“I’m not saying he’s a Marxist, but he’s internalized some Marxist models — that is, that business tends to be successful by exploiting its customers and workers.”

Koch’s projection is breathtaking…he speaks of himself, so I guess he’s a Marxist..

Obama is “the most radical president we’ve ever had as a nation … and has done more damage to the free enterprise system and long-term prosperity than any president we’ve ever had,

There just no effin way possible any human being, ANY ONE, can read that level of bullshit and not either bust out laughing or hang one’s head in shame at the deceit.

Yet EACH AND EVERY TEABAGGER beleives it to the core.

And we’re supposed to have a dialogue with these people??

Again, all you folks who say that, how the hell do you have a dialogue with someone that can believe THAT??

Please, the teabaggers have made their own choice, they’ve CHOSEN to live in intentional ignorance, and THEY DESERVE THE CONSEQUENCES. One of which is, when we finally “win” in this class war, to hold THOSE ASSHOLES ACCOUNTABLE TOO.

Obama is to the Right of the majority of the American people on Jobs, Saving people’s homes, Ending both Wars, Torture, tax increases on the rich to pay the National debt, cutting Social Security.
Just what facts do the Koch brothers have to back up their statement?

Notice how they frame things…Obama is the worst…blah, blah…then they end it by describing their own actions or results of their own positions. They hate themselves, but instead they transfer the conscious hatred to someone else, because they are mental cowards. What dangerous flakes.

Monopolies and oligopolies are the enemies of capitalism, competition, innovation, and a meritocracy.

The Koch brothers are the marxists/feudal lords.

The whole series in the link below is worth a read.

Patent system reforms could squeeze out start-ups
Group says bill favors deep pockets of big firms

The Koch brothers and the other MOTU’s have bought both parties to control the U.S. Patent Office. They want to cherry pick or block innovation. It’s whatever works out most profitably for them. They are the primary impediments to innovation.

Thugs go better with Koch.

This is post-literate America. We don’t need no steenkin’ facts.

Agreed Unregulated Capitalism is successful if they exploit their workers and customers but we can argue that such success kills the economy in the long run. Case in point the unregulated Bush/Obama years notice deep water drilling permits are still being issued without any real changes to how they drill.
Banks are still allowed to do the very same things that led to them getting bailed out. New Nuclear Power plants are still getting approved and old ones are still getting their license extended. Natural Gas fracking is still going on so…
Again I must ask just what facts do the Koch brothers have that Obama believes

“I’m not saying he’s a Marxist, but he’s internalized some Marxist models — that is, that business tends to be successful by exploiting its customers and workers.”

Just saying something does not make it true. The Koch brothers are speaking contra real world facts.

Obama is “the most radical president we’ve ever had as a nation … and has done more damage to the free enterprise system and long-term prosperity than any president we’ve ever had

I’m betting right around 30% of the people in this country absolutly believe that statement.

The Koch Brothers.

The Marketing Division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation.

You finish the thought.

What astounds me about the Koch brothers story is that the mandarins of the Democratic Party acted–and still act–as though these guys don’t exist. It’s hard to believe that they’re so stupid as to be unaware of them, which potentially leads to an even more disturbing explanation.

My new word: Birch-Baggers

See my comment at #4.

“..some Marxist models — that is, that business tends to be successful by exploiting its customers and workers.”
mm, Mr. Koch – that is not a Marxist model – this is sort of Dale Carnegie or Zig Zigler grafted on top of Marxist theory. Do you know of any other method by which businesses are successful? See, Marx and Engels didn’t care if businesses were successful – they said it was the nature of capitalism to oppress anyone who was not part of the wealthy ruling class. I’m sorry but Obama might be many things – Black (or not black enough), mealymouthed, a sucker for anything that intimates compromise or socalled bipartisanship, a guy who can speak Indonesian and who’s married to a very smart woman. but a Marxist? Not even in the DNA, boys. What you really are saying is “Obama is not one of us.”

At least. This sentiment soundbite in some form is propagandized 24/7 en masse. GE owns, Disney owns, Viacom, Murdoch, – The Republicans own the Mainstream Media and this is the message.

Obama is helping lazy people who don’t want to work.

In spite of all the facts to the contrary.

The fact is that OBama kisses corporate ass. Obama does noto care about poor people.

Or maybe Koch Baggers…

They are projecting their fears of what they do onto us onto Obama because they have guilt? Or are they just afraid again without any evidence to back it up that Obama will do onto them what they do onto us?

Yep. Best government money can buy.

Krotch Grabbers or The Bump Brothers…coke and all.

