Koch Brothers To The Rescue On Income Inequality

July 2, 2015

Our prayers have been answered! Like a pair of white knights, the Koch brothers are joining the Republican pack and paying lip service to mounting income inequality in the U.S. Millions of middle class and working class Americans are breathing a collective sigh of relief now that the industrialist duo – commonly known for destroying jobs and polluting communities in service of their bottom line – have turned their attention to income inequality.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, it’s important to note what Americans for Prosperity’s president, Tim Phillips, sees as their goal: “A lot of it is extolling the virtues of a system that’s lifted more people out of poverty than anything else in the history of mankind.”

That’s right. AFP’s main objective is simply a public relations campaign about the virtues of capitalism, which is likely why they avoided supporting American workers by having their t-shirts made in Nicaragua.

Phillips also points out that their sudden interest is all about refusing to give Democrats yet another advantage, saying, “If in 2016 they have that advantage [on policies reducing income inequality], it could be deadly to the Republican nominee.”

The Kochs, however, are more likely to look down their noses at those affected by income inequality – last month, both Charles and David each lost $1.1 billion (or two percent of their fortunes pegged at $50.5 billion a piece) — than to do anything meaningful. The Cato Institute, a Koch-allied think tank, decried a cafeteria worker who was giving free lunches to students who didn’t have any money.

Between their PR campaigns on income inequality and criminal justice reform, the Kochs must seriously be worried about defending their sinking brand and protecting their profits. Don’t hold your breath waiting for any substantive policy ideas from AFP.

Paid for by American Bridge 21st Century Foundation