In a new interview with NPR, Charles Koch comes clean on his motivations to “change the rules” in ways that will benefit his own financial interests; his concerns that he still can’t spend enough to buy elections; and his view that the government creates “a system of control and dependency.”
Spending Money To “Change The Rules”
Here’s one illuminating exchange from the interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep:
INSKEEP: You’ve had a number of battles over the years — your companies have — with the Environmental Protection Agency. You do believe in following the rules, but did this cause you to want to change the rules, alter the rules?
KOCH: No, I wouldn’t say that. Or, you could say that, to some extent.
There you have it: Koch slipped up and admitted on the record that for him and his brother, everything comes down to pure self-interest. As for Inskeep’s generous assertion that the Kochs “believe in following the rules,” well, we all know better.
Environmental Regulations Are “Causing Poverty”
Here’s another surreal moment from the interview — Charles Koch, on environmental regulations:
And, for example, on environmental regulations. It is definitely a role of the government to set standards on emissions based on sound science.
But I think that they way they go about it is counter-productive. That is: telling you exactly how to meet the standards — stifling innovation, undermining competition, and causing poverty.
The irony of climate change-denier Charles Koch invoking “sound science” is itself enough to prompt a morning coffee spit-take. But that’s not even the craziest part there. Koch’s claim that environmental standards are “causing poverty,” is laughable, but he somehow slips in at the end and somehow avoids being challenged on it.
Supporting Candidates Who’ll “Protect” His Ability Keep To Buying Elections
The Koch brothers continue to insist they don’t support Republicans over Democrats, with Charles repeating that same claim in today’s NPR interview:
[I]t’s not so much [about] defeating Democrats. It’s trying to find candidates who will move us toward policies that will enable people to innovate and contribute.
What specific kinds of policies does Koch have in mind? Policies that will “protect and enforce” his ability to buy elections. Koch and his donor network plan on spending $889 million in the 2016 elections — a dramatic increase from their 2014 cycle-spending — but he’s still insisting that the restrictions on political spending are greater than ever: “the trend is completely in the other direction.”
Fighting The “System Of Control And Dependency”
Then, Charles Koch had a Mitt Romney moment. Koch proceeded to argue that the hundreds of million in political disbursements he oversees are all in the name of fighting a culture of government dependency:
[T]he government can spend more and more money to create a system of control and dependency — that’s what we have.
He insists that it takes $889 million to even the playing field against incumbents, who he claims shower their constituencies with gifts in order to remain in power: “What the government spends to get people to re-elect them dwarves any money spent in a campaign.” Whatever that means.
Spending Money On Elections To Keep Spending Money On Elections…
In his own words, Charles Koch has yet again confirmed that his and his brother’s sole motivation is their self-interest and desire to maximize their profit margins. He claims they choose candidates who support his preferred policies and values, then admits that they first and foremost want an unchecked ability to keep buying politicians.
You heard it here first: Charles and David Koch are buying elections to fight the “system of control and dependency,” change the rules, and make sure they can keep buying elections.