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Charles Koch: This is the one issue where Bernie Sanders is right
Washington Post ^ | 02/19/2016 | Charles Koch, chairman and chief executive of Koch Industries.

Posted on 02/19/2016 5:40:16 AM PST by SeekAndFind

As he campaigns for the Democratic nomination for president, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) often sounds like he's running as much against me as he is the other candidates. I have never met the senator, but I know from listening to him that we disagree on plenty when it comes to public policy.

Even so, I see benefits in searching for common ground and greater civility during this overly negative campaign season. That's why, in spite of the fact that he often misrepresents where I stand on issues, the senator should know that we do agree on at least one — an issue that resonates with people who feel that hard work and making a contribution will no longer enable them to succeed.

The senator is upset with a political and economic system that is often rigged to help the privileged few at the expense of everyone else, particularly the least advantaged. He believes that we have a two-tiered society that increasingly dooms millions of our fellow citizens to lives of poverty and hopelessness. He thinks many corporations seek and benefit from corporate welfare while ordinary citizens are denied opportunities and a level playing field.

I agree with him.

Democrats and Republicans have too often favored policies and regulations that pick winners and losers. This helps perpetuate a cycle of control, dependency, cronyism and poverty in the United States. These are complicated issues, but it's not enough to say that government alone is to blame. Large portions of the business community have actively pushed for these policies.

Consider the regulations, handouts, mandates, subsidies and other forms of largesse our elected officials dole out to the wealthy and well-connected. The tax code alone contains $1.5 trillion in exemptions and special-interest carve-outs. Anti-competitive regulations cost businesses an additional $1.9 trillion every year.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: berniesanders; charleskoch; electionfraud; firstpastthepost; gaykkk; government; homosexualagenda; kochbrothers; kochleftwingers; kochliberals; kochsrehabilitated; kochsuckers; liberalagenda; libertarians; limolib; lobbyists; medicalmarijuana; soros; votefraud
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1 posted on 02/19/2016 5:40:16 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

OUCH! Nice work there Mr Koch.


2 posted on 02/19/2016 5:46:25 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered)
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To: SeekAndFind

the case of going so far left, that he’s right.


3 posted on 02/19/2016 5:47:17 AM PST by thinden
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To: SeekAndFind

the case of going so far left, that he’s right.


4 posted on 02/19/2016 5:47:35 AM PST by thinden
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To: SeekAndFind

Sanders is right about one other thing — Hillary is a money-grubbing political prostitute.


5 posted on 02/19/2016 5:47:43 AM PST by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: thinden

sorry bout the double pump.

been bad about that lately.


6 posted on 02/19/2016 5:48:14 AM PST by thinden
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To: SeekAndFind

individual initiative overcomes the rigging

passivity allows the rigging to be effective

“He who doesn’t work, neither should he eat”


7 posted on 02/19/2016 5:50:15 AM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;+12, 73, ....carson is the kinder gentler trump.)
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To: Opinionated Blowhard
Sanders is right about one other thing -- Hillary is a money-grubbing political prostitute.

It's hardly surprising that he's correct about that--every politician is a money-grubbing political prostitute.

8 posted on 02/19/2016 5:50:31 AM PST by ShadowAce (Linux - The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: Opinionated Blowhard

RE: Sanders is right about one other thing — Hillary is a money-grubbing political prostitute.

Yeah, but he’s not interested in her damn emails... go figure.


9 posted on 02/19/2016 5:51:53 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind; All
" He thinks many corporations seek and benefit from corporate welfare while ordinary citizens are denied opportunities and a level playing field."

Oh dah...

Here we go again, the revenge of Steve Forbes. He was so ahead of the curve with his Flat Tax yes, the Corp Welfare comes from the tax code and or spending bills.

Again I ask since 2010, why didn't the Tea Parties direct their ire towards "K-Street" and the Code of which they own.

IMHO I don't think Trump will change one bit of the K-Street / Tax Code connection, not one flippin' bit...

10 posted on 02/19/2016 5:53:13 AM PST by taildragger (Not my Monkey, not my Circus...)
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To: thinden

11 posted on 02/19/2016 5:56:00 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true.)
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To: SeekAndFind
He thinks many corporations seek and benefit from corporate welfare while ordinary citizens are denied opportunities and a level playing field.

That was cemented into the minds of voters when the elites bailed out Wall Street. Nobody, right or left, wanted them to do it. But they did it anyway. Hence most of or fellow citizens have decided that the "free market" is a crock. End result: Bernie Sanders has a real shot.


12 posted on 02/19/2016 5:56:32 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: SeekAndFind

He just lost 20 points, countdown to Bernie comeback attack


13 posted on 02/19/2016 5:59:15 AM PST by dila813
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To: SeekAndFind

Handing someone money for nothing is like giving heroin to an addict for free, they’ll be back for more and you have made a friend for life. The rats are not concerned with them working just be around when I need your vote


14 posted on 02/19/2016 6:01:00 AM PST by ronnie raygun
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To: SeekAndFind

15 posted on 02/19/2016 6:33:44 AM PST by DoughtyOne (Facing Trump nomination inevitability, folks are now openly trying to help Hillary destroy him.)
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To: bert; All
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16 posted on 02/19/2016 6:33:47 AM PST by musicman (Until I see the REAL Long Form Vault BC, he's just "PRES__ENT" Obama = Without "ID")
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To: taildragger

>> I don’t think Trump will change one bit of the K-Street / Tax Code connection, not one flippin’ bit <<

Maybe that’s why the Koch brothers — like ca. 65% of likely GOP voters — are anti-Trump.


17 posted on 02/19/2016 7:38:09 AM PST by Hawthorn
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Stole my post and then some. That move alone made EVERYONE I know who isn’t a 1%er absolutely furious with Wall Street and very jaded about defending capitalism. Sanders’ heart is as right as most of his solutions are wrong, and people see that. Even those like me who are alarmed at his blatant communism are being tempted to put him in power just to give a well-deserved kick in the pants to the fatcats.


18 posted on 02/19/2016 8:06:46 AM PST by Laser_Ray
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To: SeekAndFind
The senator (Sanders) is upset with a political and economic system that is often rigged to help the privileged few at the expense of everyone else, particularly the least advantaged. ...
No he is not. Sanders is counting on it. And if he were to ever take power, that is exactly what he would reinforce stronger than his predecessors ever did.
19 posted on 02/20/2016 3:13:37 PM PST by Olog-hai
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To: SeekAndFind

And this is why the left hates and vilifies the Koch brother so much — they are essentially the only moneyed interest which is resolutely pro-market instead of pro-business. Pro-business types love the government picking winners and losers, love regulations that keep competitors and even potential competitors out of the market, and thus can be co-opted to back the expansion of state power. The Koch brothers run their businesses like they were all start-ups, and as a result want a level playing-field with the government acting only as impartial referee. They also fund initiatives that offer non-state solutions to social problems the left uses as excuses to expand the power of government, making them even more maddening to the left.


20 posted on 02/20/2016 3:54:21 PM PST by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know...)
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