Tar Sands Pipeline Protests, Arrests Continue at White House (Video) *Cherri Foytlin warns: Big Oil will own you*

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Cherri Foytlin issues Big Oil warning

Tar Sands Pipeline Civil Disobedience Continues Tar Sands Action is reporting that 322 have now been arrested at the White House in Washington, D.C. during the historic protest against the Tar Sands Pipeline. The protest is from August 20 through September 3. American citizens continue to speak out, sit in, and be arrested for civil disobedience. Cherri Foytlin, who stood up to BP during and after the BP Gulf Oil Spill arrived at the White House to speak and be arrested. Ms. Foytlin's passion and determination are an inspiration to all who are fed up with Big Oil systematically destroying ecosystems, people, and communities through legal manipulation and outright illegal, criminal action. A video of her speaking and being arrested at the White House is below.

Citizens stand up to Big Oil

Photo Credit: Ben Powless

Stand Up to Big Oil. Yes, YOU!

Sign the Tar Sands Action online petition here!

Tell President Obama: No to Keystone XL:

"The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and instead focus on developing safe, clean energy."
See the photos of the protests and arrests at the White House here.

Cherri Foytlin: Lessons From the Gulf Coast Gulf coast resident Cherri Foytlin returns to DC to join the Tar Sands Action and share her cautionary tale of Big Oil's impact on the region. Ms. Foytlin argues the trade-offs between Big Oil jobs and damage are not worth it. "I'm here to protect the people who are going to be affected by this pipeline. We've seen it can be devastating to a community and our environment is not worth a few bucks and a few jobs in the here and now". Foytlin warned the potentially affected people and communities that if there is a spill or accident on the proposed Tar Sands Pipeline, "First they (Big Oil) are going to come in and lie to you and tell you that it is far less oil than it is. They (Big Oil) will own the response, will own the science, will own your health care, and they will own whether or not you get compensated. If you don't believe me, living in the Gulf (of Mexico), then you can ask the people living at the Kalamazoo River in Michigan, you can ask the people of Valdez, Alaska, you can ask the people of Laurel, Montana, you can ask the people of Ecuador, you can ask the people of Nigeria, or where there are 200 to 300 oil spills a year around the world." Foytlin add, "They (Big Oil) always say there are going to be jobs created, but my point is that the trade-off is not enough. Once you sell-out like that, once you give it away, they (Big Oil) take it all. It's not about jobs, it's about life. That's the most important thing. It bothers me."

Leslie Englehart standing up to Big Oil

Photo Credit: Josh Lopez

Tar Sands Action

Tell President Obama:

No to Keystone XL

MEDIA ADVISORY - Tar Sands Action
Aug 25, 2011
Pipeline Protestors Will Chant “Yes We Can” at White House this Morning; 50 More Arrests Expected

Voices: Aaron Viles, director of Healthy Gulf; Sherri Foytlin, iconic voice of BP disaster; and Bill McKibben, environmentalist spearheading the protest.
WASHINGTON, DC - Over 50 more people are expected to be arrested in front of the White House today as part of an ongoing protest to push President Obama to deny the permit for a proposed oil pipeline. This morning, participants will continue to sharpen their focus on President Obama. Chants of “Yes We Can” and “Fired Up, Ready to Go!” have increased a the White House this week, as Americans from the around the country come to Washington, DC to push the President many voted for to stand up to Big Oil.
Where: Lafeyette Park, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
When: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Visuals: Over 50 people arrested in-front of the White House with “Yes We Can / Stop the Pipeline” Banners and more. Spokespeople at the protest today include a number of Gulf Coast residents, who have seen first hand the damage an oil spill can cause, will be at the White House to warn fellow Americans of the dangers posed by the Keystone XL. The proposed pipeline could cause a BP style oil disaster in America’ heartland, directly over the Ogallala Aquifer, a source of drinking water for over 20 million people. Aaron Viles, the director of Healthy Gulf, is one of the leaders of the Gulf delegation to the protest and will be available for interviews beginning at 10:30 AM in Lafeyette Park across from the White House. He has appeared on CNN, the PBS NewsHour, NBC News, CNBC, to speak about ongoing efforts to clean up the damage done by the BP disaster.

