# New Yorker article: Koch Brothers responsible for withdrawal from Paris Agreement **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 6, 2017, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243 "2017-06-06T02:34:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/1 "2017-06-06T02:34:03Z")
> **[On Climate, the Koch Brothers Are No Longer Covert](https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/in-the-withdrawal-from-the-paris-climate-agreement-the-koch-brothers-campaign-becomes-overt?mbid=nl_170605_Daily&CNDID=21650980&spMailingID=11189817&spUserID=MTMzMTc5Nzg4NjI4S0&spJobID=1180422353&spReportId=MTE4MDQyMjM1MwS2)** > > The Trump Administration’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord is, perhaps, the most astounding example of influence-buying in modern American political history. > [@](#): > > f there was any lingering doubt that a tiny clique of fossil-fuel barons has captured America’s energy and environmental policies, it was dispelled last week, when the Trump Administration withdrew from the Paris climate accord. Surveys showed that a majority of Americans in literally every state wanted to remain within the agreement, and news reports established that the heads of many of the country’s most successful and iconic Fortune 100 companies, from Disney to General Electric, did, too. Voters and big business were arrayed against leaving the climate agreement. Yet despite the majority’s sentiment, a tiny—and until recently, almost faceless—minority somehow prevailed. > > How this happened is no longer a secret. The answer, as the New York Times reported, on Sunday, is “a story of big political money.” It is, perhaps, the most astounding example of influence-buying in modern American political history. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/2 "2017-06-06T03:12:15Z")
“No longer a secret”??? Jane, you ignorant [Knut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Canute_and_the_waves), 🙂 You are more than 10 years late. You only needed to check PBS’s Climate of doubt (in 2008 it was more clear) to see what guys like the Kochs were doing in the open (They and the fossil fuel money are harder to pin down, but people that check the issue know that the money still supports the ignorant politicians that are almost exclusively from the Republican party). And it was not only Koch but clearly a lot of the rich people in the fossil fuel industry that were not shy of helping to get the ignorants to be elected into office. > **[Climate of Doubt | FRONTLINE](https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/climate-of-doubt/transcript/?)** > > FRONTLINE explores the massive shift in public opinion on climate change. > [@](#): > > JOHN HOCKENBERRY: Exxon stopped funding this Heartland conference and its sponsors five years ago. But that didn’t stop the broader mission of defending the free market. > > … > > TIM PHILLIPS, Pres., Americans for Prosperity: We have over 80,000 activists and donors across the country who fund AFP. > > JOHN HOCKENBERRY: [on camera] Some big donors? > > TIM PHILLIPS: Sure. You bet. We’re glad to have big donors. Absolutely. > > JOHN HOCKENBERRY: Exxon? > > TIM PHILLIPS: I wish we had more corporate support. They don’t tend to want to give to AFP very often. They think, frankly, that we’re too out there on the free market front. > > JOHN HOCKENBERRY: Koch brothers? > > TIM PHILLIPS: David Koch’s the chairman of our AFP Foundation. We’re glad to have his support. We don’t disclose the level of contributions, but we’re very proud to have their support. > > Americans for Prosperity— we’re blessed with just such a leader in our chairman, David Koch. > > JOHN HOCKENBERRY: [voice-over] With money from their oil and gas holdings, David Koch and his brother Charles, along with other powerful family foundations, have quietly become the venture capitalists of this free market ideology. > > DAVID KOCH: The American dream of free enterprise capitalism is alive and well. > > ROBERT BRULLE, Sociologist: The major funders of the climate counter-movement are ideologically-driven foundations that are very much concerned about conservative values and world views. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/3 "2017-06-06T03:16:48Z")
Has anyone noticed that the Kochs have basically bought out PBS? I swear, they sponsor about half the programs on there. And I believe they did it so this documentary, which was presumably made to be shown on PBS, would not air. IDK what they’re so upset about, because I’ve seen it, and honestly, it’s not very interesting. [http://watch.citizenkoch.com/](http://watch.citizenkoch.com/) Don’t have a link handy, but I recently saw a Twitter post which included an excerpt from a book about them which stated that as toddlers, the two oldest boys had a German nanny who, in addition to being a Nazi sympathizer, had a very draconian potty-training regimen which, as the Twitter post said, involved “forcing them to take a shit on demand” and she would give them castor oil or enemas if they couldn’t. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/4 "2017-06-06T03:47:27Z")
The top two items on the Koch agenda have been withdrawing from the Paris Accord and repealing the ACA. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/5 "2017-06-06T03:48:34Z")
