No. 131 – January 8, 2015 – Dancing with David Koch

by Melinda Pillsbury-Foster

- “While I am a great believer in the free enterprise system and all that it entails, I am

an even stronger believer in the right of our people to live in a clean and pollution-free

environment.” ~Barry Goldwater

Barry Goldwater was a real conservative. If you are a Libertarian today you should know most of us who poured our energy and hard earned money into building the Libertarian Party had supported Barry for president in 1964. The fact was being a Conservative who understood the issues of social justice was what made you a Libertarian, a conservative just like Barry.

Barry believed a Conservative was someone who opposed wars carried out for corporate profit and not in defense of America.

In Barry's mind a Conservative believed you did not, “have to be straight to aim straight,” to serve in the military.

Barry and his wife were early supporters of a woman's right to choose. It was not about approving of abortion. It was about acknowledging it was none of his business because women own their bodies.

And in Barry's mind those engaging in commerce assumed the entire liability for damages done as a result of their actions. No preferences for those who donate heavily to political campaigns. No buying votes, either in Congress or at the 1979 Libertarian National Convention.

In 1979 the Kochs bought votes so they could control the Libertarian nomination for President and Vice President. Their agents in this included Edward H. Crane, III, Howie Rich, and John Fund, among others. The campaign they ran for president ignored the real issues of freedom. Many of us were shocked to hear the rhetoric of freedom, our ideas, coming from the mouth of Ronald Reagan who, Californian's knew, had done more to eliminate local governance and centralize state power than had ever been imagined by an Liberal Democrat.

The United Republicans of California had trusted Ronnie. In 1975 they passed a resolution at their state convention begging Americans not to vote for Reagan if he ran for President or Vice President.

Ronnie lied. He lied himself into the presidency as he had lied himself into the governorship of California.

And that, in a nutshell, is the Brothers Koch and the entire Big Oil industry for which they set the moral and business standards.

Calling something 'Free Enterprise' does not make it so - and David was a terrible dancer.