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Tar Sands Pipeline: Game Over for the Climate (Video) *Protests & arrests continue at White House*

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Tar Sands Pipeline protesters at White House, and being arrested, in August 2011

Largest Civil Disobedience Protest in the Environmental Movement in Decades Bill McKibben of Tar Sands Action spoke on Countdown with Keith Olbermann this week. President Obama can approve or disapprove the Keystone XL pipeline without consulting Congress. The protests against the pipeline are confront the oil industry, "the most powerful, profitable industry on the planet". The issue has become nationalized, not just people affected along the pipeline route. People from all 50 states are coming to Washington, D.C. to get arrested. The momentum is beginning to shift, which assists in persuading President Obama to disapprove the pipeline. McKibben says Obama has not done anything transformative for the environment yet in his term and this is his opportunity. The pipeline is "risky in transmission" and will have spills. Even if the oil makes it to the Gulf Coast, "that's just that more oil to spill into the atmosphere" and "that's just game over for the climate".

Stand Up to Big Oil. Yes, YOU! Sign the Tar Sands Action online petition here!

Tell President Obama: No to Keystone XL

"The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and instead focus on developing safe, clean energy."

Activist Bill McKibben on Why the Tar Sands Pipeline is 'Game Over' for the Climate For a fourth straight day outside the White House, environmentalists were arrested for peacefully protesting a pipeline that would carry acidic crude oil from Western Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. Environmentalist and author Bill McKibben, who spent the weekend with fellow demonstrators in a Washington jail, discusses the the success of the protest and the shortcomings of Obama's environmental policy with Keith. McKibben echoes the warning from NASA's Jim Hansen that if the Tar Sands project goes forward it will be "essentially game over for the climate." The last of the video is cut off, the transcript is:
McKIBBEN: Well, you know, you're going to have to - some people are going to have to build the pipeline. The State Department, in its analysis, estimates a few thousand jobs, about 800 or 900 of them for people along the pipeline route. But, of course that's dwarfed by the number of people who would be employed turning to the wind and the sun, if we decide that we are no longer going to allow our addiction to oil to grow, that we are not going to find one more vein in, you know, to exploit. Instead, we are going to make the beginning of what, as you pointed out, will be a long and difficult transition off of fossil fuel. But as long as we keep pumping to the ground every barrel we can find, then we will never make that transition. And it's that kind of transformation that Barack Obama needs to show us he will lead on.
OLBERMANN: Bill McKibben of tarsandaction.org, great. Thanks for your time, and good luck with this.
McKIBBEN: Thanks so much.
OLBERMANN: Thank you.

Tar Sands Action

Tell President Obama: No to Keystone XL

"The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and instead focus on developing safe, clean energy."

MEDIA ADVISORY - Tar Sands Action
Aug 24, 2011
Nation’s Largest Environmental Organizations Stand Together To Oppose Oil Pipeline

Over 2,000 people, including environmental leaders, scientists, and celebrities, are expected to join the two week sit-in from August 20 – September 3rd

Washington, DC - The heads of the nation’s largest environmental organizations - often at odds on the best strategy for combating climate change - released a letter today calling on President Obama to block the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would span from the tar sands of Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico. (1) As another 56 people headed to jail today in the largest civil disobedience protests in the environmental movement’s recent history (2), the leaders of groups as diverse as Greenpeace and the Environmental Defense Fund told the president, “there is not an inch of daylight between our policy position on the Keystone XL pipeline, and those of the protesters being arrested daily outside the White House.”

