Koch brothers （コーク兄弟）

政治の世界での巨大インチキ産業は、悪者糾弾ビジネスであろう。人種差別、男女差別、賃金格差、雇用格差、ちょっとでも違いがあると不平等の屁理屈で悪者を無理矢理仕立てて糾弾する手法である。

往年のリベラル、左翼は、糊口を凌ぐ手法として謙虚に行っていたのであるが、長年に渡る地道な努力の成果により、お天道様の元で堂々と、意味不明の事を言って国家規模で堂々と、税金をせしめるビジネスにまで洗練されてきている。

が、所詮は、インチキで出来の悪いビジネスプランであるので、最近、弊害が多く、機能しない事も多くなってきている。

アメリカについて言えば（日本も奇妙なくらい符合しているが）、運営能力が無く屁理屈だけの悪者糾弾ビジネス巧者が行政をやる冗談の様な状況が出現したりしている。結果は、言わずもがなであろう。

悪者糾弾ビジネスは、何でもかんでもメシの種に出来るのだが、王道は大企業、資本家、大金持ち批判だ。古典的なターゲットは、ロックフェラー（『Jay Rockefeller: 世界の中心？』）とかロスチャイルドであったが、最近の流行は Koch brothers （コーク兄弟）であろう。ファミリービジネスである Koch Industries Inc （Wikipedia : Koch Industries）が巨大企業で、非上場だという事もあり、悪者糾弾ビジネス業界の人々の想像力を刺激せずにはいられない様だ。名前に馴染みが無く、石油や化学製品を扱っている所がツボに嵌まるらしい。

まだ続いているウインスコンシン州のデモでも、コーク兄弟が裏から操っていると、まことしやかに言われている。（NYT の記事）

先週、David Koch を騙るオンラインのニュースサービスの編集者が、ウインスコンシン州知事と電話をつなげる事に成功した。悪者糾弾ビジネスは、州知事がコークの名前なので電話を取った事を鬼の首を取った様に喜んで、悪徳資本家と州知事がツーカーであると騒いだのであるが（ツーカーだったら、偽物で有る事に気付くと言う考えはないのだろうか？）、会話内容は、州知事が会見等で言っている事の域を出ず、尻窄みになってしまた。（The Huffington Post の記事）

で、事もあろうに、アメリカ随一の悪者、世界を操るコーク兄弟の１人 Charles Koch が、今朝の WSJ に "Why Koch Industries Is Speaking Out" のタイトルで、投稿しているではないか。（WSJ 購読者ではないと読めない事もあるので、下に貼付けておく）

そう、世界で有数の悪者は、逃げも隠れもしないで、堂々と財政危機への懸念、小さな政府で経済発展という、真っ当な原理原則を淡々と述べている。

悪者糾弾ビジネス業者の中で、キチンと対抗出来る強者はいないだろうなー。この人達って、究極的には、生まれた事自体も、神（や運命？）を糾弾するしかなくなるだろう。リベラルは、不可知論者や無神論者（なんちゃってクリスチャンも含む）が多いのと大いに関係ありそうだ。


Why Koch Industries Is Speaking Out

By CHARLES G. KOCH

Years of tremendous overspending by federal, state and local governments have brought us face-to-face with an economic crisis. Federal spending will total at least $3.8 trillion this year―double what it was 10 years ago. And unlike in 2001, when there was a small federal surplus, this year's projected budget deficit is more than $1.6 trillion.

Several trillions more in debt have been accumulated by state and local governments. States are looking at a combined total of more than $130 billion in budget shortfalls this year. Next year, they will be in even worse shape as most so-called stimulus payments end.

For many years, I, my family and our company have contributed to a variety of intellectual and political causes working to solve these problems. Because of our activism, we've been vilified by various groups. Despite this criticism, we're determined to keep contributing and standing up for those politicians, like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who are taking these challenges seriously.

Both Democrats and Republicans have done a poor job of managing our finances. They've raised debt ceilings, floated bond issues, and delayed tough decisions.

In spite of looming bankruptcy, President Obama and many in Congress have tiptoed around the issue of overspending by suggesting relatively minor cuts in mostly discretionary items. There have been few serious proposals for necessary cuts in military and entitlement programs, even though these account for about three-fourths of all federal spending.

Yes, some House leaders have suggested cutting spending to 2008 levels. But getting back to a balanced budget would mean a return to at least 2003 spending levels―and would still leave us with the problem of paying off our enormous debts.

Federal data indicate how urgently we need reform: The unfunded liabilities of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid already exceed $106 trillion. That's well over $300,000 for every man, woman and child in America (and exceeds the combined value of every U.S. bank account, stock certificate, building and piece of personal or public property).

The Congressional Budget Office has warned that the interest on our federal debt is "poised to skyrocket." Even Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is sounding alarms. Yet the White House insists that substantial spending cuts would hurt the economy and increase unemployment.

Plenty of compelling examples indicate just the opposite. When Canada recently reduced its federal spending to 11.3% of GDP from 17.5% eight years earlier, the economy rebounded and unemployment dropped. By comparison, our federal spending is 25% of GDP.

Government spending on business only aggravates the problem. Too many businesses have successfully lobbied for special favors and treatment by seeking mandates for their products, subsidies (in the form of cash payments from the government), and regulations or tariffs to keep more efficient competitors at bay.

Crony capitalism is much easier than competing in an open market. But it erodes our overall standard of living and stifles entrepreneurs by rewarding the politically favored rather than those who provide what consumers want.

The purpose of business is to efficiently convert resources into products and services that make people's lives better. Businesses that fail to do so should be allowed to go bankrupt rather than be bailed out.

But what about jobs that are lost when businesses go under? It's important to remember that not all jobs are the same. In business, real jobs profitably produce goods and services that people value more highly than their alternatives. Subsidizing inefficient jobs is costly, wastes resources, and weakens our economy.

Because every other company in a given industry is accepting market-distorting programs, Koch companies have had little option but to do so as well, simply to remain competitive and help sustain our 50,000 U.S.-based jobs. However, even when such policies benefit us, we only support the policies that enhance true economic freedom.

For example, because of government mandates, our refining business is essentially obligated to be in the ethanol business. We believe that ethanol―and every other product in the marketplace―should be required to compete on its own merits, without mandates, subsidies or protective tariffs. Such policies only increase the prices of those products, taxes and the cost of many other goods and services.

Our elected officials would do well to remember that the most prosperous countries are those that allow consumers―not governments―to direct the use of resources. Allowing the government to pick winners and losers hurts almost everyone, especially our poorest citizens.

Recent studies show that the poorest 10% of the population living in countries with the greatest economic freedom have 10 times the per capita income of the poorest citizens in countries with the least economic freedom. In other words, society as a whole benefits from greater economic freedom.

Even though it affects our business, as a matter of principle our company has been outspoken in defense of economic freedom. This country would be much better off if every company would do the same. Instead, we see far too many businesses that paint their tails white and run with the antelope.

I am confident that businesses like ours will hire more people and invest in more equipment when our country's financial future looks more promising. Laying the groundwork for smaller, smarter government, especially at the federal level, is going to be tough. But it is essential for getting us back on the path to long-term prosperity.

Mr. Koch is chairman and CEO of Koch Industries, Inc. He's the author of "The Science of Success: How Market-Based Management Built the World's Largest Private Company" (Wiley, 2007).