The Koch brothers have contributed nearly $50 million to organizations that deny climate change. In total, they have spent over $324 million dollars for political gain. They are undermining democracy, and the fight to establish a sustainable world for our children and grandchildren, with their dirty money.
Common Cause, which is leading the campaign to unmask the secretive brothers and their war against democracy, put it this way:
“Our take is that Americans are suffering. They’re out of jobs, losing their homes, unable to afford health care and worried about the future. Meanwhile, an elite few like the Kochs are taking tighter control of our government by tapping vast corporate profits to influence public policy…This infection of the body politic is driven by a handful of big corporations and greedy billionaires like the Koch brothers.
Be part of the cure! Help us quarantine this corporate sickness and stop it from spreading further and deeper into our democracy.“
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g78ZKT-uMs]
How do you and I boycott the Koch brothers, to hit them where it hurts them the most, in their pocket books? While their major holdings are difficult to boycott, other than promotion of clean energy and environmental laws (which is why they have been using their money to fund politicians and astroturf groups that oppose these common-sense proposals), here is a list of products that you should never buy again:
Angel Soft toilet paper
Brawny paper towels
Dixie plates, bowls, napkins and cups
Mardi Gras napkins and towels
Quilted Northern toilet paper
Soft ‘n Gentle toilet paper
Sparkle napkins
Vanity fair napkins
Zee napkins
Georgia-Pacific paper products and envelopes
All Georgia-Pacific lumber and building products, including:
Dense Armor Drywall and Decking
ToughArmor Gypsum board
Georgia pacific Plytanium Plywood
Flexrock
Densglass sheathing
G/P Industrial plasters (some products used by a lot of crafters)
FibreStrong Rim board
G/P Lam board
Blue Ribbon OSB Rated Sheathing
Blue Ribbon Sub-floor
DryGuard Enhanced OSB
Nautilus Wall Sheathing
Thermostat OSB Radiant Barrier Sheathing
Broadspan Engineered Wood Products
XJ 85 I-Joists
FireDefender Banded Cores
FireDefender FS
FireDefender Mineral Core
Hardboard and Thin MDF including Auto Hardboard
Perforated Hardboard and Thin MDF
Wood Fiberboard
Commercial Roof Fiberboard
Hushboard Sound Deadening Board
Regular Fiberboard Sheathing
Structural Fiberboard Sheathing
INVISTA Products:
COMFOREL® fiberfill
COOLMAX® fabric
CORDURA® fabric
DACRON® fiber
POLYSHIELD® resin
SOLARMAX® fabric
SOMERELLE® bedding products
STAINMASTER® carpet
SUPPLEX® fabric
TACTEL® fiber
TACTESSE® carpet fiber
TERATE® polyols
TERATHANE® polyether glycol
THERMOLITE® fabric
PHENREZ® resin
POLARGUARD® fiber and
LYCRA® fiber
For more information, go to How You Can Boycott the Kochs or find the “Boycott and Defeat the Kochs” page on Facebook – it now has nearly 18,000 members.
More links:
Go to Kochbrothersexposed.com to learn more about the Brave New Foundation’s campaign, and to become a producer by donating $25 or more.
Retail boycotts only work when the retailer is informed (a) why you’re not buying the product and (b) that you’re taking your business to another retailer. You need the retailer to get your complaint through to the manufacturer (Koch).
Okay, it took a while, but this is the response that I got from the admin of the FB page on Boycotting Koch industries:
“Christine, there are movements of people out there who are informing their retailers about their reasons for boycotting these products. My goal here on this page is to motivate ALL of you to do the same.”
Not terribly satisfactory, but I do really appreciate your perspective. I’m going to keep it mind when I chose not to buy the products. But again, just telling the clerks at the till isn’t good enough – a letter-writing campaign should be started.
Good point, MoS, I’ve posted it as a question on the Boycott Koch Facebook page. Will report back, or you could go to the page and check out the response(s), too.
The Koch brothers may be powerful, but we, consumers, have more power than they do. It’s about time we teach them a lesson they will never forget by boycotting their products. I am a public sector employee barely surviving to make ends meet, and here they are spending millions of dollars to take away the little I have. I am also a father of three with a hope to see my children grow in a healthy environment, but here are the Koch brothers fighting tooth and nail to deny my children the right to healthy living conditions.
We should all stand together and say to the Koch brothers and to the right wing ideologues they use wedges to divide the American people ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
You are absolute right, Mo.
Just keep in mind MoS’s good advice – let the retailers know exactly why you’re boycotting Koch products. Word should get back to them pretty quickly.
As a long time builder – over 40 years – I am familiar with some of their products. However, living on the west coast of Canada, I think they are quite uncommon up here. We have our own Canadian manufacturers, but I shall make a point of seeing to it that I do NOT buy anything on that list.
I have a couple of elderly American friends in Tennessee who I regularly correspond with, and I will pass this message on to them. Doubtless they are affected by the Koch brothers in some way or other, possibly without even knowing about it.
As for going against the environment…they ought to be shot, hung, drawn and quartered…not necessarily in that order.
Thx for spreading the word, Keith, that’s how these things gather steam and make an impact.
This is such an awesome effort on behalf of the “little guy”. My family and I will make a concerted effort not to buy those everyday products that have the stench of the Koch brothers all over them. I hope this movement catches on. We deserve clean air and water for our children ourselves and mankind at large. Keep up the noise.
You’re absolutely right, Lisa, we and our children deserve clean air and water. When we join together as consumers and citizens, we create a powerful “people-powered’ movement, one consumer purchase and letter to our elected representatives, and word of mouth, at a time. The Kochs don’t stand a chance!