Charles and David Koch, the anointed chiefs of the Kochtopi (way too sprawling to be called a Kochtopus) tied for 5th place, with $21.5 billion each, in the 2010 Forbes list of the richest AmericansShe then asks this question about the "Koch Method":
So is the “Koch Method” the mumbo-jumbo “market based management” that they’re incentivizing economics departments at our institutions of higher education all around the country to indoctrinate in the minds of our young people? Or is it something more basic; say, for example, plain ole cheating and regulatory capture.And here's what she thinks about the Koch promotion of free markets:
...take a look at the arrangement Koch has carved out for itself over the past twenty years with another publicly funded institution: George Mason University in Virginia.Martems reports that those receiving payments from the Koch machine include:
The goal is to financially allure university professors to Koch’s distorted vision of market based management, free markets, and transparency.
Larry Kudlow
John Stossel
The Koch brothers are the new Emmanuel Goldstein.
ReplyDeleteLibertarian light Stossel has never kept his affiliations with Reason Mag, Cato, Koch a secret. I believe it is important to keep in mind that he is a Ron Paul supporter and the Kochs of course have never fully endorsed him. Is he a shill for these guys, you be the judge. But I like his show and watch it every once in a while and I am waiting for the day that Stossel has a segment on the whole "Rockwell-Rothbard-Koch saga" and highlight this interesting dispute.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, their allegations about Stossel are extremely week. Yes Stossel likes to collaborate with people of the Cato Institute and Mercatus sphere. So what?
ReplyDeleteThe main problem with these type of articles is that they will never do the same against other oligarchs. For example, they will never explain how George Soros is funding a center to spread Keynesianism. Thats just fine and dandy because the oligarch in question is spreading what she likes. A billionare paying to spread keynesianism among students is not manipulating the young, but it is in the case of the Koch.
Until they dont criticize both size, these people are just helping one set of oligarchs attacking the others.
I like John Stossel. He's been good to Ron Paul and he calls for less government. The Kochs fund a lot of people. I'm sure some are better than others.
ReplyDeletePretty distorted from counterpunch. GMU is not some perfect utopia of higher learning, but it's stupid to think that the academics there are "lured" into the Koch's vision for society. They are there because it's a good place for people of a free market bent to go to school. Save for the occasional Tyler Cowen, GMU has good people.
ReplyDeleteAs for the media accusation: Stossel, while definitely an annoying personality, I consider an honest person. Kudlow on the other hand, strikes me as a hack, for sale to whoever has the most money and power at the moment.
I dislike the Kochs, and consider their influence generally bad. But it's stupid to make their support overblown into something it's not, which is exactly what Pam Martens and counterpunch is trying to do.