Abe Lincoln was ultimately an extremist in the eyes of people like the Koch Brothers. All that freeing the slaves nonsense etc. The creation of the US was an ‘extreme’ reaction to an Oligarchy. We need a lot more ‘extremism.’

They have no guilt. That’s why they project. They do evil things and blame their own shit on others. They are idiots.

Wow, is this post ever relevant to an article in today’s guardian.uk about the importance of empathy, which the Koch’s don’t appear to have much of…. yikes.

Also relevant for anyone interested in the Koch’s, some great stuff at the eXiledonline.com. Personally, I find it really intriguing that some of the best reporting is coming from people who spent time in Russia after the implosion of the USSR: Matt Taibbi, Mark Ames, Yasha Levine all seem to be able to spot the kind of ‘oligarchic’ politics that the Kochs thrive upon.

Also, an interview last week with Ames and Levine on the Dylan Ratigan show, for anyone who missed the segment. Really enlightening stuff.

Thanks for this post, Blue Texan.
It’s remarkable to me how, now that we’re starting to see behind the curtain of the oligarchic funding of US political finance and campaign structures, things are starting to make a *whole* lot more sense.

In a post-Citizens United world, we’re in a heap o’trouble if we don’t get campaign finance reform. After all, if the Kochs can’t buy politicians, they’ll lose some of their political clout.

Can anyone here name a single ‘extreme’ or ‘radical’ thing Obama has done?

I’d go further and say it is **inexcusable** for the Dems not to take on these creeps and call them out into the open. Failure to do that is sheer cowardice at this point.

The original reactionary Birchers of the 1950′s-1960′s were easily kept at the fringe, along with their more or less legitimate exponents like Barry Goldwater and William Buckley. America then was a good place to grow up, to learn, and to work. But bizarrely everyone wanted to watch TV all the time more than they wanted anything else. So, yeah, we became like the Bisons easily picked off from the moving train. It’s probably hopeless unless TV-as-we-love-it disappears.

Nice Catch:) Also don’t the Socialist countries of Europe do better than us at education, healthcare, lower crime rates, life span, infant mortality rates etc.
Why do the Koch Brothers want America to keep following such a failure of a business model?
Since Reagan we have been falling further and further behind sure the rich get richer but as the American economy gets weaker their wealth fades compared to the rest of the world.
Once GM was the biggest car maker in the World. IBM the biggest computer maker, we made more steel than anyone else today these American businesses are no longer the biggest and many other American companies are falling behind the rest of the world.
Its time to admit after decades of real world evidence that unregulated business just encourages financial gambling not businesses that make things.
Ron Paul is wrong about regulation and so is Newt and the entire GOP. I want food inspectors looking for e Coli, I want nuclear inspectors at nuclear plants, I want safety inspectors at coal mines shutting mines down until they are safe. I want tariffs to keep out keep unhealthy mercury cat food from China, I want to go into a hardware store in America and buy a shower head that works the first time without my having to go back because the one I bought doesn’t work.

Obama is “the most radical president we’ve ever had as a nation … and has done more damage

I have a tendency to agree with that part of the statement.

There’s nothing wrong with out system that enforcing anti-trust (plus eliminating the health insurance
cartel’s immunity from the anti-trust laws,) ending conflicts of interest (that’s important: structure or process,
industrial organizationalists will mention–fix corporations’ bearings and they can do great things,) and
instituting a genuine ombudsmen’s function where our Federal Departments are otherwise
theaters of puppets, can’t fix. Counseling against arrogance and self-importance, issues
for the family relations’ boards, will also matter.
I welcome Britons’ demonstrations along these lines but think the Communist flag is a pointless distraction.

The Koch Bros. have the resources for color of right to sue me times a billion. So I know nothing
whatsoever about their psyches. What you see is personal speculation and unproved opinion based on my assessment of
the funny things they address to the whole wide world.

As to economics, ethics and democratic citizenship, however, it just by way of my guessing looks to me like they
are something beyond self-importance and deception. Or, standard but with resources.
(a concept very very familiar to professionals, I happen to know)

This should be enough to end conflicts of interest.

http://sites.google.com/site/evernewecon

P.S. Do you have alternate downstream outlets to Koch downstream outlets?

P.P.S.: and did you catch this one?
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/03/defense-secretary-libya-did-not-pose-threat-to-us-was-not-vital-national-interest-to-intervene.html

EverNewEcoN thinks the Democratic Party should appoint a Committee of Principles whose purpose should be to ask Mr. Obama about his directions so as to have him and them agree as to whether he is on course with Democratic principles. I personally would suggest giving him every benefit of the doubt and ample leeway in this exercise.

Bwahhahahahaha.

When the Krazy Kochs accuse Obama of being a Marxist, etc., do they ever give even one specific to justify their characterizations? (I don’t want to read lengthy interviews and then find nothing.)

