I guess it is my turn to be bemused. Daryl Popkes, in his letter published April 2, takes Ann Mershon to task for her demonizing the Koch Brothers, Charles and David, for their political misdeeds.
I have no problem with Daryl pointing out factual errors and I respect his right to hold a different opinion, but the correct way to address the errors Ann may have made is not to substitute new factual errors.
Now Daryl may be right that some “working stiffs in Cook County” have never heard of the Koch brothers before, but I do find his assertion of most difficult to accept.
Koch has a massive refinery at Pine Bend, MN and has a well-established presence here, but outside of Minnesota they are listed as the second largest private company in the world. Daryl paints the Kochs as two brothers who inherited the family business and as benevolent heirs who seek only to do good by promoting less government, but, hey, when that government has fined you almost a billion dollars in 10 years for environmental disasters, you’d want it smaller too.
Then Daryl sets up the straw man, George Soros, claiming him of even “greater wealth than the Kochs.” Hmmm, Forbes lists George as 48 on the world list, only 44 places and $30 billion behind the Kochs. He even implicates George as “nefarious” because he dares to support less conservative causes that seek less government intrusion in our lives than the Koch brothers support.
Ann is a “brave truth teller” but Daryl would be better off drinking tea instead of that Kool-Aid that‘s in his cup right now.
One last point, I would be happy to debate “union thuggery” vs. “corporate thuggery” and the effects by each on our society any day.
Jerry Hiniker
Grand Marais
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