June 7, 2021

Who is Charles Koch & What do we Need to Know about Him?

 

You might have heard about the outrage around Republicans blocking the “For the People Act”—but what drives these politicians?

Expanding voter’s rights sounds like the right thing to do. Reducing the influence of money in politics also seems like something most folks wouldn’t disagree with—but the Republican Party and Fox News have a different opinion when it comes to H.R.1—also known as the “For the People Act.”

Why is that the case?

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) organization claims that the main reason behind Republicans blocking the bill is the influence of Charles Koch and his organization.

Koch is one of the richest men in the world. His family made most of that money with oil. But instead of trying to be of benefit to those who were not so lucky in life, Koch spent his entire life backing up conservative think tanks and politicians.

He supported anti-protest laws to make it harder for environmentalists to protest against projects like the North Dakota pipeline. Koch also funded the court battle to “protect landlords” and enable them to evict renters during the pandemic while investing in real estate companies. And he is also the co-founder of the Cato Institute, which is the most influential neoconservative think tank in the United States.

Koch describes himself as a philanthropist; others say that he is a reckless businessman who uses his money to push an agenda that only benefits his family and friends—but who am I to judge?

Some might say that he is the voice of reason against cancel culture; others say that the Cato Institute pays Tucker Carlson to promote Koch’s agenda on Fox News—but who am I to judge?

And now, a bunch of Republican lawmakers claim to fight against the “For the People Act” to protect democracy as we know it; others say that this is a scandalous battle to protect white privilege in the United States—but who am I to judge?

Who am I to judge Senator Joe Manchin for defending Charles Koch against public outrage?

Maybe Manchin really thinks that allowing voters to vote and limiting the influence of money in politics was a bad idea—but most probably, this is not the case.

What we are seeing is the blatant attempt of big money to stop a law that would limit their influence on politics and protect the voting rights of American citizens in poor neighborhoods.

Everyone who participated in the craze of conspiracy theories against the so-called elites should drop the QAnon-bullsh*t and take a look at the Koch family.

The more we know about the political influence of this family, the better we understand how vital the “For the People Act” is for American democracy itself.

Koch is going all in because he has a lot to lose—and we should feel the same way.

It was one thing to get Trump out of office, but if the “For the People Act” doesn’t get approved, we might see a MAGA comeback in the mid-term elections.

The Republican party understood that demographic changes will make it almost impossible for them to win elections without the votes of Black Americans in the upcoming years—but instead of changing their politics, they decided to suppress the votes of millions of Americans.

And Charles Koch is one of the main donors behind this effort.

 

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