There is no reason to hate Obama for imaginary reasons when there are so many good reasons. However, partisan kooks like the Kochs hate Obama for only one reason: he’s not in their tribe (Republicans), though he could sure pass for one.

Thanks for this Blue Texan! The link was interesting, I didn’t know that Papa Koch was one of the founders of John Birch Society. People like the Kochs, with their philosophy on wealth and control are experts at projecting their insanities upon others. In the link, the list of their contributions to foundations and the like look benign, because they have such patriotic sounding names. Anytime they sound patriotic, it usually means that they are anything but! Remember the Moral Majority? They are experts at subterfuge.

Name one ‘radical’ or ‘extreme’ ie: far left wing anti-business thing Obama has done.

I know where my towel is.

They do evil things and blame their own shit on others. They are idiots and/or sociopaths.

Fixed it.

Yep. It’s the Crazification Factor at work.

Indefinite detention?

Appointing Larry James to head his military family well-being group?

His extreme disinterest in creating jobs?

I read that entire puff piece by Continetti,

…, the Standard’s opinion editor and the recipient of a 2008 fellowship from a foundation that has received at least $165,000 from Charles G. Koch Foundation since 2008

. (fancy I don’t think I read that little disclaimer with the article)

The Koch’s come off as such poor misunderstoood victims, and they go after Mayer’s piece. Love the part about science…and climate change…it was rich…see he’s a scientist and well we must be skeptical as scientist…yeah sure the large independent consensus scientific community is all wrong, and your handpicked/paid for industry scientist, who are skeptics, just happen to come up with science that is favorable to your industry and contrary to the consensus view…imagine that. What a coincidence. Then there’s the part where David (in his best Thurston Howell III voice no doubt), haughtily and contemptuously laughs about his critics contending he just wants to enrich himself his quip back “then why would I give away all my money?” …the contemptuous arrogance just pervades the doing gawds work type crowd doesn’t it! Fancy he never addresses the billions in corporate welfare taxpayer subsidies his industry takes in and receives…nope, no discussions about that issue..he gives all his money away, all his money he earned the old fashioned ways, by inheriting it. Absolutely no humility required…what pompous greedy narcissist…they’re all so innocent and totally misunderstood victims in all this….why,… why….. poor me, we’re just misunderstood and give all our money away…honest.

However, partisan kooks like the Kochs hate Obama for only one reason: he’s not in their tribe (Republicans), though he could sure pass for one.

The Koch Brothers own enough oil and gas pipelines to circle the planet, and then some. Now, suppose that Al Gore, or Pelosi, or Obama, or any other Dem actually succeeded in getting any sort of even minimal US climate change policy through the legislative **or** administrative bureaucracies? What would that mean, financially, for the Kochs?

The business models of the Koch Brothers RELIES UPON outdated technologies; changes to the way that America does business is a threat to their incredibly outdated ‘business model’.

WTF is ‘innovative’ about so many miles of oil and gas pipelines that you circle the planet?! N-o-t-h-i-n-g…!

If the eXiledonline.com is correct, the Koch fortune originated in Russia under Stalin. You think Daddy Koch didn’t take his views of ‘government as control of resources’ from Stalin? Of course he did. Then he handed it down to his sons.

These people understand control of outdated technologies, and they will buy whatever electeds: Congressmen, Senators, Governors, state legislators, that they view as in their economic, ideological interests.

People like the Kochs do not distinguish between ‘public and private’. They think public=private, which means they have to control everything, because they don’t comprehend why a decent public sector makes life better for everyone.

They weirdly myopic, but in a very sinister fashion for society.

Love the part about science…and climate change…it was rich…see he’s a scientist and well we must be skeptical as scientist…yeah sure the large independent consensus scientific community is all wrong, and your handpicked/paid for industry scientist, who are skeptics, just happen to come up with science that is favorable to your industry and contrary to the consensus view

When we hear about legislation to outlaw microscopes, the Kochs will be funding it.

With microscopes, one begins to grasp the implications and myriad forms of carbon. I expect these jerks to propose licensing the use of microscopes just about any month now.

Those are right wing extremisms. Koch Inc is fine with all of that. Tell me one thing that fits into the Koch idea that Obama is a far left wing extremist.

Clearly, one cannot. Sadly, that is my point.

But hey, it’s time for Hope and Change to ramp up for the 2012 elections. start drinking your Kool-Aid now!

@ 36 for the beginning of an A.

Prolly to my way of thinking, his treatment of U.S. citizens is one of the most extreme. Targeting U.S. citizens who have never been charged nor convicted of anything for assassination. Torture of Bradley Manning, after months trumped up bogus charges, but no conviction.