On an issue as complicated as climate, there will often be disagreements over tactics and goals - just recall the differences over the Senate climate bill this time last year,” said Bill McKibben, one of the organizers of the protests for tarsandsaction.org. “But there are some projects so obviously dangerous that they unify everyone, and the Keystone XL pipeline is the best example yet. ”The leaders of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Wildlife Federation, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and the Rainforest Action Network also made it clear they counted on President Obama to take decisive action to block the pipeline.

“We expect nothing less,” they said, describing the pipeline battle as “perhaps the biggest climate test you face between now and the election” and adding that denying the permit would trigger a “surge of enthusiasm from the green base that supported you so strongly in the last election. ”In their letter, the leaders cited dangers to the climate, the risks of disastrous spills and leaks, and the economic damage that will come from continued dependence on fossil fuel in their letter, concluding, “this is a terrible project. ”The civil disobedience protests - now in their fifth day, and scheduled to last through September 3 - played some role in the leaders’ decision to take a stand, though many of the organizations do not themselves engage in such protest.

“I have worked in the environmental movement since the first earth day in 1970, and this is reminding me of the spirit and unity we had back then. We are all together on this,” said Gus Speth, a founder of the NRDC in the 1970s and head of the Council on Environmental Quality under President Carter, who was among those arrested last Saturday and spent two nights in DC’s Central Cell Block. “For those of us out there in front of the White House, the best thing about this ringing statement is that the administration won’t be able to play one group off against another by making small concessions here and there,” said McKibben. “They’ve all shown that there is one way to demonstrate to the environmental base that the rhetoric of Obama’s 2008 campaign is still meaningful—and that’s to veto this pipeline. Since he can do it without even consulting Congress, this is one case where we’ll be able to see exactly how willing he is to match the rhetoric of his 2008 campaign.”

(1) The text of the letter follows:
Dear President Obama:
Many of the organizations we head do not engage in civil disobedience; some do. Regardless, speaking as individuals, we want to let you know that there is not an inch of daylight between our policy position on the Keystone Pipeline and those of the very civil protesters being arrested daily outside the White House. This is a terrible project–many of the country’s leading climate scientists have explained why in their letter last month to you. It risks many of our national treasures to leaks and spills. And it reduces incentives to make the transition to job-creating clean fuels.You have a clear shot to deny the permit, without any interference from Congress. It’s perhaps the biggest climate test you face between now and the election. If you block it, you will trigger a surge of enthusiasm from the green base that supported you so strongly in the last election. We expect nothing less.
Sincerely,
Fred Krupp, Environmental Defense Fund
Michael Brune, Sierra Club
Frances Beinecke, Natural Resources Defense Council
Phil Radford, Greenpeace
Larry Schweiger, National Wildlife Federation
Erich Pica, Friends of the Earth
Rebecca Tarbotton, Rainforest Action Network
May Boeve, 350.org
Gene Karpinski, League of Conservation Voters
Margie Alt, Environment America

(2) To date, 275 people have been arrested at the White House protesting the Keystone XL pipeline.

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Protesters Ask Obama to Stand Up to Big Oil (Videos) *Tar Sands Action activists arrested at White House*

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Tar Sands Action protesters at White House in August 2011

Stand Up to Big Oil. Yes, YOU! Sign the Tar Sands Action online petition here!

Tell President Obama: No to Keystone XL
"The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and instead focus on developing safe, clean energy."

Second Day of Arrests in Front of White House NBC is reporting, "Forty-five activists protesting a proposed oil pipeline were taken away in restraints for the second straight day by U.S. Park Police. On Sunday, a large crowd formed in Lafayette Park, rallying against the unbuilt Keystone XL pipeline. Plans call for the pipeline to stretch from the tar fields in Canada all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. The group organizing the protest, Tar Sands Action, said this pipeline is the most important decision President Obama has to make on the environment. They told News4 the protests will continue for the next two weeks. On Saturday, Park Police arrested 65 protesters. Sgt. David Schlosser said the Park Police made the arrests for the violation of White House demonstration rules. He said demonstrators are required to stay in the center portion of the sidewalk in front of the White House."

