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Hermit-The-Prog
Hermit-The-Prog's Journal
Hermit-The-Prog's Journal
August 28, 2019
Democracy Now! : "Kochland"
Kochland: How David Koch Helped Build an Empire to Shape U.S. Politics & Thwart Climate Action
Billionaire conservative donor David Koch died Friday at the age of 79 from prostate cancer. David Koch who was worth some $42 billion and his brother Charles poured massive amounts of money into funding climate change denial through conservative think tanks and politicians. The Koch brothers founded the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity in 2004, which is credited with turning the tea party into a full-fledged political movement. They also backed right-to-work efforts, which aim to weaken labor rights and quash union membership. The brothers made their fortune running Koch Industries, the second-largest privately held company in the United States. We speak with the business journalist Christopher Leonard, who just last week published a major new book examining the business dealings of the Koch brothers. Its titled Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America.
AMY GOODMAN: But David Koch Was the Ultimate Climate Change Denier. Now, if he is one individual, thats his own business. But this affected the entire country. Explain what Kochland is and how he and his brother had such a massive effect on the issue of climate change and denialism in this country.
CHRISTOPHER LEONARD: Yes, I will. And maybe to start, we could back up and look at the corporate empire that made David and Charles Koch the richest some of the richest people in America. Theyve owned this privately held firm in Wichita, Kansas, for decades, Koch Industries. And as we said earlier, Koch Industries is one of the largest corporations in America. Its annual sales are bigger than Facebook, Goldman Sachs and U.S. Steel combined.
And the thing about Koch Industries is that it specializes in the kinds of businesses that underpin civilization. You couldnt boycott Koch Industries if you wanted to.
[ ... ]
[ video and transcript at link ]
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/8/27/christopher_leonard_kochland_koch_brothers
August 21, 2019
Please show proper respect
As the economy sinks and the ice of Greenland melts, let us always remember to respect the Great Steal of the pResident.
August 4, 2019
Is there a list of the White Trumper Terrorists, so far?
I can't keep track. This seems to be a unique category of terrorists which has come into being since the campaign leading up to 2016.
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