The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

By Dr. Henry Flores, NewsTaco

Well did you see that sports fans?!?  The Koch Brothers are getting ready to spend more money on the 2016 Presidential Primaries than either major political party.  If I didn’t know any better I would think that they wished to form their own political party.  If they did that though a large number of senators and house members and various other politicos would have to resign their membership in the Republican Party and take out formal membership in the KBP (Koch Brothers Party).

What is wrong with This Picture? 

Fundamentally, what is wrong with this picture (sometimes I like to answer my own question) is that our country is supposed to be a sort of political system where one individual is not supposed to dominate the political process by virtue of their birth right or wealth.  The Koch Brothers, on the other hand, feel that their wealth and social standing give them the right, nay responsibility, to govern this country.  These guys come from the school of thought that only the wealthy and genteel know what is good for a society so they have the god-given responsibility to govern that society.  The standard for governance is whatever these wealthy, self-anointed, patricians say it is.  Of course, what is good for them will not be good for you and me.  Why a double standard?  Well because we are not genteel or aristocratic.  I guess I have to start eating my tacos with my pinky lifted in the air if I want to be considered among the genteel class. [pullquote]I guess I have to start eating my tacos with my pinky lifted in the air if I want to be considered among the genteel class.[/pullquote]

Besides the super elitist perception of themselves the Koch Brothers attempt to take control of the executive branch of government flies in the face of the democratic values and principles upon which this country was founded and is supposed to operate.  The Framers of the Constitution were concerned and feared a government ruled by one person or a small cabal.  Simultaneously, the Framers feared a purely democratic form of government.  Tyranny by one or all was anathema to the democratic-republican form of government they were attempting to construct.

So, what is Really Going on Here? 

What the Koch Brothers are attempting to do is buy themselves a government that will be friendly to their interests.  The various petro-chemical industries owned by the Kochs have been fined repeatedly over the years for violations of various environmental laws.  And, like almost all owners of energy corporations or energy related corporations they feel that any government regulations cut into their profit margins so they want government out of regulatory activities.

Bueno, I’m not sure in what century the Kochs think they are living but this is the 21st Century where the world’s population has exploded beyond 7 billion and is growing rapidly daily.  The death rate is not keeping up with the birth rate as three times as many infants are born for every person who passes away every day.  What this means is that more humans on the planet are consuming more food, more fossil fuels, and creating a great deal more pollution of all sorts.  Remember pollution can come in many forms from noise and light to solid waste and air.

The Kochs, and many who think like them, see themselves as the saviors of the planet by producing more and more fossil fuels so that more and more humans will have the ability to survive.  And, they cannot produce energy at the needed levels if government is going to interfere every time they turn around.  The Kochs don’t realize (perish the thought but maybe they do!) that they are not contributing to the advancement and development of the world.  Instead the Kochs are contributing to the continued pollution of the planet and all of its attendant problems such as global warming, food shortages and world hunger.  But, then again that’s what myopia gets you!

If the Koch Brothers want to really help humanity instead of wasting their ill-won gains on increasing their “bottom lines” (I mean how much money does one really need to be comfortable in life?) why don’t they buy a home for every homeless person in the world or feed the hungry or clothe those who have no clothing or provide much needed health services and drugs for the sick?  Instead of trying to control government for their own greedy ends the Koch Brothers should help humanity.

Henry Flores, PhD, is a Vietnam veteran. He’s the Distinguished University Research Professor, Institute of Public Administration and Public Service; Director, Masters in Public Administration (MPA); Professor of International Relations and Political Science at St. Mary’s University.

[Photo by DonkeyHotey/Flickr]

 

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