Tar Sands Action: Come Join Us! A short film capturing first day of 2-weeks of sit-ins at the White House to stop the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline. More info: http://tarsandsaction.org

Second Day of Arrests in Front of White House

Tar Sands Action

Tell President Obama: No to Keystone XL

"The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and instead focus on developing safe, clean energy."

MEDIA ADVISORY - Tar Sands Action
Aug 21, 2011
Day 2 of the Massive White House Sit-in To Pressure Obama on Key Environmental Decision

Over 2,000 people, including environmental leaders, scientists, and celebrities, are expected to join the two week sit-in from August 20 – September 3rd

WASHINGTON, DC — As activists from Day 1 of the Tar Sands protest continue to sit in jail, another wave of committed citizens are preparing to join them today. An estimated 50 people will go the White House this morning to pressure President Obama to deny the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. The controversial 1,700 mile project would carry tar sands oil from Canada to the U.S. and has become the most important environmental decision facing President Obama before the 2012 election. Over the course of two weeks, 2,000 people from all 50 states are expected to take part in the two-week sit-in.At 10:30 AM on today, the activists will gather in Lafeyette Square Park to launch the weeks of protest and then march across Pennsylvania Ave. to the White House to sit-in and risk arrest. Yesterday’s event featured notable figures such as McKibben and Gus Speth, a top environmental advisor to multiple presidents and founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Both remain in jail until Monday. A calendar of featured spokespeople and delegations from across the country is listed attarsandsaction.org/press. Who: Corporate Ethics International Campaigner Kenny Bruno, Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska, and hundreds of others. What: Day 2 of the sit-in at the White House Where: Lafeyette Square Park, facing the White House, before marching over to the White House fence. When: 10:30 AM, Sunday, August 21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Tar Sands Action
Aug 20, 2011
70 People Arrested at White House to Stop Massive Oil Pipeline
First wave of over 2,000 people expected to risk arrest over two week protest
WASHINGTON, DC — 70 people arrested from across the country were arrested today at the White House for taking part in a sit-in to pressure President Obama to deny the permit for a massive new oil pipeline. Those arrested included leading environmentalist Bill McKibben, former White House official and Yale dean Gus Speth, and gay rights activist Lt. Dan Choi. Over 2,000 more people are expected to take part in similar sit-ins at the White House every day for the next two weeks. The Park Police arrested the first protestor, a young woman from Wasilla, Alaska, at 11:30 AM this morning and were still arresting people one-by-one at 12:30 AM. (1) In what has quickly emerged as President’s biggest environmental test before the 2012 election, the Obama Administration must decide if it will grant a permit to a Canadian company, TransCanada, to allow it to build the Keystone XL, a 1,700 mile long pipeline that would carry tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada, down along the spine of the U.S. to the Gulf Coast. “It’s not the easiest thing on earth for law-abiding folk to come risk arrest. But this pipeline has emerged as the single clear test of the president’s willingness to fight for the environment,” said environmentalist and author Bill McKibben, who is spearheading the protests and was arrested this morning. “So I wore my Obama ’08 button, and I carry a great deal of hope in my heart that we will see that old Obama emerge. ”If built, the pipeline could bring as much as 900,000 barrels per day through the U.S., and put fresh water, clean air and the climate at risk. The world’s most famous climatologist, NASA’s Dr. James Hansen, wrote that if the pipeline is built and the tar sands are fully developed, it is essentially “game over” for the climate. (2) Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT-I) and celebrities Mark Ruffalo, Thom Yorke, Danny Glover, and Josh Fox and have endorsed the protest. Twenty of the nation’s top scientists also wrote a letter urging President Obama to stop the pipeline. (3) Over the next two weeks the sit-ins will feature a diverse coalition of Americans, including a large contingent of landowners and ranchers along the pipeline route. “Nebraskans are counting on President Obama to do the right thing,” said Jane Kleeb, Director of Bold Nebraska, who was at the White House to encourage protesters on Saturday. “Back home we are fighting to protect our land and water. We decided to bring that fight to the President’s doorstep because our families’ legacies, those that homesteaded the very land now threatened by a foreign oil company, are too important for us sit on the sidelines. We are acting on our values and expect our President to act as well.”

