[graciegirl]

This is a biography about the Koch Brothers, the controversial pair that is usually brought up by people who want to put down big business.

I would like to know more about the Koch Brothers in an unbiased way.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

This is a biography about the Koch Brothers, the controversial pair that is usually brought up by people who want to put down big business.

I would like to know more about the Koch Brothers in an unbiased way.

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Sons-Wichita-Brothers-Americas-Powerful/dp/1455518735#customerReviews[/ame]

It sounds interesting.

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

This is a biography about the Koch Brothers, the controversial pair that is usually brought up by people who want to put down big business.

I would like to know more about the Koch Brothers in an unbiased way.

Most, if not all, the criticism of the Kochs has nothing to do with putting down big business, but rather the massive amount of money they have devoted to political candidates, and the effect big money has on influencing elections.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by eweissenbach

Most, if not all, the criticism of the Kochs has nothing to do with putting down big business, but rather the massive amount of money they have devoted to political candidates, and the effect big money has on influencing elections.

Is that it? That is why?

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Is that it? That is why?

EXACTLY, just as it is for George Soros and other wealthy people who buy, or attempt to buy influence. I was not trying to hijack your thread, I just wanted to clear up what I saw as a misperception.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by eweissenbach

EXACTLY, just as it is for George Soros and other wealthy people who buy, or attempt to buy influence. I was not trying to hijack your thread, I just wanted to clear up what I saw as a misperception.

Who is George Soros? Why is it wrong to spend your money on what you believe in?

[jsnj33]

60 Minutes did a piece on one of the brothers a few weeks ago. very interesting. May be available online.

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Who is George Soros? Why is it wrong to spend your money on what you believe in?

Well, if you have 50 million dollars to spend on what you believe in and I have a hundred dollars to spend on what I believe in, which of our beliefs is likely to get more attention? For example, financial interests gave tons of money to politicians in the last election cycle, and one of them, rep. Kevin Yoder of Kansas inserted a rider to the appropriations bill to allow financial institutions to trade risky credit swaps once again. It was financial tools like that that in part, led to the financial meltdown in '08. Soros is another wealthy political donor.

[sunnyatlast]

We keep hearing the whining from Sen. Reid and the others that these Koch guys made us vote for everything gone wrong in these past 7 years (when they've had the majority in both houses of Congress, with the W.H.), but they never mention this:

"November 5, 2014 - $74 million worth of campaign funding was enough to make Tom Steyer the 2014 elections' single biggest public spender, but the green billionaire's dollars weren't enough to net wins for his favored candidates in key Senate races.

NextGen Climate—Steyer's PAC that got nearly $67 million of his money—focused on Senate races in four states and three gubernatorial contests to boost candidates promoting action on climate change, which Steyer has said politicians must act on now."

http://www.nationaljournal.com/energ...or-it-20141105

...

[pbkmaine]

Hmm. I don't know, Graciegirl. The reviews look good, but the author is an editor at Mother Jones, which I would not regard as an unbiased source. (Although I am beginning to wonder if there is such a thing in these polarized times.) There is an excerpt from the book on the Mother Jones website.