[identity profile] dwer.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] talkpolitics
The New Yorker just published an article on the Koch brothers two billionares who have given over a hundred million in funds to various right-wing causes. Oil Refinery operators, they're one of the top-ten polluters in the nation, and, as you might expect, they're global climate change deniers.

Think Progress has done some reporting on this as well, both here and (inclusively) here.

These are the guys who pay for the ongoing Tea Party astroturf movement. These are the guys who bussed anti-health reform activists to DC, who then compared Health reform to the Holocaust. These are the guys who created the Climate-gate scandal by deliberately spreading the myth that the emails concealed data.

And these are the guys who are sons of Fred Koch, who started... wait for it... the John Birch Society.

Now, this isn't a post about denying the Koch brothers the right to donate money to the causes they want to. That's their right, even if I think it's terrible for them to do so.

But estimates of George Soros' funding of democratic and progressive causes & politicians hover around $25-35 million. These guys have donated FAR more, to what appears to be far greater effect, especially when you include their father's efforts. Why is it, then that Soros is allegedly a millstone hung around the Democrats' neck, but these guys continue to swim under the radar? Liberal media indeed.

(lightly crossposted)

EDITGeorge Soros has donated much more than $25-35 million. I misread one of my searches.
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(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 14:36 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com
Now, this isn't a post about denying the Koch brothers the right to donate money to the causes they want to.

Really? Coulda fooled me within the first couple of paragraphs.

The New Yorker just published an article on the Koch brothers two billionares who have given over a hundred million in funds to various right-wing causes. Oil Refinery operators, they're one of the top-ten polluters in the nation, and, as you might expect, they're global climate change deniers.

These are the guys who pay for the ongoing Tea Party astroturf movement.

These are the guys who created the Climate-gate scandal by deliberately spreading the myth that the emails concealed data. For future reference, the leaked emails were sent from a Russian IP address to an independent blogger (Stephen McIntyre) with ZERO connection to the Koch brothers.

Question - If the Tea Party wasn't as influential as it is, would you still be complaining about the Koch brothers? Would you be complaining about it had Maddow not mentioned something about it first (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3oaHbDhUkY)?

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 14:43 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/aviation_/
I yawn at your appeal to fear and in any case, I have no idea who George Soros is either

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 14:49 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chemchick.livejournal.com
http://tinyurl.com/2g3awgn

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 14:54 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com
I can't speak for everyone else, but in my own opinion, he's not doing anything to further politics in a positive way. Donating to a candidate or donating to a group because you support their ideals is great. But Soros was all about donating money just to stick it to Bush. What good does that do?
Edited Date: 24/8/10 14:54 (UTC)

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 14:54 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chemchick.livejournal.com
George Soros has become a meme in conservative talking circles and it's gotten to a point where anyone with half a brain would realize that a conservative shouting "but but George Soros" is the equivalent to the death rattle you hear in a dying person's chest.

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 14:56 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chemchick.livejournal.com
For future reference, the leaked emails were sent from a Russian IP address to an independent blogger (Stephen McIntyre) with ZERO connection to the Koch brothers.

If you go back and re-read what [livejournal.com profile] dwer wrote you'll notice that he didn't say that the emails were leaked to or from the Koch brothers. All he stated was that they perpetuated the myth that those emails hid data. Perpetuating != originating.

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 14:59 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/aviation_/
k way 2 link 2 outdated internet meme
Obviously I looked him up, my point was that I had never heard of him so I didn't feel that he was being "shoved in our faces time after time"
Then again it might just be that I am bored

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 15:04 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chemchick.livejournal.com
You obviously don't hang-out in very many conservative forums.

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 15:04 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/aviation_/
The whole tone of the first several paragraphs was like this:

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 15:07 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xforge.livejournal.com
Soros-shrieking predates Maddow by quite a long while. O'Reilly has had Soros-Tourette's for many years. The very, very first time he brought it up, the first thought that sprang into my head was, "What, the Republicans don't have ultra-rich benefactors who donate cash to the party to further their own interests?" Which of course is a rhetorical question. The answer to which is of course, Rupert Fucking Murdoch much? Watch Fox, read any number of right-oriented blogs, it's Soros Soros Soros Soros Soros - as if!! As if no one else on Earth contributes money to political parties or to politicians expecting to achieve the goals they desire. AS IF!!!

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 15:07 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/aviation_/
It wasn't direct, it was implied
"They do THIS and THIS and THIS and THIS OTHER SCARY THING and they have MONEY"
but idk apparently this same argument is going around about this Soros character, to which I have the same response

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 15:09 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xforge.livejournal.com
Huh. Anything that furthers removing the political hierarchy that has done more to fuck up this country and its reputation internationally than almost any other tangible influence is doing plenty of good.

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 15:09 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com
That's great, but I wasn't referencing Maddow in relation to Soros. She's not talking about him in the link. She's talking about Koch. Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 15:11 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xforge.livejournal.com
Soros is the word O'Reilly uses when he's run out of other things to blame for the things he perceives as problems, which usually are problems caused by right-wing policies.

you obviously meant "sorry, sis"

Date: 24/8/10 15:12 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/aviation_/
I accept your apology and we can move forward from here

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 15:12 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com
I can't say because the only thing I know that they're connected to is the Tea Party. However, it pisses me off that they'd throw the Tea Party under the bus and try to disassociate themselves from it so quickly when it's so blatantly obvious that yes, they do help to fund some of the travel expenses. However, the majority of Tea Party members pay their own way, even the people who ride those buses. They have to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 15:13 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] devil-ad-vocate.livejournal.com
So true. Along the lines of "OBAMA'S TELEPROMPTER!" ~SNICKER, SNICKER, SNORT, GIGGLE~

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 15:17 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xforge.livejournal.com
You fail to see the point I am trying to make; the OP was about the Koches in relation to the right-wing press's facial tic they seem to have about Soros. You then brought up Maddow who mentioned it for the first time in all her time on radio and television the other night, and I pointed out that the right's beating of the Soros scarecrow goes much, much further back and isn't a new issue at all. See.

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 15:19 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xforge.livejournal.com
Which becomes all the more hilarious when you consider Dubya couldn't keep himself from sounding like a complete buffoon even *with* a teleprompter *and* a typewritten speech in front of him.

(no subject)

Date: 24/8/10 15:23 (UTC)
From: [identity profile] underlankers.livejournal.com
But, but WARRGARBL!

Anyway, yes, these people get away with shit no liberals, let alone real Leftists would ever be able to do so even as the Right-Wing persists in its delusions and Martyrdom Complexes. The American Right Wing has a fetish for believing itself Jews in Auschwitz despite any and all proof to the contrary. Actual logic and reason here will mean nothing to people who hold such beliefs regardless of truth to them.
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