Phuck Philanthropists

The New Yorker article about the Koch brothers calls them philanthropists. Apparently a philanthropist is an obscenely rich person who distributes some crumbs on a whim to whatever museum or theater they'd like to be associated with in some way, because they don't have an inspired or creative bone in their bodies, so they buy whatever bullshit recognition they crave. I remember when Joan Kroc, third wife of Ray Kroc, died they were literally gushing on the nightly news about her philanthropy and it made my skin crawl. Joan Kroc married into a fortune that was made off of the backs of exploited workers who were underpaid, mistreated, with no benefits, and I am not just talking about McDonald's workers but all of the workers in the numerous industries McDonald's negatively influenced (beef, potato--read Fast Food Nation). The fortune that Joan Kroc doled out on a whim while no doubt basking in praise should never have been hers to dole out, it should have been more fairly distributed amongst all of the aforementioned workers in the form of better pay, better working conditions, and some goddamn benefits. To me this seems like common fucking sense! I don't begrudge the Krocs getting rich, but that rich? And that way? And then to be praised as a philanthropist when she mercifully croaks? It's nauseating. This is why mainstream journalism in America is such a joke, they always miss the real story and fall for the bullshit facade. So phuck philanthropists, these fortunes should not have been amassed but more evenly distributed in the first place. Call me a socialist, I'm not afraid of that label.