Chuck Hagel Is a Threat to America’s National Security! And to the Koch Brothers’ Financial Interests.
Add to the Activities list an anti-Chuck Hagel TV ad.
Okay. So I happened to catch a segment on CNBC just now (don’t ask; catching segments on CNBC is not quite part of my normal daily routine) that ended with an ad blasting Hagel for … um … a whole lot of stuff geared toward making people think he would have lots of conflicts of interest if confirmed as Secretary of Defense, even if he sells all those financial interests in defense contractor companies that the ad says he has, and in that company that invests in Iran, and stops flying on corporate jets.
At the end of the ad, the viewer is told that it’s sponsored by The American Future Fund. Which I couldn’t identify from memory, since the names of these organizations all sound alike. And are all very interested in America’s future.
But, having seen the ad, I now knew that Hagel would be a very dangerous guy to have as Defense Secretary. I just didn’t know who exactly he posed a danger to. But thanks to Wikipedia, I know now.
Sounds to me like Paul Ryan should have consulted the Koch brothers before he declared on Meet the Press last weekend that Keynesian economics has proved to be a failure. If you get my drift. Those oil and gas subsidies and defense contracts that the Koch businesses receive are important to our national defense … and to the economy.*
Got to say, I can usually follow you, but I really have no idea what you are saying other Hagel could hurt the Kochs? Ok, but why and how?
The Kochs are sponsoring an ad claiming that Hagel should not be confirmed as Defense Secretary because of, well, his financial ties. Which of course the Koch brothers don’t care one whit about. What they do care about is the likelihood that Hagel would usher in policies that would hurt the Koch’s financial interests.
The claims in the ad are a pretext for the real reasons the Koch’s fear Hagel as Defense Secretary: their own bottom line.
Hagel, like Kerry are Vietnam combat veterans. A common thread among Vietnam vets who saw the mess is to oppose the perpetual war crowd.
Many Vietnam Vets were not fans of the Birchers and protested the war and still look harshly on the US empire.
Koch’s Dad funded the Johgn Birch Society, perpetual war is a tool to kill the New Deal.
So the Koch brothers don’t want Kerry and Hagel as they might blunt the continued plundering by the military industry complex.
Which war machine needs cut by 70% to get to where the US spends like the other NATO countries.
ilsm
I just edited the last paragraph of the post for clarity, Dan.
Thanks Bev and Ilsm. I get it now.
Nice post. It’s the little things like this that often go unnoticed. Of course, I’m also irritated now because I missed MTP last week, and now must go the rest of the day fuming about that half-wit Paul Ryan running his mouth about things of which he is completely ignorant, and will have to write more letters….
Thanks, Peter.
Ah. Paul Ryan on MTP last weekend. Yes. I will write more about that today.