Charles Koch could be considered a bajillionaire mogul and political schemer. Through their political group Americans for Prosperity, Charles and his brother David have exhausted millions of dollars and incalculable hours fighting the care and wellbeing of common Americans. Instead, the Kochs want to see a society in which individuals have no obligation or responsibility to one another. Now, Charles has come forward to ask that the rest of us show a little sympathy and play nicer. Tough luck.
In his recent, what I guess you would call letter, in the Wall Street Journal, Koch argues that modern political debate has been degraded to a pile of name-calling that is not just unproductive but actively detrimenting the progression of American society. Take note that he does this while being sure to remind you, his reader, that “Koch companies” employs tens of thousands of people and generate billions in revenue.
Koch’s letter amounts to little more than a PR stunt to try and soften the public’s opinion of their meddling. Nevermind that the web these spiders weave extends from coast to coast and runs the gamut from federal to local politics. Amounting to a complete and holistic domination of the political landscape.
Instead of encouraging free and open debate, collectivists strive to discredit and intimidate opponents. They engage in character assassination. (I should know, as the almost daily target of their attacks.) This is the approach that Arthur Schopenhauer described in the 19th century, that Saul Alinsky famously advocated in the 20th, and that so many despots have infamously practiced. Such tactics are the antithesis of what is required for a free society–and a telltale sign that the collectivists do not have good answers.
Try as he might to decry and discredit his opposition with the same name calling and distraction he claims to be the victim of, Charles Koch can’t escape the scrutiny that public attention brings.
Politics is a tough game and it isn’t for everyone. When someone starts to see they’re on the losing end of a fight, they’ll often start to cry foul and whine that the game is rigged.
Joshua is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. You can follow him on Twitter @Joshual33.