Citizen Kane and Citizen Koch...

We just recently viewed a sold out screening of Citizen Koch in a La Crosse theater since its PBS funding was denied and private funding had to be obtained. Why, you ask? The Kochs just happen to have a vested interest in PBS. Once you read the trailer description, you can decide why the Kochs might not have wanted to fund this documentary.


"Set against the rise of the Tea Party in the aftermath of the US Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling, a citizen uprising to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker collides with the Tea Party-aligned “Americans for Prosperity,” a group founded and lavishly financed by two of the world’s richest men —David and Charles Koch. As Republican working class voters find themselves in the crosshairs of their own party and its billionaire backers, they are forced to choose sides." Directed by Academy Award®-nominated directors Carl Deal and Tia Lessin (Trouble the Water; co-producers of Fahrenheit 9/11 & Capitalism: A Love Story)."


It's been eons since I watched 'Citizen Kane' and perhaps I should rewatch it but heck once you see the documentary 'Citizen Koch' you'll catch more of the commonlaties of these two ruthless persona in their pursuit of power. 

Citizen Kane (Randolph Hearst) rose from poverty as his parents ran a boarding house when his Mother inherited some land that just happened to have oil, BINGO.  Kane was sent to be educated out East.  At first Kane was known for his 'idealistic social service' but with his ownership of a newspaper his self importance grew as he manipulated even the outcome of the Spanish American War through his publication. He married up (his wife was the President's niece) but an affair ended both his marriage and political ambitions to be NY's Governor. 

Fred Koch, patriarch of the industrialist Koch family watched his penniless Dutch father gain wealth by owning a newspaper. Fred's sons would grow up with a silver spoon in their mouths starting life with prestige and oil. It was Frederick Koch, the eldest son, to be sent out East for boarding school and education. The other children went to public schools. (Son Bill, more like his mother, interested in the arts, was ostracized for not having the competitiveness his father wanted so much to cultivate in his boys.) Number 2 Son Charles was the one groomed (MIT) to take over his father's business.  His twin brother, David, would then help Charles run the 'family' business.

So what's Koch's big hatred with socialism and fear of communism. Well let's see if your Father invested a lot of money in Russian oil refineries and then they kicked him out without not only earning money on the investment but losing the investment, I guess you wouldn't be very happy. In fact, I bet you just might have a hatred for a society that did that to you. Fred was a founder of the John Birch Society in Kansas. The Koch mulitbillionaire brothers, Charles and David, would spend years pushing their libertarian agenda. 

'Citizen Koch' demonstrates how this family and the brothers in particular have planned  a good 10 years how they would take over the American political scene. They have bankrolled a political tsunami with billions of dollars to dominate who is making the rules to serve corporate America with a ruthless agenda to strip away years of progress, dismantling social safety nets from those who need it the most..  Nothing is sacred whether it's one's workplace and unions, health care, voter regulations, gun control, immigration, women's rights, just to name a few... 

The powerful documentary states one case after another with Americans voting against their personal self interests. How could this be happening? 

Most Americans are politically homeless and they are the ones who are going to have to demand change. Do you think we need more than a 2 party system since the existing 2 parties aren't working in our favor? Is the Tea Party the only 
way?

'Citizen Koch' gives the viewer a lot to digest. Digest we must and we must elect people who will represent their constituents and respond to their needs. It is time for a change and it is 
not backwards in time... 

The documentary's trailer provides insight of what is happening when people can buy government. 


I should mention that any time Governor Walker came on the screen, people booed. 


I bet other states can understand the unhappiness when the agenda isn't the people's. 

We just don't want to live in WisKochsin...

Here's the link:Citizen Koch