On Wednesday, Charles Koch took the time to remind us all that he despises the poor. The billionaire right-winger published an op-ed in USA Today titled “How to really turn the economy around” and in it he outlines his ideas about how to further improve the already-improving economy. What really shines through is just how much disdain the ultra-wealthy conservative has for the poor.
Koch’s plan outlines a number of ways to “turn the economy around.” Most of those ways, though, that Koch outlines using to improve the economy just serve to further marginalize the poor. You’d think that someone as fortunate as Charles Koch would have little need to stoop as low as to wage war on the poor, but that’s just what he wants.
Among his proposed improvements are measures to lower the oversight and safety requirements that protect wage-laborers. Koch claims that these restrictions needlessly throttle business and slow the starting and expansion of businesses. He also claims that the permitting process in America wantonly prevents large projects from starting, which casts investors into doubt and potentially kills jobs before they’re even created.
Doubtless though, Koch just wants to increase his already greedy profit margins. It’s an effort keeping in line with the Koch’s attempts to teach the poor that they need to accept lower wages. Basically, be happy for the job that they have and don’t get too pushy.
He even goes so far as to call on the image of Dr. Martin Luther King to argue that workers should be proud of their marginalized positions. While King did state that all jobs are worthy of dignity and people of respect, he certainly didn’t go as far as Koch as to elevate the job above the individual.
You can read Koch’s entire piece here.
Joshua is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. You can follow him on Twitter @Joshual33.
