Duncan Black

Politics Is Unseemly

While I'm certainly not a fan of the Kochs' political agenda, and obviously we can talk about the whole politics/campaign finance/money issue, it's also the case that actual rich philanthropists should consider spending more time on politics than on charitable giving for many issues. Spending more time on politics doesn't necessarily mean spending money to elect people to federal office, it can simply mean recognizing that some issues are best dealt with by the government. There's nothing wrong with private charity, but it isn't always a substitute for the universality that the state can provide.

Linking to this

"Why would [David Koch] donate $200 million for cancer research when he knows he can give $100k to the Republican National Committee and get Republican congresspersons to increase funding by the same amount?"

While I can can see why the Kochs might also want to spend their own money funding cancer research, I can’t see why, if they’re concerned about funding for cancer research, they wouldn’t just call John Boehner from the VOID, on the Snype, and tell him not to cut the federal science budget.

Where to begin?
It's not about charity it's about power; as with Soros, though Soros is more sophisticated.
Sometimes I'm reminded just how much Atrios is incapable of subtle observation. If he can't perceive it as cut and dried he's lost. He refuses to read subtext in others' actions or his own. He's a child.