Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch writes here about the Koch Brothers’ latest move to extend their influence in academia.
Here in North Carolina, where the Kochs’ home-grown junior partner Art Pope has played the role of right-wing financier and kingmaker for years, direct Koch tentacles have been somewhat less visible. Recently, however, this has started to change. Last fall, we reported on the establishment of a new Koch-funded propaganda shop at Western Carolina University to be dubbed the Center for the Study of Free Enterprise.
Meanwhile, as is noted in the Mayer piece, another Koch network shop has sprouted and is taking shape 200 miles to the east at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. The Wake Forest operation is called the “Eudaimonia Project” and it is headed by James Otteson – the head of the BB&T Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake (where the project is based) and the same fellow who outlined the Koch plan at the California retreat in the above excerpt….
As with all of the academic centers in the growing (some would say “metastasizing”) Koch Empire, the Eudaimonia Project and its parent organization do little to disguise what they are all about. The goal is clearly to advance hard right market fundamentalist ideology by cloaking it in warm and fuzzy language and to thereby grace it with the veneer of academic legitimacy.
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You may not be surprised to learn that "Eudaemonia" means "human flourishing." It happens that humans can't flourish unless they live in a free enterprise, capitalistic society.
Those of us familiar with the verbal tricks of the reform movement will recognize the deceptive use of language to disguise its true meaning.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
same root as eugenics, huh?
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I expect that students will call it the “Pneumonia Department”, with or without the “p”.
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The Koch brothers and the 1% are running this country.
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Koch version, 2.0?
Laura Chapman reported on the “OikonmialNetwork.org. It’s made up of some religious colleges. Acton Institute has a connection to it.
The Koch’s grew tired of 3-word organizations, like State Policy Network, State Budget Solutions, Americans for Prosperity, etc. turning to unrecognizable words, instead?
UnKochMyCampus.org has a lot of important information at its site.
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What’s wrong with teaching free enterprise? Why should academia be all left wing propaganda. Let’s hear both sides!
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The description of economic systems has been a subject taught on U.S. campuses for more than a hundred years. The analysis includes GDP growth, and other factors, in both regulated and unfettered free markets. Academia is not left wing, it is objective, which is a fundamental principle of higher education integrity. The situation involving Florida State University and the Koch’s reflects the travesty of oligarch control in a university that was created of the people, by the people, and for the people.
If you have not read Jane Mayer’s article about the Koch’s, or if you do not understand the threat that the US democracy faces from further concentration of wealth, your education failed you.
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“One of the bewildering paradoxes of our time is the extent to which the enterprise system tolerates, if not participates in, its own destruction.
The campuses from which much of the criticism emanates are supported by (i) tax funds generated largely from American business, and (ii) contributions from capital funds controlled or generated by American business. The boards of trustees of our universities overwhelmingly are composed of men and women who are leaders in the system.
Most of the media, including the national TV systems, are owned and theoretically controlled by corporations which depend upon profits, and the enterprise system to survive.”
It would seem to me that Mr. Powell felt that American enterprise was entitled to dictate what was and what was not taught in our schools what was and what was not carried by news media.A sense of entitlement, of ownership.
At no time in the history of this country was either of those institutions dominated by the left . If they were we would be in a far different place today . Just the idea that there were any critics on the left was upsetting to the Oligarchy. We have one of the lowest Unionization rates i.n the Western World . The largest Prison population in the World .Have the largest military budget by ten times the rest of the world . Have had a part in more overthrows of foreign Governments than I can count on my fingers and toes,some as recently as last month. We have the greatest concentration of wealth at the top since the age of the robber baron’s
A pretty crappy indoctrination by a left wing Media and University system . The anti war movement was a brief moment in time. The senseless deaths of 55,000 Americans created a movement . A left wing movement that died as soon as the War ended . As proofed by the last 50 years of right wing rule.Yes Bill Clinton’s major achievements were all Republican programs. The lefty in this race race was running against Obama as much as Clinton.
The Koch brothers have followed Mr Powell’s dictate to a T. It is a prime reason that state University systems have transferred more and more costs to the Student . In their right wing vision the University is to be a certificate program not a place of questioning and higher learning. Who wants to pay for a sociology cost when it costs a Kings ransom to attend University .
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Edit: cost out class in
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I agree. We have a dozen left-wing departments in every school. Is it really too much to have one that advocates free markets and liberty in just one school? Apparently it is for some.
