The Koch brothers are "still trying to supplant American democracy with their little laissez-fairyland plutocracy." (Image: DonkeyHotey/flickr/cc)
Billionaire Donors Plot a 'Renaissance of Freedom' -- for the Privileged
Who needs roads when you've got a private jet?
Charles and David Koch -- the billionaire oil men who've financed a vast network of right-wing advocacy groups -- have stayed out of the national limelight recently. But they're still trying to supplant American democracy with their little laissez-fairyland plutocracy.
In fact, in late June, they held a meeting of the Koch Boys Billionaires Club, gathering about 400 other uber-wealthy rascals to plot some political high jinks for next year's elections.
The club meets every year at some luxury hideaway, and its attendees have to pay $100,000 each just to get in. But participants are also expected to give generously to the brothers' goal of spending $400 million to buy a slew of congress critters, governors, and others in 2018.
This year, the group gathered in Colorado Springs at the ultra-lux Broadmoor Hotel and Resort, owned by the brothers' billionaire pal and right-wing co-conspirator, Phillip Anschutz.
Among the recent political triumphs that these elites celebrated in the Broadmoor's posh ballroom was the defeat this year of a Colorado tax hike to fix the state's crumbling roads.
After all, who needs adequate roads, when you can arrive in private jets?
This attitude of the Kochs' privileged cohorts explains why the public is shut out of these candid sessions. A staffer for the Koch confab hailed such no-tax, no-roads policies as a "renaissance of freedom." For the privileged, that is -- the freedom to prosper at the expense of everyone else.
Indeed, their agenda includes killing such working class needs as the minimum wage and Social Security, and privatizing everything from health care to public education. This self-absorbed cabal of spoiled plutocratic brats intends to abandon our nation's core democratic principle of "We're all in this together."
If they kill that uniting concept, they kill America itself.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Charles and David Koch -- the billionaire oil men who've financed a vast network of right-wing advocacy groups -- have stayed out of the national limelight recently. But they're still trying to supplant American democracy with their little laissez-fairyland plutocracy.
In fact, in late June, they held a meeting of the Koch Boys Billionaires Club, gathering about 400 other uber-wealthy rascals to plot some political high jinks for next year's elections.
The club meets every year at some luxury hideaway, and its attendees have to pay $100,000 each just to get in. But participants are also expected to give generously to the brothers' goal of spending $400 million to buy a slew of congress critters, governors, and others in 2018.
This year, the group gathered in Colorado Springs at the ultra-lux Broadmoor Hotel and Resort, owned by the brothers' billionaire pal and right-wing co-conspirator, Phillip Anschutz.
Among the recent political triumphs that these elites celebrated in the Broadmoor's posh ballroom was the defeat this year of a Colorado tax hike to fix the state's crumbling roads.
After all, who needs adequate roads, when you can arrive in private jets?
This attitude of the Kochs' privileged cohorts explains why the public is shut out of these candid sessions. A staffer for the Koch confab hailed such no-tax, no-roads policies as a "renaissance of freedom." For the privileged, that is -- the freedom to prosper at the expense of everyone else.
Indeed, their agenda includes killing such working class needs as the minimum wage and Social Security, and privatizing everything from health care to public education. This self-absorbed cabal of spoiled plutocratic brats intends to abandon our nation's core democratic principle of "We're all in this together."
If they kill that uniting concept, they kill America itself.
Charles and David Koch -- the billionaire oil men who've financed a vast network of right-wing advocacy groups -- have stayed out of the national limelight recently. But they're still trying to supplant American democracy with their little laissez-fairyland plutocracy.
In fact, in late June, they held a meeting of the Koch Boys Billionaires Club, gathering about 400 other uber-wealthy rascals to plot some political high jinks for next year's elections.
The club meets every year at some luxury hideaway, and its attendees have to pay $100,000 each just to get in. But participants are also expected to give generously to the brothers' goal of spending $400 million to buy a slew of congress critters, governors, and others in 2018.
This year, the group gathered in Colorado Springs at the ultra-lux Broadmoor Hotel and Resort, owned by the brothers' billionaire pal and right-wing co-conspirator, Phillip Anschutz.
Among the recent political triumphs that these elites celebrated in the Broadmoor's posh ballroom was the defeat this year of a Colorado tax hike to fix the state's crumbling roads.
After all, who needs adequate roads, when you can arrive in private jets?
This attitude of the Kochs' privileged cohorts explains why the public is shut out of these candid sessions. A staffer for the Koch confab hailed such no-tax, no-roads policies as a "renaissance of freedom." For the privileged, that is -- the freedom to prosper at the expense of everyone else.
Indeed, their agenda includes killing such working class needs as the minimum wage and Social Security, and privatizing everything from health care to public education. This self-absorbed cabal of spoiled plutocratic brats intends to abandon our nation's core democratic principle of "We're all in this together."
If they kill that uniting concept, they kill America itself.