KOCH BROTHERS & TEA PARTY

While expressing my frustrations with the lack of initiative from the Democrats in DC as they head toward the last few weeks in Majority, a friend of mine suggested I join in the Tea Party movement. Luckily I was not drinking anything at the time so I didn't force anything out through my nose.


I mentioned that there is a Coffee Party that has the same concerns of transparency and government waste as the Tea Party but without the dark un-American roots. He said what dark roots?

I proceeded to mention the astroturf history of what the original Tea Party had morphed into since its simple and identifiable beginnings. It's been bastardized by big money interests since then and those that spend that money have done a phenomenal job painting it as grass roots even with millions spent by a select handful of oil conglomerates.

I got the look of "I don't believe a word you're saying". So I asked if he'd heard of Dick Armey, Karl Rove and the Koch Brothers. Rove he knew, Armey...somewhat but Koch Brothers? Not at all.

Considering that the Koch Brothers, Charles and David, if combined as one: Koch Industries, rate as the third wealthiest being after Buffet and Gates. How is it that most of America doesn't know them?

Fred Koch, (pronounced Coke) appeared to have a dual personality where he was an active member of the John Birch Society and railed against Communism, while making his first millions working with Stalin's Russia developing oil refineries during the 30's. He and his sister were helpful in the rise of Hitler's dominance leading up to the US declaration of War. Sister Issa was later tried and sentenced to life in prison having been found guilty of making lamp shades from the skin of terminated Jews. 
(amazing what you'll find if you dig online)

Koch Industries relocated to Oklahoma where the boys took over the company in '67 when the old man died. Buying up numerous smaller oil companies, they've since become the second largest privately owned company in the US after Cargill.

So you ask, why did Koch Industries come up when talking about the Tea Party. Well, during the last election cycle, the Koch Brothers felt it was their duty to do whatever they could to stop any advanced form of energy and finance regulation heading into the 2010 elections. Hearing about the fledgling unorganized movement of discontent and seeing the opportunity to influence the outcome, they added financial support to what ended up being movement manipulated by Dick Armey and later Karl Rove.

Most of those who claim allegiance to the movement today have no idea how big energy, pharmaceutical, insurance and foreign interest groups have helped guide them. What started out as random groups of disgusted and exasperated citizens with genuine angst about where their tax dollars were going, soon became a body count for the special interests to rely on. I actually feel a little sad for them.

I looked up some of the company history available on the web. They've bought so many other companies engaged in oil and gas exploration and refineries as well as chemical research and development. But what I found most disturbing was the vast number of EPA violations they have either fought or paid out in the millions. It's extensive and shows a piss poor concern for environmental standards here in the US. I guess this would be another reason to try to diminish the reach of the White House heading into the 112th Congress.

The Koch Brothers allocated $96 Million during this last election cycle, much went to the US Chamber of Commerce which ended up supporting the candidates for Federal office who best served the interests of big business. What came out of the Rove and Armey fundraising organizations I do not know.

The Supreme Court decision in Citizen's United opened the door to unchecked and un-traceable donations by domestic and foreign corporations. With little hope of changing that before 2012, the Democrats have decided to create their own PACs to engage in the same shameful fundraising efforts heading into the Presidential race. 

Just think, I started out telling about the Coffee Party and the more noble virtues they espouse and ended up talking about one of the darkest aspects of our modern election system. Unless something changes in a drastic way in the near future, I think we are in for darker times ahead. My fear is that even after reading about the Koch Brothers and the astroturf base of the Tea Party, my friend will still just go off and hold on to the artificial image of what the movement means. But I forgive him.