Charles Koch: Why We Fight for Economic Freedom

Charles Koch (of the Koch Brothers) has written an article.

He outlines some basic differences between the old Soviet Union and the U.S.

Some of those differences may be taken for granted by Americans.

I know many members here are interested in what Charles Koch has to say !!

Long informative article.

Charles Koch, head of Koch Industries, Inc., calls for more economic freedom and more prosperity for all Americans and says big governments “are inherently inefficient and harmful.”


In 1990, the year before the collapse of the Soviet Union, I attended an economic conference in Moscow.

Like my father during his visits to the U.S.S.R. in the early 1930s, I was astonished and appalled by what I saw.

Simple necessities, such as toilet paper, were in short supply. In fact, there was none at all in the airport bathroom stalls for fear it would be stolen. Visitors using the facilities had to request a portion of tissue from an attendant beforehand.

When I walked into one of Moscow’s giant department stores, there was next to nothing on the shelves. For those shoppers who were lucky enough to find something they actually wanted to buy, the purchase process was maddening and time-consuming.

Although the government provided universal healthcare, I never met anyone who wanted to stay in a Soviet hospital. Medical services might have been “free,” but the quality of care was notoriously poor. ........................-->

Charles Koch: Why We Fight for Economic Freedom

reply to post by xuenchen


So, that the stores are filled with goods is the idea of everything being swell?
It doesn't matter that a significant part of the population cannot afford them?

BTW, has the author been in the Nordic countries?

Originally posted by Consequence
reply to post by xuenchen

 

So, that the stores are filled with goods is the idea of everything being swell?
It doesn't matter that a significant part of the population cannot afford them?

BTW, has the author been in the Nordic countries?

edit on 17-8-2012 by Consequence because: (no reason given)

I suppose filled shelves are better than empty ones.

I agree about the "affordability".

I'm not sure what you mean by Nordic countries.....

How do they enter in to the article's points ?

I don't know if he has ever been there......

you can always ask --> contact us

Originally posted by xuenchen

I suppose filled shelves are better than empty ones.
I agree about the "affordability".

I'm not sure what you mean by Nordic countries.....
How do they enter in to the article's points ?

I interpreted the whole thing as an example what happens if the market isn't completely free.
The fact is of course that communism, the way it works in practice, is a bad idea.
That however does not mean that the extreme opposite must be the right (no pun intended) way to go, as that's where the "affordability" part comes into play.
The U.S has quite an issue today with poverty. I don't think the reason is the lack of free market.

So I took the Nordic countries as an example where the norm is public schools and public education, and these actually holding a standard high enough for anybody to become somebody, much higher taxes, quite generous "safety-nets" for employees, and all in all a quite regulated society to make sure that things are on the right track.

"Economic Freedom" implies that everyone should be able to decide exactly where they spend their money and under which circumstances they are willing to work.
Unfortunately it is naive to believe that people wouldn't be outright used if this was the case. This is already true in the U.S where so-called employees may need to rely on tips to make a living, in many cases still meaning that they have to opt-out from education and medical services. That kind of a bare-minimum for someone who has a job (or several) doesn't sound like heaven on earth. In fact, it's quite Soviet for those people, is it not?
If this is bad enough - how about those without a job altogether?

Charles and David believe in THEIR (inherited ) economic prosperity.
Not the country's. And they work hard to procure more for them
and less for their workers everyday. All while they wrap themselves in the flag
and scare people with communism as the only outcome if they don't get their way.

reply to post by xuenchen


For the love of GOD Xue....did you just assert that the Greatest Country on earth can't both care for it's sick and afford to wipe it's butt at the same time??

How on earth do the other 98% of developed nations in the world manage to pull it off?

And WOW...Qouting Charles Koch now? Most of the right wing at least still has enough shame to pretend that they aren't working for him....despite most knowing the truth.

BTW - I think Charles has an odd obsession with TP...

Among Koch Industries' subsidiaries across various industries are:

Georgia-Pacific

Georgia-Pacific is a paper and pulp company that produces "Brawny" paper towels, "Angel Soft" toilet paper, "Mardi Gras" napkins and towels, "Quilted Northern" toilet paper and paper towels, "Dixie" paper plates, bowls, napkins and cups, "Sparkle" paper towels, and "Vanity Fair" paper napkins, bowls, plates and tablecloths. The Atlanta-based company has operations in 27 states.

The rest is just recycled rhetoric of his dads "John Birch Society" busting unions via crow-bars and bats in the 30's for profit under the guise of fighting "commies"...

Oh what to do when the commies are gone and you have no excuse for your devils work?...Well.. "liberals" will serve as a decent substitute..

I love when this guy speaks!

He speaks like it is 1821, that there aren't Global Corporations that will push all competition out of the market by pricing below their competition or by buying their competition.

You see how China does one aspect of what I just said.

In the 21st century what he is preaching will result in the wealthiest buying everything that they can as they LOATHE competition. They will simply buy all that they can which is directly, or perceived directly, against their interests to ensure that they can make money for themselves. If they can't buy the competition they'll form loosely knit "institutes" with the competition whose goal is to further the agenda of making themselves rich while holding back/down smaller companies.

I love his comment about cronyism too... like he's not running his yap to ensure his boy will get in so his boy can ensure that the Kochs can make even more $! LOVE it!

Awesome comedy in that last line... I'm sure his copy editor added the part of "for our employees..." as the Kochs sole interest is themselves.

If they were the patriots that the paint themselves to be the closing line would've been:

"I want my legacy to be greater freedom, greater prosperity and a better way of life for all Americans, and I wish the same for every nation on earth."

See how easy that was?

Devils are in the details, with written word there is time to sweat the details and for your real motive to be shown if people just read with a fine eye to see the Devil the details.

If you're poor (meaning you don't have 2 commas in your checking account balance) and believe this guy, the Jim Jones is passing out Kool-Aid after the meeting for you.

Derek