Protesting Koch Brothers, but the Problem is Capitalism.

http://www.alternet.org/story/149546/angry_progressive_coalition_to_protest_billionaire_gathering_hosted_by_koch_brothers,_major_tea_party_funders

I just read the piece linked to above by Don Hazen at AlterNet. The title was:
"Angry Progressive Coalition to Protest Billionaire Gathering Hosted by
Koch Brothers, Major Tea Party Funders,"
and in short, it said that "progressives are planning a huge event to raise awareness about the Kochs and their billionaire cronies, and peacefully marching to give an alternative to their hard-right agenda."

I'm all for protesting these individuals and highlighting the actions of any who are engaging in such socially reckless behavior, but I would like to take this opportunity to point out the structural nature of this "Koch Brothers" problem.

Blaming greedy individuals can be somewhat satisfying when one feels powerless to change things, but even if the Koch brothers were to magically disappear tomorrow, the class relations that give rise to the "role" that they play is still in place. As Marx so brilliantly pointed out, the "coercive laws of competition" will lead any individual in the role of the capitalist to behave in such a manner. Even the nicest man or woman in the world is coerced into working in their personal class interest (seeking maximum profit) once they occupy the role of capitalist; otherwise they won't remain a capitalist for very long. The bottom line is always the bottom line and if you are not working toward this end the shareholders will give you the boot and replace you with someone who will.

The economic incentive is always there for capitalists to behave in whatever manner furthers their insatiable appetite for profit, which is why economic and social reforms are always under attack. The problem is even more complex because the capitalist not only has the incentive to destroy democratic measures to protect workers and the environment, but he/she has the monetary means to actually do so. This effectively makes democracy an empty word in a capitalist economic system.

So long as capitalist relations continue exist, a tremendously conscious and politically active working class is required just to maintain any form of civilization that does not slip into barbarism. This is the job of socialists; to provide a political alternative and a framework within which a movement to engage in this necessary class struggle can be carried out as well as to highlight the structural nature of our problems. While the hearts of our progressive and "liberal" brothers and sisters are in the right place, little will change until they realize that only fundamental (radical) changes to the political/economic system can eliminate the coercive social relations that create "Kochs" and foster so much inequality and violence.