Charles Koch: 'I'm Fighting to Restore a Free Society...'

At WSJ, "Instead of welcoming free debate, collectivists engage in character assassination":

I have devoted most of my life to understanding the principles that enable people to improve their lives. It is those principles—the principles of a free society—that have shaped my life, my family, our company and America itself.

Unfortunately, the fundamental concepts of dignity, respect, equality before the law and personal freedom are under attack by the nation's own government. That's why, if we want to restore a free society and create greater well-being and opportunity for all Americans, we have no choice but to fight for those principles. I have been doing so for more than 50 years, primarily through educational efforts. It was only in the past decade that I realized the need to also engage in the political process.

A truly free society is based on a vision of respect for people and what they value. In a truly free society, any business that disrespects its customers will fail, and deserves to do so. The same should be true of any government that disrespects its citizens. The central belief and fatal conceit of the current administration is that you are incapable of running your own life, but those in power are capable of running it for you. This is the essence of big government and collectivism....

Instead of fostering a system that enables people to help themselves, America is now saddled with a system that destroys value, raises costs, hinders innovation and relegates millions of citizens to a life of poverty, dependency and hopelessness. This is what happens when elected officials believe that people's lives are better run by politicians and regulators than by the people themselves. Those in power fail to see that more government means less liberty, and liberty is the essence of what it means to be American. Love of liberty is the American ideal...

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Interesting timing in light of today's ruling in McCutcheon.

Perhaps Mr. Koch was all ready to go with the op-ed in expectation of the Court's decision. Either way, the leftists are howling. Here's the headline at the (ironically billionaire-backed) Think Progress, "How The Supreme Court Just Legalized Money Laundering By Rich Campaign Donors." And the no-surprise headline from Politico, "Democrats bash SCOTUS ruling."

Right. Democrats are collectivists who oppose free speech, want to control people's lives, and advocate the expansion of government to give more power to leftist bureaucrats and regressive politicos. They're un-American and depraved.