Why are we supposed to be against the Koch Brothers again?

[FrankRep]

Simple answer. The Koch brothers are crony-capitalists.

How so?

[sgt150]

How so?

Look at the politicians they support. Also, their betrayal of Austrian Economics

[Tom in NYC]

The Koch brothers have always just seemed motivated by money, not ideology, to me. They spend like $20M a year lobbying the federal government to reduce regulations and increase tax breaks, but generally do so for the industries in which they are invested. Combine that with a less than stellar record on economics and occasional questionable articles/support from the think tanks they support and you can see why people are uneasy.

[FrankRep]

The Koch brothers have always just seemed motivated by money, not ideology, to me. They spend like $20M a year lobbying the federal government to reduce regulations and increase tax breaks, but generally do so for the industries in which they are invested. Combine that with a less than stellar record on economics and occasional questionable articles/support from the think tanks they support and you can see why people are uneasy.

Wait. Reduced regulations and increased tax breaks are a bad thing?

[jmdrake]

Wait. Reduced regulations and increased tax breaks are a bad thing?

You left off the last part: but generally do so for the industries in which they are invested. General tax breaks are good. Targeted tax breaks can lead to malinvestment. That said I don't know enough about the Koch brothers to know if that is indeed their strategy.

[Victor Grey]

General tax breaks are good. Targeted tax breaks can lead to malinvestment.

This.

[talkingpointes]

This.

Except, targeted tax breaks are in themselves a malinvestment with all good intentions aside.

[heavenlyboy34]

btw, there's some interesting info about Cato at the Cato Unhinged blog- http://catounhinged.blogspot.com/

[kuckfeynes]

It's easy to speak of liberty... It's not so easy to live up to it in the face of the machine (for 30 years nonetheless).
The Kochs value liberty when it is convenient to them, just as any rational businessmen in their place would.
Same with Reason, Cato, LP, etc. They talk a good game. Usually. But in the end liberty to them is nothing more than a cost/benefit analysis.
And I think that is the central crisis we face with the new "rising stars" of the movement. Who can be trusted to truly be in it for liberty, and who sees a career first?
Ron Paul truly is a rare bird in this respect... A leader like that doesn't just pop up every generation...

[onlyrp]

Wait. Reduced regulations and increased tax breaks are a bad thing?

if it leads to outsourcing, unemployment, lower wages and more corporate power, yes, for some people.