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Ever think about the fact that in 1980 David Koch ran for Vice President on the Libertarian ticket, self-funded that campaign, was dismayed at getting 1% of the vote, and then took his ideological operation underground? Here are some gems from the Libertarian platform that year:
-Eliminate Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
-Abolish the FBI, CIA, FEC, FDA, EPA, SEC, and USPS
-Eliminate campaign finance laws
-Eliminate child labor laws and minimum wage
-Eliminate individual and corporate income taxes
-Abolish the FBI, CIA, FEC, FDA, EPA, SEC, and USPS
-Eliminate campaign finance laws
-Eliminate child labor laws and minimum wage
-Eliminate individual and corporate income taxes
After 1980, the Koch Brothers saw that people wouldn't support this if it was discussed out in the open and put to a vote. So they instead took their operation underground, funding think tanks, news orgs, advocacy shops, and influencers - in addition to buying politicians.
I'm not breaking news here - this is all well covered by @JaneMayerNYer in the New Yorker nearly a decade ago, and @NancyMacLean5 more recently in a book last year. Both cover aspects of this multi-decade underground operation to subvert democracy. The operation is still going.
With that backdrop, Mitch McConnell's op-ed yesterday attacking HR 1, a sweeping pro-democracy bill, makes total sense. The number one thing these dudes are scared of is democracy.
Just some Friday afternoon thoughts as we build towards the post-Trump era together. Can't just take him down - gotta fix a system that allowed him to rise. /end