Regarding Joel’s absurd claim that there is no left wing domination of the educational system, you can say that all day long but that doesn’t make it true. To deny that most of our public universities are hotbeds of (rather extreme) leftist orthodoxy is absolutely laughable. If hearing that makes you want to retreat into your safe space I will understand.
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Brian: document your claim “a dozen left wing departments in every school”. I suppose the Art professor the card carrying commie that he is,is preaching Marx or perhaps the psychology professor is defending Lennon . The fact, and for the purpose of this discussion we will assume it is fact ,that the faculty may have left leaning personal views has little to do with what happens academically.
However in departments that affect business and the economy, I would love to see you come across with a little evidence for your claim. Funny the first school to come to my mind, was the Chicago School of Economics, hardly a bastion of left wing thought.
I would say that in our public universities, which are now dominated by adjuncts with out the protection of tenure your claim is right wing fantasy. Regardless of their personal views. I would say that they are doing a terrible job of indoctrination looking at where we are today as a nation.
The Koch’s are specifically funding programs to push a right-wing or libertarian view. Demanding that the department heads and faculty teach a specific Socioeconomic and Political view. Quite different from the idea that there is an Academic consensus . .
There is a similar accusation leveled about the Press. Well we finally
had a leftist in a national political contest this year. He was merely a New Deal Democrat and we see how he was embraced by the left wing media. The Washington Post that bastion of the left . Limited their staff to twenty one negative articles a day.
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The majority of university professors are Democrats and left leaning liberals. It is very difficult to get hired if you confess to being a Conservative. This is what is going on in our universities today. Read: Pomona Student Claims Harrassment for Political Beliefs http://free beacon.com/issues/Pomona-student-claims-Harrassment-for-political-beliefs/
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Right wing and left wing, are labels that have no meaning in terms of U.S. government, media, or education. The Aspen institute’s education programs claim success in policy and, the actions of the Democratic administration’s U.S. Dept. of Education confirm it. Until a few weeks ago, both Madelyn Albright and David Koch were pictured in the Aspen Institute board member photo array. The Aspen programs like, Senior Congressional Education Staff Network, get their funding from a plutocratic, venture “philanthropy”. Media Matters, a “left wing” media outlet excised Gates, DFER, Broad, and the Waltons, from its report about the privatization of the most important common good- public education. Madelyn Albright’s firm had two employees on the DNC platform committee (appointed by HRC). Critics of the Albright firm, label it as an influence peddler. Reportedly, one client of the firm is hedge funder, Paul Singer, a proponent of privatized public education and, a man involved in the process of profiting from the misery of Puerto Rican workers. Reportedly, Madelyn Albright is on the board of hedge funder Pete Peterson’s latest attempt to privatize Social Security.
The promulgation of oligarchy, degrades America’s founding principles and the sacrifices made in its behalf. Ultimately, the strangle hold of concentrated wealth will end with people’s courts and blood shed. We should all be hoping for the success of groups like the Campaign for America’s Future.
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Linda: I can hardly disagree with any of what you say ,But I will say there is a left and right . It is just that for the most part, those who are labeled left are not and those proclaiming to be left are not .
Anyone who would stand up against the Oligarchy or Corporatocracy will be marginalized at best. Look how MSNBC dispelled with Uygur and Schultz. Sanders ran into a wall of opposition . A new dealer, you would have thought Fidel was running for President. Opposed by the political as well as media establishment.
Yes you are correct Trump/BREXIT are signs that “The Pitch Forks are Coming.”
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Just one another note, The Koch Brothers have also given $25 million to the United Negro College Fund.
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Much has been written about that subject, which you can access on the internet.
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What racists! 😉
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Ryan Grim and Paul Blumenthal wrote an important article, “The Vulture’s Vulture: How a New Hedge Fund Strategy is Corrupting Washington…The billionaire hedge fund managers are working the halls of Congress with civil rights groups…”
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From Bill Moyers on the Koch Borthers
http://billmoyers.com/story/the-kochs-are-ghostwriting-americas-story/
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There was a time when the rich and their children were safe walking among their fellow Americans. The media reported, last weekend, that Mark Z-berg spent $500,000 to protect his new Hawaii palace, from “credible threats”. Buffett’ uses rhetoric but, that protection scheme is unraveling. America is becoming like Brazil and, like the U.S., in the Lindberg era. The new twist may be jury nullification for those who trespass against the rich.
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