Who Would Jesus Ex-Communicate?

Monday Agence France-Presse reported that Pope Francis denounced those getting rich through speculation in financial markets, sounding a good deal milder than Jesus did when he denounced the banksters-- as the money changers of his day are called now-- at the Temple in Jerusalem, sealing his fate. I have no doubt that if Pope Francis got as harsh as Jesus towards the banksters, he would also meet an unnatural and gruesome fate.

"It is increasingly intolerable that financial markets are shaping the destiny of peoples rather than serving their needs, or that the few derive immense wealth from financial speculation while the many are deeply burdened by the consequences," he said.

The pope, who has said he wants to create "a poor church for the poor", has frequently spoken out against the "idolatry of money" since his election last year.

The 77-year-old said "it is important that ethics once again play its due part in the world of finance" and that markets should "serve the interests of peoples and the common good of humanity."

Francis singled out speculation in agricultural markets calling it "a scandal which seriously compromises access to food on the part of the poorest members of our human family."

Many of the world's largest banks, including Barclays, Deutsche Bank and UBS, have sold off or slashed the size of their commodities businesses in the face of heavy criticism for speculating in commodities markets.

Instead, the pope called on people to put their money into ethical banks and "impact investors", who use investments to help the poor.

Yesterday, reactionaries and fascists inside the Catholic Church were calling on San Francisco Archbishop Cordileone to excommunicate Nancy Pelosi for her support of LGBT equality. I suspect the Pope wishes he could excommunicate the predatory banksters instead in the true spirit of Jesus' church. Jesus, the son of God who came to earth to denounce the kind of greed and avarice that is the core value of America's business and political elites-- the the overriding principle on which the Republican Party (as well as the New Dems) is built. Matthew 19:24:

I know just where the Pope and Jesus' followers on earth could start-- and I know because Lauren Windsor found a source at the Koch brothers latest secret conclave of godless billionaires over the weekend. She flew out there to gather additional intel for a revealing post in The Nation about the satanic conclave of 300 wealthy anti-human Devil worshipers, worth a minimum of a billion dollars each.

The highly secretive mega-donor conference, called “American Courage: Our Commitment to a Free Society,” featured a who’s who of Republican political elites. According to conference documents obtained through a source who was in attendance, Representatives Tom Cotton (AR), Cory Gardner (CO) and Jim Jordan (OH) were present, as were Senators Mitch McConnell (KY) and Marco Rubio (FL). Cotton, Gardner and McConnell are all running for the Senate this year; Jordan for re-election in the House. Rubio is widely considered a major contender for a 2016 presidential run. According to the documents, the conference attendees discussed strategy on campaign finance, climate change, healthcare, higher education and opportunities for taking control of the Senate.

…The official conference lasted two days, Sunday and Monday, but several events for top donors occurred on Saturday. According to conference documents, Representatives Tom Cotton and Jim Jordan were to join a group of top donors for a post-golf lunch discussion. A special dinner was scheduled at La Casa Pacifica—the former home of President Richard Nixon that has come to be known as “The Western White House”-- with Rich DeVos, the Amway co-founder, owner of the Orlando Magic and frequent Koch collaborator. The menu offered “oven roasted Angus natural filet mignon served in a fresh green peppercorn sauce served with braised fennel with truffle, asparagus tips, vegetable and mint quinoa” among other dishes prepared by Master Chef Maurice Brazier.

La Casa Pacifica is currently owned by Gavin Herbert, the founder of the pharmaceutical company Allergan and a Republican heavyweight. Herbert is a GOP donor and Nixon confidant, and Allergan is a major funder of the American Legislative Exchange Council, the conservative powerhouse behind model legislation that would bust unions, repeal environmental protections, require voter ID and increase access to guns and justify their use in Stand Your Ground cases.

…On the issue of campaign finance reform, Republicans argue that money equals speech and therefore regulating money in elections abridges first amendment free speech rights. The Democratic framework is that in a world where money equals speech, the rich are able to silence the poor and corrupt the political process. (Disclosure: I cover campaign finance reform extensively and work with Money Out/Voters In, a coalition of grassroots activists seeking to overturn Citizens United.)

Intriguing in its ambiguity was the “Energy: Changing the Narrative” session, presumably meant to change the narrative of climate change to one of energy independence. Panelists listed include Nancy Pfotenhauer, the president of MediaSpeak Strategies and former director of the Washington office of Koch Industries; Hubbel Relat, a former associate director of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation; and Karen Steward, the Director of Research at Freedom Partners-- none of whom are scientists. According to The Daily Beast, the Kochs are investing large sums in “a new energy initiative with what looks like a deregulatory, pro-consumer spin” to combat President Obama’s new regulations on carbon dioxide emissions and liberal billionaire Tom Steyer’s $100 million commitment to fight climate change. As the owners of a large carbon-based energy conglomerate with interests in oil, natural gas and coal, it is not hard to see why the Kochs are some of the most vocal climate deniers. In 2013, Forbes listed Koch Industries as the second largest privately held company in the country.

…A special invitation-only, small group strategy discussion called “Employee Outreach: Engaging Your Workforce in the Cause of Freedom” was also scheduled for Monday, led by Koch insiders Dale Gibbens and Philip Ellender. A previous Nation story has documented how Koch Industries politically pressured as many as 50,000 workers in the run-up to the 2010 elections.

All of this took place in the idyllic backdrop of Monarch Bay and the luxurious St. Regis resort, which boasts rooms ranging from $495 a night to unlisted amounts for its very best accommodations. Room rates offered to the conference ranged from $199 for staff to $2,000 for the Presidential Suites. Freedom Partners, the Kochs’ financing arm, coordinated the event with the cover name “T & R Annual Sales Conference” and bought out the hotel from noon on Saturday to noon on Tuesday. According to a source in attendance, Freedom Partners spent more than $870,000, which included large fees to shut down public access to the golf course, the Michael Mina restaurant Stonehill Tavern and Motif Restaurant. Attendees were responsible for their own room charges.

Security was tight from noon on Saturday throughout the remainder of the conference, with checkpoints at every entrance to the resort. At the front gate, security guards and multiple Koch employees brandishing iPads greeted incoming cars. Even more Koch employees, acting as escorts, met guests at the front door. Guests were asked to abide by a no-cell phone policy, and security was in place to enforce that policy at events.

St. Regis Monarch Bay also has residences in adjacent properties as part of the Monarch Bay Club. Owners normally have access to the hotel, but according to one, he was denied access under the pretense that the hotel had been bought out by a group of Obama supporters. (The president had delivered a commencement speech at nearby UC Irvine on Saturday).

The level of security leads one to wonder-- why such secrecy if the Koch’s initiatives really are in the best interest of the public at large? Wouldn’t everyday Americans heartily embrace new proposals to improve the economy and their government? Maybe protecting the business interests of billionaires doesn’t quite square with an American public that is still under siege by high unemployment, stagnant wages and ongoing foreclosures. This conclave of billionaires is determined to roll back Obamacare and carbon restrictions and to render the remainder of the Obama presidency ineffectual. In an America where money equals speech, Koch is king.