World News Korner

Senator Bernie Sanders reveals the REAL Koch brother agenda.

So Senator Sanders remembered that David Koch ran for Vice President on the Libertarian party ticket. This was the party platform under which he ran:

Here are just a few excerpts of the Libertarian Party platform that David Koch ran on in 1980:

“We urge the repeal of federal campaign finance laws, and the immediate abolition of the despotic Federal Election Commission.”

“We favor the abolition of Medicare and Medicaid programs.”

“We oppose any compulsory insurance or tax-supported plan to provide health services, including those which finance abortion services.”

“We also favor the deregulation of the medical insurance industry.”

“We favor the repeal of the fraudulent, virtually bankrupt, and increasingly oppressive Social Security system. Pending that repeal, participation in Social Security should be made voluntary.”

“We propose the abolition of the governmental Postal Service. The present system, in addition to being inefficient, encourages governmental surveillance of private correspondence. Pending abolition, we call for an end to the monopoly system and for allowing free competition in all aspects of postal service.”

“We oppose all personal and corporate income taxation, including capital gains taxes.”

“We support the eventual repeal of all taxation.”

“As an interim measure, all criminal and civil sanctions against tax evasion should be terminated immediately.”

“We support repeal of all law which impede the ability of any person to find employment, such as minimum wage laws.”

“We advocate the complete separation of education and State. Government schools lead to the indoctrination of children and interfere with the free choice of individuals. Government ownership, operation, regulation, and subsidy of schools and colleges should be ended.”

“We condemn compulsory education laws … and we call for the immediate repeal of such laws.”

“We support the repeal of all taxes on the income or property of private schools, whether profit or non-profit.”

“We support the abolition of the Environmental Protection Agency.”

“We support abolition of the Department of Energy.”

“We call for the dissolution of all government agencies concerned with transportation, including the Department of Transportation.”

“We demand the return of America's railroad system to private ownership. We call for the privatization of the public roads and national highway system.”

“We specifically oppose laws requiring an individual to buy or use so-called "self-protection" equipment such as safety belts, air bags, or crash helmets.”

“We advocate the abolition of the Federal Aviation Administration.”

“We advocate the abolition of the Food and Drug Administration.”

“We support an end to all subsidies for child-bearing built into our present laws, including all welfare plans and the provision of tax-supported services for children.”

“We oppose all government welfare, relief projects, and ‘aid to the poor’ programs. All these government programs are privacy-invading, paternalistic, demeaning, and inefficient. The proper source of help for such persons is the voluntary efforts of private groups and individuals.”

“We call for the privatization of the inland waterways, and of the distribution system that brings water to industry, agriculture and households.”

“We call for the repeal of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.”

“We call for the abolition of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.”

“We support the repeal of all state usury laws.”

Just for a second imagine if the Koch brothers were able to implement even a handful of these changes.

No taxes whatsoever would make retaining a military impossible.

Abolishing Medicaid and Medicare would leave millions without health care. Not exactly a problem for billionaires but a substantial one for many of us.

No FEC, no U.S. Post Office, no public education, no Department of Transportation, no FAA, no FDA, essentially no government oversight of business whatsoever.

In other words a country that does not have any checks and balances on businesses, collects no taxes, does not educate its children, and has no military to protect it.

Somehow none of that sounds like a particularly attractive place to live.

And just take a moment to remind yourselves of how closely that parallels the same things being advocated by the Tea Party, by Rand Paul, and by Joe Miller.

This is clearly the ideal that drives the Koch brother's political agenda, and it is what they are spending their money to achieve.

Some conservatives have come to their defense asking "What harm have they done." I think the answer is that they have done substantial harm, but not nearly as much as they intend.

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