The Unholy Trinity: Koch Brothers, ALEC, and the NRA

[Ptarmigan]

PhDD thinks Stand Your Ground is racist. 

BainsBane (11,756 posts)

The Unholy Trinity: Koch Brothers, ALEC, and the NRA
 The father of the Koch brothers was a member of the John Birch Society. Now the Kochs work with ALEC and the NRA to get Stand Your Ground laws passed around the country. The racist nature of the these laws has prompted the Congressional Black Caucus to introduce a resolution to repeal all 42 Stand Your Ground/ Shoot to Kill Laws around the country. Video at the link.

"ALEC, also known as the American Legislative Exchange Council, is a not-for-profit entity whose goal is to rewrite laws and produce ‘model bills’ that govern our rights. It boasts a $7 million a year budget, and calls itself the nation’s largest group of state legislators but, in fact, the majority of its funding comes from corporations and special interest groups. So, it should be no surprise that its laws mostly benefit corporate America. Among the myriad corporations funding ALEC are Koch Industries and the National Rifle Association. ALEC has been instrumental in promoting the so-called ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws that are shielding Trayvon Martin’s alleged killer. There are now 24 states with sweeping ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws, just like the one in Florida.

The Koch Brothers are billionaires who spend millions of dollars funding groups, like ALEC and the Tea Party’s Americans for Prosperity, to rewrite our laws in their own right-wing ideological image. Twice a year, the Koch Brothers invite conservative politicians and millionaires to a summit to discuss legislative agenda. Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas are two of the past attendees. Ergo, we should not be surprised about the Citizens United ruling. The brothers are not shy about spending millions to influence legislation and, perhaps, buy an election while they’re at it.

In the wake of the Trayvon Martin murder, the Koch Brothers sought to distance themselves from the ensuing controversy by releasing a statement saying that they had nothing to do with it. This is an utter lie. Michael Morgan of Koch Industries has sat on ALEC’s Private Enterprise Board for 10 years, is the Kansas State Corporate Co-Chair, and was the ‘Vice Chairman’ level sponsor of the 2011 ALEC Annual Conference.

Not surprisingly, the driving force behind the ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws is the NRA. Why? Simple economics. The NRA championed the original Florida law in 2004, and has continued to push for these laws across the nation. In August 2005, NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer asked legislators and lobbyists at a closed-door meeting of ALEC’s Criminal Justice Task Force to adopt the Florida ‘Castle Doctrine’ bill as an ALEC model bill. According to the NRA, her suggestion “was well received” and was approved “unanimously.”

Notafraidtoo (158 posts)
2. Here is a good Video

 For those that don't know much about ALEC and would like to know what the fuss is about Bill Moyers did a awesome show on the subject well worth the watch.

http://billmoyers.com/episode/full-show-united-states-of-alec/

BainsBane (11,756 posts)
4. Right wing extremists stand together

Guns generated huge corporate profits, and it's no accident that the Kochs and ALEC work hand and hand with the gun lobby. The so-called pro-Second Amendment argument is nothing more than a proxy for corporate profits over human life and encroaching corporate power over our laws. That such policies are profoundly racist only solidifies alliances between corporate crooks and the GOP.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023099762

[jukin]

Guns generated huge corporate profits

And the gun salesman of the year for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013 is Dear Leader 0bama.

[Freeper]

And the gun salesman of the year for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013 is Dear Leader 0bama.

See he can create jobs. 

[Big Dog]

And again, PhDD proves that a degree is no indicator of intelligence or critical thinking skill.

Make yourself useful, Alex. Make me a sammich.

[ExGeeEye]

1.  The Koch brothers are an answer to a hope I had as a new voter in the early 80's-- that there would actually be rich people standing up to assist in promotion of conservative candidates and publication of conservative thought, without seeking personal profit beyond the "rising tide" of a more prosperous economy-- while at the same time it was my responsibility to learn as much as I could either on my own or with their help, and then go vote.

2.  Never heard of ALEC before.  I guess I missed a memo from VRWC HQ.  I'm glad they're there, though.

3.  The NRA is neither more nor less than a body of citizens who have joined together for a common purpose, and the far larger body which generally support their aims.  Personally, I'm in the latter group.

[Airwolf]

Yeah like the favorites of the libs are so morally superior.

Planned Parenthood has killed more kids then any member of the NRA

Handgun Control Inc. The Brady Campain Against Gun Violence and other Anti Gun groups have made it easier for gun crimes to be committed in the countries largest cities by getting Anti gun laws passed.

George Soros has more money then the Koch Brothers and he has collapsed the economies of countries yet none of you asslickers at the Dump will say one dam thing about him. Anyone of you on the left care to guess which country he is trying to ruin now?  Hin't : It isn't Russia

[Skul]

And again, PhDD proves that a degree is no indicator of intelligence or critical thinking skill.

Make yourself useful, Alex. Make me a sammich.

If I was married to that ignorant scrunt, and she made me a poisoned sammich....I would eat it.

[I_B_Perky]

Well I guess since the BFEE is out of office, and The Rove is no longer running the VRWC, it is now the Koch Brothers Evil Empire.

Sheesh. I think I need an instruction manual to keep track of all the "evil".

[Big Dog]

I am the NRA.

[AprilRazz]

I think she has gone off her meds.

[txradioguy]

Hey PhDD is that anything like the "Unholy Trinity" of George Soros the American media and the DNC?