IMHO they have not bought PBS, not jet :dubious:. They are a sponsor of groups like NOVA, and here I have to remember a poster that ignorantly claimed in a past discussion that since NOVA had not talked about the issue of global warming then it was not an important one. :rolleyes: In the previous discussion I searched and found that NOVA did talk about the issue, but back in the 80’s (!) but the show was almost impossible to find in the open (only clips). But more recently 1990s and 2009 there was a big reference to the issue in the _Extreme Ice_ documentary. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/G-RuvKf0H1s/maxresdefault.jpg "Extreme Ice NOVA HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-RuvKf0H1s) What I think is going on is that a lot of powerful interests have pressured groups like NOVA into not talking much about the issue, but they do on a less direct way. Did you notice how the recent documentary titles do not give a lot of information on the cause of the loss of cap ice? I mean, one could casually think that it was about extreme sports. Back then in the thread I did notice how either: 1) The sponsors pressured to change titles and the focus of the documentary changed from humans causing it to “seems like” 2) The makers of the documentary did not want to give it a title or a direct implication of the cause that would make the sponsors to become upset. In any case, it was no wonder that many viewers would end up not thinking about the causes or thinking that outfits like NOVA are not talking about it. In other settings James Balog and Richard Alley makes it more clear: the acceleration of the cap ice melting will almost certainly mean that the projections of ocean rise due to global warming will be on the high end (about more than 2 meters before the end of the century and sooner than expected) and it will be faster than was thought. > **[Time-lapse proof of extreme ice loss](https://www.ted.com/talks/james_balog_time_lapse_proof_of_extreme_ice_loss)** > > Photographer James Balog shares new image sequences from the Extreme Ice Survey, a network of time-lapse cameras recording glaciers receding at an alarming rate, some of the most vivid evidence yet of climate change. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/6 "2017-06-06T03:56:06Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > “No longer a secret”??? > > Jane, you ignorant [Knut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Canute_and_the_waves), 🙂 > > You are more than 10 years late. My main complaints about the linked piece: 1. The “oh hey who’s this now” tone of the piece, as mentioned by **GIGObuster**. 2. The fact that the author got in a plug for her book, which seems to make the whole article just an attempt at shilling. 3. There are no facts presented at all, so this really is just shilling for a book. 4. The way the author plays fast and loose with language; for instance: > [@](#): > > **Now that they have been flushed from the shadows** , the Kochs and their political operatives have proudly taken credit for obstructing the U.S. government from addressing climate change. Charles Koch, who is a hardcore libertarian, has argued that government action was only “making people’s lives worse, rather than better,” **as he put it in an interview with Fortune last year**. (bolding mine) What the fuck? “NOW that they have been flushed from the shadows…” “…as he put it in an interview with Fortune LAST YEAR”…??? 😕 TL;DR: IMO the linked article is just content-free self-righteous advertising, and it’s not very well-written. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/7 "2017-06-06T04:03:16Z")
No it is not the Koch brothers. Trump made an election promise of withdrawing from the Paris accord–and he fulfilled his promise. If in fact there were a majority of American in every state opposed to withdrawing where were they when the election was held? Remember Trump even promised to shut down the EPA. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/8 "2017-06-06T04:03:42Z")
For some reason supporters of democracy always flinch from the last. It’s not the Kochs, it’s not the Trumps, it’s not the corruptors. > [@](#): > > Phillips recounted to the Times that, after 2010, when the group spent tens of millions of dollars in campaigns aimed at defeating congressmen who wanted to take action on climate change, no Republican candidate has dared cross the Kochs on the issue again. “After that,” he said, support for renewable energy “disappeared from Republican ads. Part of that was the polling, and part of that was the visceral example of what happened to their colleagues who had done that. . . . It told the Republicans that we were serious, that we would spend some serious money against them.” If representatives are bribed or intimidated, it still comes down to the People who elect those broken men either willingly or through willing ignorance of the issues. And if money buys elections — as it must through the laws of physics — why are voters swayed by the adverts that money buys ? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/9 "2017-06-06T04:05:50Z")
