Koch Brothers Exposed (2012)

I wanted to but couldn't!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Brilliant and touching

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

I want my two minutes back. Opinions is all I heard...negative opinions at that. I was hoping for a documentary laying out the "case" of the Koch Brothers and "exposing" them if you will...but all I got was an immediate judgment and label of the Koch Brothers being evil. Zero value in a film that starts with its own conclusion/opinion before FACTS are provided.

I forced myself to watch this entire film, to give it a chance to redeem itself. It never did. This may well be the most biased, least factual, vindictive wastes of time I've ever seen.Documentary? Aren't documentaries supposed to contain facts -- or at least purport to contain facts? I kept waiting for the film to present facts about some sinister Koch operations, but it never did. It was nothing more than a list of tenuous connections between the Kochs and organizations with which the director apparently disagrees, those taking opposing views about various social issues.Most of the film seemed to try to incense the viewer by running off on tangents discussing heated issues (school segregation, Wisconsin unions, voter ID, pollution, etc.), raising an alarm about the evil things "the opposition" advocates (supported by noting more than personal anecdotes and opinions, many by liberal luminaries, e.g. Van Jones and writers for "The Nation" magazine). After a few minutes of that, the director then suggests some dubious connections between the Koch brothers and that opposition. Q.E.D., eh?For example, they're corrupting the "integrity" of academia with $14.39 million in contributions to U.S. universities. Then a crawl lists universities receiving Koch money, fading out before its end and after showing more than 80 schools. I did the math: That's an average of, at most, $180,000 per university. Exactly how much influence at a university can one buy with $180,000? (I mean, how much is a billionaire trying, if that's the best he can do?!) ;-) But the $14.39 million figure and long list of schools are apparently supposed to outrage those who don't really think about it a bit.This is nothing but cheap, really cheap, painfully obvious and painfully insulting sensationalistic propaganda (with an annoying "high-tension strings" background soundtrack throughout the ENTIRE thing). It looks like a freshman advocacy journalism film project. I can't call it manipulative, since it's SO transparent.Voiced in the film: Criticisms of the Kochs: they're rich; they hold a political philosophy (an evil "libertarian agenda"!) different from the filmmaker; they support organizations that advocate their political philosophy (as if people with different views DON'T do the same?); they're very rich; they've contributed over $500 million to cancer research, but other people are STILL at risk for cancer (caused by Koch Industries, probably); they wouldn't grant interviews in response to requests like, "We'd like to talk to you about why you want to take away our voting rights." (Duh!); they're very, VERY rich.Even if you want to hate the Koch brothers, you'll be disappointed that this film gives you NOTHING as far as ammunition to support your stand. Just pitiful. Don't waste your time!

I'm familiar with Greenwald's work and this is the second "documentary" of his I've seen. While it's been some time since I viewed, "Wal-Mart, The High Cost of Low Prices", this investigation of the elusive Koch brothers has little balance in presentation. Regardless of whatever the Kochs are accused of, there is no side of their argument presented whatsoever. Barring this, there is little historical evidence to base the Koch's alleged political motivations. What is presented, and clearly there's evidence there, is done so snarky that it is embarrassing. Hiring a voice actor to portray a Koch gives the film its sole comedic moment, but this hardly serves us and puts pressure on Scott Walker, not the Kochs. All we have to go on is the motivations of father Fred Koch, who in turn informs the brothers' industrial / political adventures, and even this evidence has an air of hearsay. Little is said of and by lesser-known and assumed estranged brother William, who could have shed much more light on his brothers' activities. Despite the obvious rift between the brothers as documented in the film, this Koch brother seems to have aspirations not far removed from his more noteworthy siblings. Attempts to get the Kochs themselves to defend themselves before the camera comes off as a dumb stunt relegated to the end credits.Therefore, if you prefer one-sided character assassinations, go for this one. Me, I prefer a balanced approach that rewards the viewer with a richer understanding of whatever the subject is and how it seems to influence our lives. With much of the content existing in "... Exposed" intact and more of the Koch's side of the equation delved into we'd get a far more satisfying, true documentary. This video screams "shockumentary" that poisons the art and form of documentary filmmaking.Pros: Short'n'Sweet; preaches to the choir, if you like this sort of thing; an investigation into the Kochs is warranted, but; Cons: this ain't it. One-sided echo chamber it accuses the Koch machine of; asks us to follow the money - examples? Not enough historical reference or insiders to give us a fuller understanding of Koch motivations; too short and far incomplete Net: Unconvincing argument to accuse the Kochs of being active democratic subversivesDisclaimer: Not a Koch follower or supporter, I simply wished to know about these guys, wanted a documentary and got a butter sandwich instead. There's plenty of Koch-type characters to go around today, who are they, what makes them tick?

Is it Poetic Justice or just plain irony that one of the billionaires polluting the planet contracts Cancer? It's not the Outcome that matters, it seems, but the INcome... Mother Earth as a Cash Cow has been systematically milked dry, and we're all going to foot the bill for it in The End (which probably ain't that far off). Watching the slow but inevitable (and agonizing) demise of the people "at the end of the line" should serve as a reminder to ALL of us that NONE of us are, to coin a phrase, mere "collateral damage." (I refer you to the COLLATERAL MURDER footage...) The solution to pollution is really quite simple: anyone who pollutes the Land, Air or Sea should be sentenced to spend the remainder of his/her days right in the middle of the mess they've made. At least that way, things'd work out all around. (And to think that the Kochs were originally backed by Soviet money... Shades of Nit Romney's Bain Capital start-up money, gotten from Right Wing murder squad funders, or Karl Rove's laundering of Chinese triad money through political moneymen like Shel Addelson...)