With $42 Billion and 7 Homes, Why Are the Kochs Buying our Democracy?

The Koch brothers had plenty of places to party after their triumphs last November. They might've celebrated at any one of their multiple homes in five states worth a total of $105.9 million.

And that's not including the Koch's two-story single family home that David Koch bought for his children as a play house.

The billionaire brothers who brought you Tea Party groups like Americans for Prosperity and anti-worker governors like Scott Walker and John Kasich are now attacking some of the most vulnerable Americans like Susan Montalbano and Wendy and Jerry McDowell.

Each one has a different story, but each is united against the Kochs and their drive to buy our democracy.

"They don't want to see government money spent on people they feel are beneath being taken care of," Jerry McDowell says in the video.

The New York Times heard Jerry's comments and published an exclusive about Koch Brothers Exposed and what we're trying to achieve.

We went on offense to make this video. We went right up to the Kochs' doorsteps to ask, why are you spending millions to buy our democracy?

Watch what happens, then add your voice to our movement by posting a picture, caption or both to the Koch brothers house party.

 

 

 

Follow Robert Greenwald on Twitter: www.twitter.com/robertgreenwald

Comments

[judibluiz]

07:08 PM on 05/06/2011

Why? Because they can.

[Mercedes]

07:03 PM on 05/06/2011

The Koch Brothers think that they are gods and not mortals. They forget that they are old and that one day they will leave this planet, just like everyone else will. No matter how much money they have, they won't be able to buy their way into heaven!

[Swedenworks]

11:41 AM on 05/08/2011

The sooner the better.

[Higgs Boson]

03:08 PM on 05/06/2011

I have wondered about question myself ..... how many billions does it take to make these guys go away ?

[addisonsteele]

02:34 PM on 05/06/2011

The Koch brothers have endangered millions of Americans by providing terrorists with tempting and vulnerable targets: their chemical plants, which they refuse to make secure because they claim it would cost too much.

Of course, the irony is that their family wealth was started by their father's deals with Stalin.

[ResoluteBob]

02:29 PM on 05/06/2011

I have great respect for what Mr. Greenwald has accomplished, but I think this video misses the mark.
The focus of the piece should not be what they HAVE, it should be what they DO, and the impact of their actions. Bill Gates has a fantastic Mansion as well, but he also contributes much of his fortune
to charity. A contrast, between the unquenchable Koch Brothers and Gates or other Wealthy people actually trying to IMPROVE society as a whole, would to my mind make for a more effective message.

[consindenial]

01:52 PM on 05/06/2011

Don't forget to put T. Boone Pickens in the same discussion...he was behind the fake Swift Boat Veterans who were paid to smear the record of a recipient of the Silver Star, the third highest military decoration of our country. A decoration for which a recommendation is made, and whose recommendation is investigated by a committee before being forwarded to the secretary of the respective service for review and award...

[rcbusic]

12:19 PM on 05/06/2011

In the beginning we fought the English to move past the feudal system that justified the ownership of all lands to be in the hands of a few. Our intent was to create a democratic society where ALL MEN (this includes woman) are created equal. Our forefathers saw the value and moral responsibility to make all men free of the whims of the few who would subjugate the many. As our elected officials became pressured to raise re-election $ they had to become the champions of those who would buy public policy and use it for their own gains.
By now our system will only support those who have a Wall Street and Beltway narrowed vision. The common man (the working class heroes) has been subjugated again. Our history has been a pendulum of the rich VS the poor. The rich brought us the great depression that was ended by reforms on banking and industry(theses laws were for the good of the whole economy and benefited all Americans). These reforms were gutted by the Republican Party that listened to the rich and deregulated banking and are even now gutting the protections we have against being poisoned by industry.
Our forefathers would have begun an armed insurrection by now. Our forefathers are turning in their graves as their dream of a fair and just society they risked their lives and fortunes for and created has become exactly what they fought against.

[bronceye]

11:34 AM on 05/06/2011

You ask why the koch bros. want to destroy social security? Your answer is in the film. Poor people dependent on social security, not generating wealth pointed their way ard picnicing in front of his beach house. There, your answer.

[CubbieMan]

10:03 AM on 05/06/2011

I'm against the Koch's politics and their disgusting success at being able to buy whatever policies they want. But this video seems to imply that I should hate them because they're rich. It's unfortunate that others don't have enough money but that isn't reason to hate those that do.

[Higgs Boson]

03:10 PM on 05/06/2011

apparently you missed the point

[CubbieMan]

12:48 AM on 05/07/2011

I'm sorry but I think your blind fundamentalism may have led you to a predetermined point.

[dfranz]

09:57 AM on 05/06/2011

The Koch brothers were raised by their father Samuel Koch, one of the founders of the John Birtch Society, the hard corest of hard core rightwing fringe groups. This group believes strongly in the principal of survival of the fittest and leaving the weak to fend for themselves. What we are seeing now all ove the country is the fruition of his brainwashing his sons and assuring they had enough money to make his idea of Eden come to fruition. Now through media manipulation they are making that radical phiIosophy mainstream. I can only imagine what their household was like. Now the 2 silver spooners are spending their glory days and money being king makers and taking over our country.

[mnnyer]

09:56 AM on 05/06/2011

Koch's have a lot, it's true.
But they don't yet have it all.

[missmanners]

09:43 AM on 05/06/2011

Fred C. Koch was born in Quanah, Texas, the son of a Dutch immigrant, Harry Koch.

Children:
Frederick R. Koch, Charles G. Koch, David H. Koch and William I. Koch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_C._Koch

[olehippie]

08:38 AM on 05/06/2011

Tried to watch the video. Screen goes black and then the message: "an error occurred, please try again later."

hmmmmmmm...

[mlw85]

08:16 AM on 05/06/2011

Ladies and gentlemen the fruits of our beloved capitalism. Free markets allowed to operate without regulation, these guys are the tip of the iceberg if you go down that road.

[Carl Caroli]

07:52 AM on 05/06/2011

The Koch's are a disgusting example of capitalism at it's worst. They care for no one but themselves.