4 ms·

What could Koch materially stand to gain from this?

by gaze 7y ago

crystalmeph 7y ago
My guess is that you stand to make more money long term by trading with everybody. War profiteering is great money today, but I don’t think the Koch brothers take the stereotypical quarter-by-quarter approach to capitalism.
- HeWhoLurksLate 7y ago
  but I don't think the Koch brothers take the stereotypical quarter-by-quarter approach to capitalism. No, no they don't. Their focus is much more towards long-term growth and development (and long-term sustainability, which includes treating workers well and helping them succeed) than quarter-by-quarter results.
  - ethbro 7y ago
    Exactly. Whether you agree or disagree with their position, they're not Wall Street style, short-term optimizers.
  - gaze 7y ago
    They've put massive efforts into destroying unions. They've funded mike rowe, who goes on tirades against osha. They don't care about workers at all. Then there's the consequences of these efforts such as https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/03/17/koch-compliance-georgia-pacific-plants-have-troubling-health-and-safety-record# https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/03/17/koch-complianc...
    - HeWhoLurksLate 7y ago
      They don't care about workers at all (Full disclosure: I know several people who work at different Koch companies) From what I've heard and experienced, there is a very different culture between the founded-by-the-Koch-brothers companies and the bought-by-the-Koch-brothers companies, mostly due to the fact that the upper levels of management were retained and kept their old ways- there is a huge difference in mentality between the old managers and bosses and the Koch ones. When it comes to injuries, Georgia Pacific was quite the beleaguered company before the Kochs bought it, too. [1] They've funded mike rowe [sic] who goes on tirades against osha [sic] To be honest, I haven't really heard about Mike Rowe, so I looked him up. A Forbes article from three days ago [2] talks about Mike Rowe and how he's working to change the perception that skilled labor is bad. In my opinion, this is good! Not everyone wants to go to college- it's not necessary to make a living (though it will likely be more physically demanding). Do I think that OSHA is a good idea? Yes. Is Mike Rowe also doing a huge favor to the morale of those who don't want to go to college? Yes. Do I agree with everything Mike Rowe has ever said? Probably not. [1] https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2003/03/10/story1.html https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2003/03/10/story... [2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/nancyberk/2019/06/28/mike-rowe-uses-celebrity-influence-to-grease-the-wheel-for-skilled-labor/#503b6e50289b https://www.forbes.com/sites/nancyberk/2019/06/28/mike-rowe-...
      - gaze 7y ago
        What Mike Rowe is doing is quite subtle https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/09/mike-rowes-dirty-job/ https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/09/mike-rowes-dirty-job/
protomyth 7y ago
It fits in with their beliefs into getting the US out of foreign entanglements.
- tribler 7y ago
  > Its founding donors — Soros’s Open Society Foundation and the Charles Koch Foundation — have each contributed half a million dollars to fund its takeoff. And if it works, its also pretty cost effective.
scarmig 7y ago
The idea that Koch is investing all his money in politics for the sake of making more money is a silly affectation. He's poured way more into the conservative/libertarian movement than he ever expects to get back. He genuinely believes in his principles. Obviously they align with self interest in lots of ways, but he'd be materially better off if he took a much less active role in shaping conservative ideology.
espeed 7y ago
An end to a policy of sanctions?
tim333 7y ago
Wars and sanctions are a drag on the economy. If you could get rid of them everyone including Koch could be better off.
sdinsn 7y ago
No intervention = stability It also largely reduces risk in some foreign investments

What could Koch materially stand to gain from this?

by gaze 7y ago

What could Koch materially stand to gain from this?

My guess is that you stand to make more money long term by trading with everybody. War profiteering is great money today, but I don’t think the Koch brothers take the stereotypical quarter-by-quarter approach to capitalism.

HeWhoLurksLate 7y ago
but I don't think the Koch brothers take the stereotypical quarter-by-quarter approach to capitalism. No, no they don't. Their focus is much more towards long-term growth and development (and long-term sustainability, which includes treating workers well and helping them succeed) than quarter-by-quarter results.
- ethbro 7y ago
  Exactly. Whether you agree or disagree with their position, they're not Wall Street style, short-term optimizers.
- gaze 7y ago
  They've put massive efforts into destroying unions. They've funded mike rowe, who goes on tirades against osha. They don't care about workers at all. Then there's the consequences of these efforts such as https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/03/17/koch-compliance-georgia-pacific-plants-have-troubling-health-and-safety-record# https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/03/17/koch-complianc...
  - HeWhoLurksLate 7y ago
    They don't care about workers at all (Full disclosure: I know several people who work at different Koch companies) From what I've heard and experienced, there is a very different culture between the founded-by-the-Koch-brothers companies and the bought-by-the-Koch-brothers companies, mostly due to the fact that the upper levels of management were retained and kept their old ways- there is a huge difference in mentality between the old managers and bosses and the Koch ones. When it comes to injuries, Georgia Pacific was quite the beleaguered company before the Kochs bought it, too. [1] They've funded mike rowe [sic] who goes on tirades against osha [sic] To be honest, I haven't really heard about Mike Rowe, so I looked him up. A Forbes article from three days ago [2] talks about Mike Rowe and how he's working to change the perception that skilled labor is bad. In my opinion, this is good! Not everyone wants to go to college- it's not necessary to make a living (though it will likely be more physically demanding). Do I think that OSHA is a good idea? Yes. Is Mike Rowe also doing a huge favor to the morale of those who don't want to go to college? Yes. Do I agree with everything Mike Rowe has ever said? Probably not. [1] https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2003/03/10/story1.html https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2003/03/10/story... [2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/nancyberk/2019/06/28/mike-rowe-uses-celebrity-influence-to-grease-the-wheel-for-skilled-labor/#503b6e50289b https://www.forbes.com/sites/nancyberk/2019/06/28/mike-rowe-...
    - gaze 7y ago
      What Mike Rowe is doing is quite subtle https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/09/mike-rowes-dirty-job/ https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/09/mike-rowes-dirty-job/

protomyth 7y ago

It fits in with their beliefs into getting the US out of foreign entanglements.

tribler 7y ago
> Its founding donors — Soros’s Open Society Foundation and the Charles Koch Foundation — have each contributed half a million dollars to fund its takeoff. And if it works, its also pretty cost effective.

scarmig 7y ago

The idea that Koch is investing all his money in politics for the sake of making more money is a silly affectation. He's poured way more into the conservative/libertarian movement than he ever expects to get back. He genuinely believes in his principles. Obviously they align with self interest in lots of ways, but he'd be materially better off if he took a much less active role in shaping conservative ideology.

espeed 7y ago

An end to a policy of sanctions?

tim333 7y ago

Wars and sanctions are a drag on the economy. If you could get rid of them everyone including Koch could be better off.

sdinsn 7y ago

No intervention = stability It also largely reduces risk in some foreign investments