As despicable as the Koch Brothers are, I think Trump withdrew because he wanted to poke Obama in the eye and stick it to those Europeans he detests. I think he was humiliated by Macron and Merkel and he still hasn’t gotten over Obama and the White House Correspondent Dinner. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/10 "2017-06-06T04:19:48Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > As despicable as the Koch Brothers are, I think Trump withdrew because he wanted to poke Obama in the eye and stick it to those Europeans he detests. I think he was humiliated by Macron and Merkel and he still hasn’t gotten over Obama and the White House Correspondent Dinner. IMHO there is no reason to think that both reasons are exclusive from each other: the support of the Kochs, and that they also knew how the ignorance of the politicians they helped elect would benefit them anyhow. [http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/donald-trump-david-bill-koch-brothers-237059](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/donald-trump-david-bill-koch-brothers-237059) I know that officially they were not supporters of Trump early, but their political front at _Americans for Prosperity_ did end up falling in line behind Trump big time and they helped Trump decisively in the close election. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/11 "2017-06-06T04:29:55Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > As despicable as the Koch Brothers are, I think Trump withdrew because he wanted to poke Obama in the eye and stick it to those Europeans he detests. I think he was humiliated by Macron and Merkel and he still hasn’t gotten over Obama and the White House Correspondent Dinner. > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I wouldn’t have thought Macron had had time to annoy El Trumpo. Still ordering new curtains for his palais… > [@GIGObuster](#): > > I know that officially they were not supporters of Trump early, but their political front at _Americans for Prosperity_ did end up falling in line behind Trump big time and they helped Trump decisively in the close election. That’s the beauty of untold millions. If Hillary had won, as was expected, they could cozy up on the grounds of having said nice things about her; if Trump won they could cozy up by letting their money do the talking. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/12 "2017-06-06T04:38:41Z")
So how is democracy doing in the USA? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/13 "2017-06-06T05:05:04Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > That’s the beauty of untold millions. If Hillary had won, as was expected, they could cozy up on the grounds of having said nice things about her; if Trump won they could cozy up by letting their money do the talking. Uh, I think you need a cite for the Kochs saying nice things about Hillary during the campaign. [http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/289931-charles-koch-its-a-blood-libel-that-ill-support-hillary](http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/289931-charles-koch-its-a-blood-libel-that-ill-support-hillary) > [@](#): > > "I want to correct a rumor that the media keeps stimulating, and that is that I am probably going to support Hillary. > > “That is a blood libel,” Koch said on Sunday afternoon. Of course regarding Trump they claimed then that they were not supporting Trump, but notice how that possibility was not a reason to scream that such idea was bloody libelous, no siree… As AFP showed in the end, they knew who was more likely to bring the goods. Either by ignorance, malice or **both** reasons coming from Trump. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/14 "2017-06-06T06:14:21Z")
I think I forgot one bit from the past discussion, one reason why the poster missed that NOVA had not talked about the issue is that in 2000 NOVA did join FRONTLINE for a special about Global Warming, called “What’s Up With The Weather?” Again if one was searching for the titles one can miss it in a search. While NOVA was involved it was shown originally AFAIK in the FRONTLINE time slot. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/15 "2017-06-06T16:25:53Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > So how is democracy doing in the USA? We’re an [Oligarchy](http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/16 "2017-06-06T16:35:26Z")
… and sliding into a kleptocracy. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/17 "2017-06-06T18:22:34Z")
Given everything else that’s been going on, and the fact that Russia is heavily reliant on carbon energy exports, one has to at least wonder if and how Russia is supporting the science deniers. I’ve never come across any serious expression in this regard, but everything is changing. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/18 "2017-06-08T19:39:36Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Has anyone noticed that the Kochs have basically bought out PBS? I swear, they sponsor about half the programs on there. > > And I believe they did it so this documentary, which was presumably made to be shown on PBS, would not air. IDK what they’re so upset about, because I’ve seen it, and honestly, it’s not very interesting. > > [http://watch.citizenkoch.com/](http://watch.citizenkoch.com/) > > Don’t have a link handy, but I recently saw a Twitter post which included an excerpt from a book about them which stated that as toddlers, the two oldest boys had a German nanny who, in addition to being a Nazi sympathizer, had a very draconian potty-training regimen which, as the Twitter post said, involved “forcing them to take a shit on demand” and she would give them castor oil or enemas if they couldn’t. > > :eek: It’s actually David Koch who is the big donor. He does it primarily because of the tax write-off. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/19 "2017-06-08T19:50:10Z")
You get a tax write-off for destroying democracy? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243/20 "2017-06-09T03:38:44Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > You get a tax write-off for destroying democracy? Only if you oil the right palms. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-yorker-article-koch-brothers-responsible-for-withdrawal-from-paris-agreement/788243.md?page=2)