Episode · Behind the Bastards · 2018-08-14
Books mentioned on Part One: Charles Koch: The Luke Skywalker of Rich People
In Episode 17, Robert is joined by the hilarious Ever Mainard and they discuss Charles Koch, who despite being born into impossible fortune came to believe that he and his fellow rich people were the most discriminated class in America.
Robert Evans discussed Dark Money by Jane Mayer, Sons of Wichita by Daniel Schulman, Tribe by Sebastian Junger, Mutual Aid by Peter Kropotkin and others, and The Libertarian Reader by David Boaz.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
-
Dark Money
Dark Money by Jane Mayer is a landmark investigative work exposing the hidden networks of billionaires and secretive funding channels behind the rise of the radical right in American politics.
Discussed“She wrote a book Dark Money in 2016 that delved into their past and the network of billionaire influencers they assembled to change American politics.”
Where to get it
-
Sons of Wichita
Sons of Wichita by Daniel Schulman is an investigative biography that delves into the complex, fiercely private family dynamics and multi-billion-dollar empire built by the Koch family.
Discussed“According to the 2014 book Sons of Wichita, Fred became convinced that a global war between capitalism and socialism was inevitable.”
Where to get it
-
Tribe
Tribe by Sebastian Junger is a reflective examination of social cohesion, community, and the psychological impacts of modern isolation compared to traditional societies.
Discussed“I'm just going to read an unrelated passage from the book Tribe by famed war correspondent Sebastian Junger that just happens to talk about what occurs when children are separated from their parents at a young age too often.”
Where to get it
-
Mutual Aid
Mutual Aid by Peter Kropotkin is a foundational anarchist text arguing that cooperation and mutual support, rather than strict competition, are the primary drivers of evolution and human society.
Discussed“I'm quoting here from a pamphlet you can find online called What the [ __ ] Is Mutual Aid. Quote, "Through mutual aid, anarchism takes shape as a practice in care, exchanging resources and solidarity, information, support, even comfort, care, and understanding. People give what they can and get what they need."”
Where to get it
-
The Libertarian Reader
Discussed“So in 1978 he contributed an article to the Libertarian Reader. To give you an idea of the intellectual tenor of this publication an ad on the second page is titled let's hear it for the first amendment while we still can.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“In addition to being overbearing, she was a fervent Nazi sympathizer, who frequently touted Hitler's virtues. Dressed in a starched white uniform and pointed nurse's hat, she arrived with a stash of gruesome German children's books, including the Victorian classic, Der Struwwelpeter”
“So we'll be getting into all of that and as well as how Charles Koch wound up getting some people killed through regulatory [ __ ] and and a bunch of other fun stuff including some quotations from the libertarian reader and some articles Charles wrote for that.”