But here’s Hugh’s list, which as of last year, had surpassed 200 scandals.

The kock brothers are just doing their duty promoting the left vs right paradigm, to keep the people divided and from seeing it for what it is, an illusion.

They probably called Obama right after they said that and all three of them had a good chuckle.

Which is why ECahn, IMO (I can’t speak for her) specifically left out of the quote the part about damaging the free market.

I read her comment to say the she agreed that Obama was a radical and done more damage to the future prosperity of the country precisely because of all of the right wing stances he’s taken. Nothing quite as radical as assassination American citizens with no due process. And his continuation of Republican economic theory (tax cuts for the rich, austerity for the rest) will do more harm to the future prosperity of this country than almost any other president, IMO.

YMMV

Oh, DOH!!

I see you responded while I was typing.

Sorry.

(Gotta learn to sped tip methinks)

Again, those are entirely right wing in nature. The point of this article is the idea that Obama is a left wing extremist. I have yet to see a drop of evidence to support that.

Yep. And I specifically said: that part of the statement.

I really don’t care about all the quibbling about whether O’s radicalism fits the technical description of the name calling. That’s just an excuse for some to avoid the fundamental evil of the man.

No problem at all.

Not to be confused with Birch Bayh.

But this is a right wing Koch ‘objection’ to Obama. All of what you have mentioned is right wing in nature and does not bother Koch Inc at all.

I believe in the article Koch mentioned radical actions from Obama having to do with Obama’s health insurance reform, being pro labor and anti business including higher taxes and more gov’t regulation for corporations, which would therefore lead to the dreaded end result (according to Koch), the evening out of wealth in this country. (amazing those views are the exact same as the teabaggers Koch funds, despite swearing he’s not really behind it at all, it’s all purely grass roots)
Koch also said those radical/extremist views were ones the silvertongued Obama learned from his socialist Kenyan father. See freedom from all gov’t regulation and the right to treat workers/labor anyway you wish, will make the the world a great place, just like it was back during the Gilded Age.

No one here is contesting that the Kochs are a right wingers nor is anyone contesting that Obama has behaved mainly to benefit the folks like the Kochs. It is called irony and was pretty much the point of the post.

That would not surprise me. Their statements accusing Obama of being far left give him cover to move farther to the right.

Assuming they actually believe what they are saying, the Koch brothers are all the proof we need that rich people aren’t any smarter than the rest of us, they just have more money. Nobody should listen to them based on their net worth.

“The poor object to being governed badly, while the rich object to being governed at all.” G. K. Chesterton

From the same Weekly Standard Koch interview:

His father was a hard core economic socialist in Kenya… So he had sort of antibusiness, anti-free enterprise influences affecting him almost all his life. It just shows you what a person with a silver tongue can achieve.

To which Steve Benen remarked:

even putting reality and pesky facts aside, the president wasn’t raised by his father. He barely knew his father, and wrote a best-selling book about this. To argue that Obama’s father’s ideology “affected” the president “almost all his life” is to prove that one knows very little about Barack Obama.

Book Salon up with Anya Schiffrin’s Bad News: How America’s Business Press Missed the Story of the Century hosted by Cynthia Kouril

I’d really like to response to that assertion with:

Q1: The Banks, under a republican president, were not responsible for the mess?

Q2: And exactly how was Senator and then Candidate Obama was responsible for:

a) Bare Sterns?
b) Bros Lemon Lehman?

I’ll make two absolute assertions about Africa:

1. There are no Marxists in Africa
2. There are no socialists in Africa

They do not trust the state, especially if it is not run by their tribe. The may trust their family, and then their tribe.

What you are saying reinforces my thoughts about the rich who become very heavily involved in politics: many of them are people who inherited their wealth and therefore try to preserve the status quo. Whereas the self-made rich are not afraid of competing on a level playing field, the old-money rich seek to protect their position by thwarting upward mobility (and innovation) and securing special treatment from the government.

Methinks they are becoming a little… sensitive. Good. That means the protests and exposure of these criminal traitorous cretins is starting to work. Keep the heat their asses ’til they burn and blister good!!

My definition of Conservatism:

Preserving the status quo for the haves at the expense and exploitation of the have-nots.

Actually, yes.

The mandate, immunity for loyal Bushies – and I could go on.

Radical left? Not a thing.

Teddy Partridge is upstairs!
Sunday Late Night: Bigot Bryan Fischer of AFA: “No 1st Amendment for you, Muslims!”

Get rid of ‘em all. If the government is bad, no one is worth keeping. That’s the way a government should work. 17% approval rating should be enough to bring down the whole house of cards. It should be the topic on every talk show.