The Koch Brothers Control of
America
Charles
and David Koch are brothers and oil billionaires who have a long history of
political interference and climate misinformation.
Their multifarious support
for fossil fuels has helped to slow America’s adoption of renewable energy.
They have also undermined efforts to pass climate and energy legislation at
both the state and national levels.
They have even managed to influence the
Supreme Court and help sour American attitudes on the veracity of global
warming.
Political control
An investigative report on the 2012 GOP Presidential
hopefuls revealed the extent of the Koch brothers sinister influence. The slate
of 2016 candidates, like most Republicans running in the 2014 midterms, remain
under the influence of these fossil fuel barons. The Kochs use their billions
to support candidates who will carry out their fossil fuel agenda and deny any
human role in global warming.
The
idea that the Kochs are instrumental to the Republican party is not just the
view of liberals, this view was recently articulated by one of their own. A
leaked audio tape of Sen. Mitch
McConnell (R-KY) indicates that the Koch brothers have
maintained and even reinforced their hold on the GOP. McConell’s comments were
recorded at a top secret June 2014 Koch retreat. McConnell’s remarks
demonstrate just how much power the Koch brothers continue to hold over the
GOP.
McConnell
opened his remarks by saying, “I want to start by thanking you,
Charles and David for the important work you’re doing. I don’t know where we’d
be without you, and um, and I want (inaudible) for rallying, uh, to the cause.”
At
a speaking engagement at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, former
President Jimmy Carter shared
his concern for the Koch brothers’ interference with America’s democracy,
“The Koch brothers are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into every political campaign to support candidates that will support their position.”
Supreme Court influence
The
Kochs have even been accused of wielding control over the highest court in the
land. At least two Supreme Court justices, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas,
have been linked to the Koch brothers.
The Citizens United Supreme Court
ruling opened the floodgates for corporate control over the
election process. This decision allows a small cabal of wealthy people and
large corporations to effectively subvert democracy and manipulate the
electoral process to serve their conservative agenda. By eliminating limits on
campaign contributions it enabled the Kochs to pour $400 million into the last
election cycle.
In
his speech, McConnell lauded the Koch’s Supreme Court influence which
facilitated the Citizens United decision.
“The Supreme Court allowed all of you to participate in the process in a variety of different ways. You can give to the candidate of your choice. You can give to Americans for Prosperity, or something else, a variety of different ways to push back against the party of government,” McConnell said.
Subsidies subterfuge
The
Koch brothers are oil barons who claim to hate subsidies, however, they have
yet to return the billions of taxpayer subsidies offered to the fossil fuel
industry. The brothers lobbied for and benefited from a 2004 tax break that was
designed to protect the manufacturing sector from outsourcing. The expanded
definition of manufacturers provides tax breaks that are expected to cost
taxpayers $17.3 billion over the next decade.
The
real reason they pretend to be opposed to subsidies has to do with their
opposition to renewable energy which represents a real threat to their fossil
fuel interests. They have lobbied hard against the production tax credit for
wind as well as renewable energy portfolios at the state level.
According
to Oil Change International,
the oil and gas industry received $10.5 billion in federal subsidies in 2013.
If the Kochs had any integrity, they would return their share of the subsidies
to the IRS.
Canada
The
Koch brothers’ influence extends all the way up into Canada. Koch industries
has been heavily invested in Canada’s
tar sands for more than 50 years. This involvement is multi-faceted
and runs the gamut from extraction to refinement and transportation.
The
Kochs are active in Canadian politics. They aggressively lobby both the
provincial and federal governments. They are also longtime contributors of
those who support the fossil fuel industry. This includes the Fraser Institute,
an influential policy shop closely allied with Prime Minister Stephen Harper
and his fossil fuel obsessed policies.
Influencing public opinion
On
issues like the minimum wage, the Koch brothers have managed to sway public
attitudes and ensure that Republican legislators vote against any increases.
This represents a major shift in American attitudes. While awareness of
environmental issues has increased in most parts of the world, thanks to the
Kochs and other sources of misinformation,
Americans have actually grown more
ignorant. In 2001, 42 percent indicated their concern for environmental issues,
in 2014 only 31 percent indicated that they were concerned.
The
Koch brothers have invested tremendous sums of money to try to misinform
Americans about a number of issues including the scientific veracity of climate
change. Between 1997 and 2011, they donated more than $67 million to
organizations with anti-climate agendas. Now many conservatives reflexively
reject anthropogenic climate change without even considering the evidence.
Economic misinformation
Through
their front groups, they have repeatedly inflated the cost associated with
acting on climate change, while ignoring the economic, environmental and health
returns. Many conservatives believe that combating climate change would
bankrupt our economies.
Jimmy
Carter sets the record straight:
“Don’t let the false debate being put forward by fossil fuel companies deter you from enthusiastic endorsement of this crusade, [against global warming]” Carter said. “Realize it’s not an economic sacrifice but an economic boon to every country on Earth.”
Conclusion
As
explained in a Grist article, the Koch
brothers warrant our concern because they, “threaten to destroy American
democracy…their extreme and self-interested positions are taking over the
Republican Party.”
They have amassed a fortune of more than $80 billion, and
thanks to the Citizens United decision, they are free to spend massive amounts
of money to influence electoral outcomes.
Thanks
in large part to Koch-backed organizations like the Americans for Prosperity
(AFP), there is virtually no hope for climate and energy legislation in the
foreseeable future.
The
Koch brothers wield an extraordinary amount of power, their influence over the
courts, legislators and public opinion make it far more difficult to engage the
climate crisis.
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Richard Matthews is a consultant, eco-entrepreneur, green investor and author of numerous articles on sustainable positioning, eco-economics and enviro-politics. He is the owner of The Green Market Oracle, a leading sustainable business site and one of the Web’s most comprehensive resources on the business of the environment. Find The Green Market on Facebook and follow The Green Market’s twitter feed.