to_terrorism.html

Crash

An oversimplification. Check out what he actually DID say.

LewisBraham

@Little5bee, Use a real news source on Soros, not a conservative advocacy group like the Western Journalism Center. I don't like him meddling in politics anymore than the Koch brothers. But 1) the stats on campaign contributions are hard to actually figure because of so-called dark money, which is harder to determine as it is funneled though hidden means. Here's an assessment of Koch brother donations in the dark money sphere: opensecrets.org/news/2013/12/1-in-4-dark-money-dollars-in-2012-c/ But 2) On the conservative side there is a lot more than the Koch Brother billionaires giving including Sheldon Abelson who gives maybe more than them. In any case, I wish all of these billionaires would get the heck out of our democratic process.

Mark

Sanders remarks were on climate change<>terrorism and not necessarily ISIS. I hate the political swill this discussion board has descended into.

Ted, I think Roy was right.

LewisBraham

@Little5Bee, The dark money problem: forbes.com/sites/afontevecchia/2015/10/02/the-koch-brothers-paradox-dark-money-superpacs-and-the-forbes-400/

davidrmoran

@Little5Bee,

False equivalence. Also completely unreliable sourcing, that outfit.