One half of the well-known Koch brothers caused a stir in the political world recently. A published Washington Post article reveals some of Charles Koch’s viewpoints are not so different from Democratic Presidential nominee Bernie Sanders.
Much to the surprise of Bernie Sanders supporters and many others, Charles Koch has gone on to say he shares the sentiment the Presidential hopeful has concerning wealth inequality. The article quoted Koch, indicating the chief executive of Koch Industries, also believes that today’s economy primarily serves to help those already high on the financial food chain. Koch goes on to say that the financial system’s checks and balances only serves to keep a two tiers of living in place, essentially the haves and the have-nots.
There is a stir on Charles Koch’s sentiments on Bernie Sander’s political stance on inequality. But Koch goes on to discuss that there is still quite a bit that he disagrees with concerning Sander’s and his presidential campaign. Koch makes it clear that he will not be contributing funds to the nominee’s campaign. Still, the notion that someone like Charles Koch can agree with Sanders on the idea of economic inequality is still something to take notice.
Charles Koch was born in Witchita Kansas in 1935, a place he still resides. A descendent of Dutch immigrants, Koch attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he received two Masters Degrees in Science. In the early 1960’s Koch worked on the board of Rock Island Oil and Refining Company, later becoming president and renaming the company with his familial last name. To this day Koch Industries has grown exponentially, nearly generating 100 billion dollars in revenue.
While normally the stereotypical boogeyman of many a political stand point, it would seem rare for a big business figure to agree with a grass roots campaign like the Bernie Sanders movement. But such is the case as the influential Charles Koch has agreed with the philosophy Sanders has on income inequality. While Koch disagrees on several other aspects of Sanders standpoints both men share the belief that current economic system is rigged to favor the privileged over others less fortunate.