Just recently the Koch brothers threw a big bash. It was held with tight security. However, Charles Koch had to crow about the number of the USA's richest who have contributed to their cause. It contains a list of indeed some of the most influential people all on the right in present day United States.
The Koch brothers for anyone who doesn't know are completely opposite to Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. The Koch's really believe that their money is theirs and the money of the poor and middle class is also theirs in the form of great tax cuts. The fact that these "rob the poor to pay the rich" Bush tax cuts have been disastrous goes right over their heads.
Being heavily into the oil industry the Koch's fund climate change denying groups and they also virtually own the Tea Party.
Contrast this with the richest people in France and Germany (some of them anyway) who really believe that the pain of cutbacks should be shared equally.
William Shirer, in his excellent history "The Collapse of the Third Republic" pointed out that it was in part the selfishness and venality of France's richest that led to the moral and physical bankruptcy of France before and during World War II.
Here in BC the people have just defeated a "Robin Hood in reverse" scheme in the shape of the HST.
A warning here - in the spirit of the Koch brothers, they will be back! You can be sure of that!
Dennis Peacock
Clearwater, B.C.