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In his WSJ op-ed, Charles Koch condemns collectivism, unless it’s the collectivism inherent in Kochism.

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When you’re wealthy enough to buy the U.S. government, it stands to reason that you can hire someone to write an op-ed to tell America about the dangers of conformity and that great evil, collectivism.

If you have a room temperature IQ you might nod affirmatively as you read the warnings about collectivism in Charles Koch’s WSJ op-ed.

Ironically, the general thrust of Koch’s op-ed is an argument for collectivism and conformity to Koch’s ideology. In short, he argues that individualism means conforming to his ideas, while collectivism is challenging or disagreeing with him on any single point. Wow, talk about newspeak on steroids!

If you have seen the Koch-funded Tea Party in action, the first thing you notice is how collectivist they are. They may not look the same or sound the same, but they’re always spouting the same pre-approved message on each and every policy. A failure to follow the collective message or follow it sufficiently is punishable by Tea Party challenge or the fear of fears for women like Renee Ellmers, a really bad picture of you is published on a right wing website.

If you see their policies in action, they are the polar opposite of Koch’s stated belief in individual liberty. The Tea Party supports vote suppression, as do belief tanks and organizations like ALEC, all of which have financial support from the Koch brothers. In practice, this means the Koch brothers believe certain powerful people will decide who will govern and shape the policies that you must live under. Namely, they believe that individual liberty in politics is a privilege limited to propertied white men. That’s the polar opposite of individual liberty.

The Tea Party also believes that government must make the most basic decisions for women in the areas of healthcare and family planning. These are the same people that believe a corporation has a right to impose its religious (and political) beliefs on their employees.

Then there’s the individualism that children are taught in the Charter Schools that supposedly counter the evils of collectivism.

Rmuse has written prolifically on the sort of liberating dogma these Charter Schools program kids to believe in. A while back, I wrote about the ideology loyalty oaths that parents and children must sign and comply with in those freedom loving Charter Schools.

It’s also worth noting that compliance with the dogma doesn’t end with the ability to recite it verbatim in a test. Students must also look and play the part of conforming to the sort of individualism in which you look, sound and share the exact same interests and beliefs as everyone else. Failure to do so can and does result in suspension, expulsion and other disciplinary measures.

In February, Todd Nichols was punished with indefinite suspension and recommended expulsion. His crime? Todd’s mother took a photo of him in which he raised his thumb, index and middle fingers in the air. Since Todd is black, school officials decide he must be a gang member. According to Todd and his parents, the raised three fingers were to signify the number 3, Todd’s number on his football jersey. Apparently, this is something that white boys who play football also do and by the looks of it, is something that those great lovers of individual liberty believe only white boys should be free to do.

Last month, eight year old Sunnie Kahle, was suspended from her “Christian” Charter School in Virginia for the crime of having a short hair-cut, wearing pants and liking sports. In other words, she didn’t conform to the school’s image of what a girl should look like, wear or be interested in.

The school fired Sunnie as a student in a letter to her grandmother.

You’re probably aware that Timberlake Christian School is a religious, Bible believing institution providing education in a distinctly Christian environment,”Doris Thompson, Sunnie’s grandmother, read from the letter to ABC 27. “We believe that unless Sunnie as well as her family clearly understand that God has made her female and her dress and behavior need to follow suit with her God-ordained indentity, that TCS is not the best place for her future education.

Now, Sunnie is attending a public school, a school that wouldn’t exist in Charles Koch’s vision of a “free” society that respects its citizens. Sunnie attends that public school because the Charter School she would prefer to attend didn’t respect her as an individual.

Supporting the cancer survivors in your life with meaningful gestures is also frowned upon.

Nine-year-old, Kamryn Renfro was expelled from her school in Colorado because she shaved her head to support a friend who has cancer. The reason given was that her shaved head violated the school dress code, which is designed to assure uniformity and prevent distraction in the classroom. Fortunately, upon learning the facts, school officials reinstated Kamryn.

Michigan High School Student, Mike Barker was banned from participating in team sports at his Michigan high school because he had a pink Mohawk. Context is needed here. Mike’s mother has breast cancer and the pink Mohawk was his way of supporting his mother. Mike’s school’s objection wasn’t with the Mohawk, but with the color that symbolizes breast cancer awareness.

Conforming to any individual’s belief system is the polar opposite of individualism. Using gender and racial stereotypes to punish students teaches children the polar opposite of individual liberty. As far as I’m concern Koch can take his idea of freedom and bleep it.

Image: Unikoke