By Charles G. Koch
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
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.
More than 200 years ago, Thomas Jefferson warned that
this could happen. "The natural progress of things," Jefferson wrote,
"is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." He knew that
no government could possibly run citizens' lives for the better. The more
government tries to control, the greater the disaster, as shown by the current
health-care debacle. Collectivists (those who stand for government control of
the means of production and how people live their lives) promise heaven but
deliver hell. For them, the promised end justifies the means.
Instead of encouraging free and open debate,
collectivists strive to discredit and intimidate opponents. They engage in
character assassination. (I should know, as the almost daily target of their
attacks.) This is the approach that Arthur Schopenhauer described in the 19th
century, that Saul Alinsky famously advocated in the 20th, and that so many
despots have infamously practiced. Such tactics are the antithesis of what is
required for a free society—and a telltale sign that the collectivists do not
have good answers.
Rather than try to understand my vision for a free
society or accurately report the facts about Koch Industries, our critics would
have you believe we're "un-American" and trying to "rig the
system," that we're against "environmental protection" or eager
to "end workplace safety standards." These falsehoods remind me of
the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan's observation, "Everyone is entitled
to his own opinion, but not to his own facts." Here are some facts about
my philosophy and our company:
Koch companies employ 60,000 Americans, who make many
thousands of products that Americans want and need. According to government
figures, our employees and the 143,000 additional American jobs they support
generate nearly $11.7 billion in compensation and benefits. About one-third of
our U.S.-based employees are union members.
Koch employees have earned well over 700 awards for
environmental, health and safety excellence since 2009, many of them from the
Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health
Administration. EPA officials have commended us for our "commitment to a
cleaner environment" and called us "a model for other
companies."
Our refineries have consistently ranked among the best in
the nation for low per-barrel emissions. In 2012, our Total Case Incident Rate
(an important safety measure) was 67% better than a Bureau of Labor Statistics
average for peer industries. Even so, we have never rested on our laurels. We
believe there is always room for innovation and improvement.
Far from trying to rig the system, I have spent decades
opposing cronyism and all political favors, including mandates, subsidies and
protective tariffs—even when we benefit from them. I believe that cronyism is
nothing more than welfare for the rich and powerful, and should be abolished.
Koch Industries was the only major producer in the
ethanol industry to argue for the demise of the ethanol tax credit in 2011.
That government handout (which cost taxpayers billions) needlessly drove up
food and fuel prices as well as other costs for consumers—many of whom were
poor or otherwise disadvantaged. Now the mandate needs to go, so that consumers
and the marketplace are the ones who decide the future of ethanol.
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.
If more businesses (and elected officials) were to
embrace a vision of creating real value for people in a principled way, our
nation would be far better off—not just today, but for generations to come. I'm
dedicated to fighting for that vision. I'm convinced most Americans believe
it's worth fighting for, too.
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