Doing Evil: Koch Edition, 1

Why the Shrinking Republican Party Could Kill Liberals | The Big Slice:

Two years ago, in a move that barely made headlines – even to those of us who follow these sorts of things – the Koch brothers’ older half, Charles Koch, bought the Florida State University Economics Department. What does this mean for this 64th ranked economics school in the country? It means that Florida’s taxpayers are no longer paying for a balanced education. As with the worst in private educational institutions, they are paying for an agenda.

The deal came at a price. Koch has veto power over all hires. He has ability to control the curriculum – including requiring the reading of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged,” the modern libertarian’s bible.

Of course, the ramifications go far beyond the state of Florida. The Koch funded Florida State School of Economics will soon unleash a new batch of economists and people who will help mold the nation’s economic policies for generations to come.

We are witnessing the collapse of a party. The leaders of the Republican party are ideologues. It has devolved from a party of relatively pragmatic people to an unholy marriage of evangelicalism and libertarianism. Some, like Paul Ryan, are somehow able to pay lip service to both...