Doug DeVos is endorsing a new book, which tells us exactly what he really believes in

As a subscriber to Doug DeVos’ online journal Believe, I received weekly insights into what matters most to the DeVos family and their circle of Capitalist Class friends.

In a recent post Doug DeVos writes:

I recently had the opportunity to join Charles and Chase Koch for the unveiling of their new book, Becoming a Principle-Driven Leader: 41 Principles to Build an Enduring Business.

Hearing them share the stories behind these principles, tested and refined across six decades of building one of the most enduring businesses in the world, was genuinely inspiring.

Wow, the Charles and Chase Koch book sounds like an amazing read……sarcasm dripping.

Look, regardless of what the actual content of their book says, I tend to judge people’s actions more than their words. The Koch family certainly has engaged in lots of actions that we can look at, both in terms of how they have made their money and their influence in public policy.

Charles and David (now deceased) Koch built one of the largest privately held companies in the world. The Kochs have built and bankrolled a powerful network of foundations, think tanks, and politically active organizations that also influence elections and policy.

Charles Koch took over his father’s Rock Island Oil and Refinery Company, becoming president and chairman in 1967 and renaming it Koch Industries. Since then, the company’s revenues grew from just over $100 million to over $100 billion in recent years.

The Koch family has a long history of collaborating with far right groups, such as the John Birch Society in the 1960s, but then decided to create their own groups that had a more focused emphasis on promoting and expanding Capitalism as the driving force in all aspects of society.

In 1994, the Koch brothers created the American Legislative Exchange Council, often referred to as (ALEC). According to Source Watch, ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC’s operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy’s ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our ExposedbyCMD.org site

Since at least 2006, the Kochs have hosted semi-annual meetings for wealthy right-wing donors. While these Koch network gatherings are carefully guarded, occasional leaked documents and recordings have revealed that they include “titans of industry — from health insurance companies, oil executives, Wall Street investors, and real estate tycoons — working together with conservative journalists and Republican operatives,” as well as prominent public officials, including members of Congress, state governors, and even Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia.The meetings involve fundraising, reportedly in the millions of dollars, as well as discussions about political strategy.

The Kochs also created Dark Money groups to funnel money to political candidates throughout the country and have spent countless millions to influence elections. It is no wonder that Doug DeVos thinks highly of Charles and Chase Koch, since the DeVos family has followed a similar path.

Locally, the Koch family has partnered with the DeVos family on several projects. During the 2020 Covid pandemic one of the Koch family groups Stand Together partnered with the DeVos family and one of their front groups AmplifyGR to offer some restricted relief funds for families in the Boston Square area. I say restricted since here was the criteria for receiving financial relief:

• A registered address in the Oakdale/Boston Square, Madison Square or northern Garfield Park neighborhoods
• Recently became unemployed or laid off,
• Had an annual household income $50,000 or less before being laid off
• Worked at a business with 250 employees or less.

In a more recent example the Koch created group Stand Together is part of the Thrive and Prosper group. Thrive and Prosper is just the latest iteration of the talent development and entrepreneurial pipeline that will allow a small sector of the local population to make money and be successful. The problem with this tired old approach is that it is just another manifestation of Capitalism 101, where given the right opportunity, you too can be financially successful.

You can see exactly why Doug DeVos is endorsing the Koch book, since both both families embraced a version of leadership where those with deep pockets get to expand their wealth, then use their vast sums of money to influence elections and get the kind of public policies that maintains the wealth gap. Needless to say I am not recommending that you read the book, Becoming a Principle-Driven Leader. Instead, you should consider organizing in your community to fight against the like of the Koch and DeVos families.