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| Two Contrasting Opinions: George Soros and Charles Koch. |
| 2014-04-03 |
| Two opinions appeared today at Drudge. One opinion is that of George Soros, a leftist. The other opinion is that of Charles Koch, a conservative who is often demonized by the left. Both men are wealthier than Midas. Both tend to support the causes in which they strongly believe. It seemed to me that the opinions of these two men represent two distinct visions for the country. One view is that of a collectivist’s society; the other is conservative and Jeffersonian. The former viewpoint is one that is embraced by the current leadership of the country, Barack Obama. The two opinions tend to represent the crystalized viewpoints extant in our country today. With two important elections coming up; 2014 and 2016, are there more voters who tend to embrace Soros' or more that embrace Koch's view? The two viewpoints are below. By Kelly Riddell-The Washington Times Wednesday, April 2, 2014 OPINION: George Soros Drug Policy Alliance: Marijuana Policy Project Billionaire philanthropist George Soros hopes the U.S. goes to pot, and he is using his money to drive it there. With a cadre of like-minded, wealthy donors, Mr. Soros is dominating the pro-legalization side of the marijuana debate by funding grass-roots initiatives that begin in New York City and end up affecting local politics elsewhere. Through a network of nonprofit groups, Mr. Soros has spent at least $80 million on the legalization effort since 1994, when he diverted a portion of his foundation's funds to organizations exploring alternative drug policies, according to tax filings. His spending has been supplemented by Peter B. Lewis, the late chairman of Progressive Insurance Co. and an unabashed pot smoker who channeled more than $40 million to influence local debates, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The two billionaires' funding has been unmatched by anyone on the other side of the debate. Mr. Soros makes his donations through the Drug Policy Alliance, a nonprofit he funds with roughly $4 million in annual contributions from his Foundation to Promote an Open Society. Mr. Soros also donates annually to the American Civil Liberties Union, which in turn funds marijuana legalization efforts, and he has given periodically to the Marijuana Policy Project, which funds state ballot measures. Lewis, who died in November, donated to legalization efforts in his name and through the ACLU and the Marijuana Policy Project, on which he served as the chairman of the board. Lewis' estate declined to comment for this article. "The pro-legalization movement hasn't come from a groundswell of the people. A great deal of its funding and fraud has been perpetrated by George Soros and then promoted by celebrities," said John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy under George W. Bush. "The truth is under attack, and it's an absolutely dangerous direction for this country to be going in." Mr. Soros' Open Society Foundations have annual assets of more than $3.5 billion, a pool from which he can dole out grants to pet projects, according to 2011 tax returns, the most recent on file for his charitable organizations. David and Charles Koch, the billionaire brothers who often are cited for their conservative influence, had $308 million tied up in their foundation and institute in 2011. More at: More at Soros Opinion. OPINION Charles Koch: I'm Fighting to Restore a Free Society Instead of welcoming free debate, collectivists engage in character assassination. By CHARLES G. KOCH Updated April 2, 2014 7:47 p.m. ET I have devoted most of my life to understanding the principles that enable people to improve their lives. It is those principles—the principles of a free society—that have shaped my life, my family, our company and America itself. Unfortunately, the fundamental concepts of dignity, respect, equality before the law and personal freedom are under attack by the nation's own government. That's why, if we want to restore a free society and create greater well-being and opportunity for all Americans, we have no choice but to fight for those principles. I have been doing so for more than 50 years, primarily through educational efforts. It was only in the past decade that I realized the need to also engage in the political process. A truly free society is based on a vision of respect for people and what they value. In a truly free society, any business that disrespects its customers will fail, and deserves to do so. The same should be true of any government that disrespects its citizens. The central belief and fatal conceit of the current administration is that you are incapable of running your own life, but those in power are capable of running it for you. This is the essence of big government and collectivism. More than 200 years ago, Thomas Jefferson warned that this could happen. "The natural progress of things," Jefferson wrote, "is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." He knew that no government could possibly run citizens' lives for the better. The more government tries to control, the greater the disaster, as shown by the current health-care debacle. Collectivists (those who stand for government control of the means of production and how people live their lives) promise heaven but deliver hell. For them, the promised end justifies the means. Instead of encouraging free and open debate, collectivists strive to discredit and intimidate opponents. They engage in character assassination. (I should know, as the almost daily target of their attacks.) This is the approach that Arthur Schopenhauer described in the 19th century, that Saul Alinsky famously advocated in the 20th, and that so many despots have infamously practiced. Such tactics are the antithesis of what is required for a free society—and a telltale sign that the collectivists do not have good answers. More at: Koch Opinion. |
| Posted by:JohnQC |
| #2 And we wind up having to push back against all this demonization of someone who agrees more with George Soros than with us about letting the US go to pot. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2014-04-03 19:31 |
| #1 The Koch brothers are mor elibertarian than conservative. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2014-04-03 18:30 |