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Shell Oil Spill in the North Sea (Video) *Big Oil downplays environmental damage*

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A second leak has been discovered at the Gannet Alpha platform, managed by Shell, in the North Sea

Oil Spills from the Gannet Alpha Platform in the North Sea The Guardian in the UK is reporting, "Shell, which manages the Gannet Alpha platform just over a hundred miles east of Aberdeen, has admitted this morning that there is a second leak. The first, which was discovered last Wednesday but only confirmed on Friday, has already spilled approximately 1,300 barrels of oil into the sea, more than the amount spilled across the whole of 2009." In addition, "Green groups are worried about the impact on wildlife, and have criticised Shell for a lack of transparency."

Shell, Government Spin Machine Keeps Lid on Worst UK Oil Spill for Decade Royal Dutch Shell says there are now only two barrels of oil a day leaking from one of its North Sea rigs. But with an estimated two hundred tons having leaked into the water over 6 days, environmentalists say the clean-up could take some time. It's said to be the worst spill in British waters in more than a decade, and began last Wednesday. But it was only acknowledged by Shell two days later. Adam Ramsay from the UK-based People and Planet student organisation, thinks Shell and the government have been complicit in oil industry cover-ups for ages.

Shell North Sea Oil Spill - Live Blog

People & the Planet

A gateway to the greatest issue of our time...

the wellbeing of the growing human family as it presses

ever more heavily on the natural resources of our planet

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Corporations Versus Democracy (Video) "Why democracy only works when people are in charge"

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We the People are losing our democracy, Corporations are gaining more control

Supreme Court of the United States or of Corporations? In a previous post, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on Big Coal, Corporations, Democracy (Video) *USA democracy has been subverted*, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said of the current Supreme Court and ruling bloc, "The coherent philosophy of Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Antonin Scalia, John G. Roberts, Jr., and Clarence Thomas is one thing, the corporations always win. If it's government against an individual, the government wins. If it's corporations against the individual, the corporation wins. If it's corporations against the government, the corporation wins. Show me one exception to that in any decision written by that Supreme Court." In 2010, this ruling bloc repealed a 100-year old law and made it legal for corporations to "flood our federal political campaigns with a tsunami of money. And that is the beginning of the end."

The Story of Citizens United vs. FEC The video below explains the 2010 Supreme Court ruling defining corporations as persons and therefore granting corporations free speech via the First Amendment to the Constitution. This free speech by corporations as persons then enabled corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money in political contributions. The video provides a history and context of corporations, warns of the tyrannical effect on American democracy of this Supreme Court ruling, and how citizens lose power to corporations as a result. This Supreme Court ruling allowed corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns. Corporations can now spend millions to elect a candidate that will further their interests, which often are in direct conflict with your interests. The Supreme Court unleashed the power of corporations and is blessing this new corporatocracy in America. A corporatocracy is a political system that serves the interest of corporations. Media is controlled by corporations through advertising. Criticize or expose the advertiser and that media outlet loses revenues when the corporation withdraws advertising in retaliation. Remember, you vote and therefore contribute to the success or failure of a corporation by what you buy or do not buy from them! As a group, consumers and customers can fight against Corporate America destroying clean air, clean water, and the environment!

Humans versus Corporations versus Government Humans want good jobs, quality education, workers' rights, safe products, health care, responsible government, renewable energy, clean air, clean water, a pollution-free environment, a safe community. Corporations want profits to maximize shareholder wealth. What humans want cost money for corporations to comply with and reduces profitability in many instances. Big Oil, Big Coal, and chemical companies have weakened environmental laws, industry has weakened product safety laws and shipped jobs overseas via trade agreements, insurance companies fight against health care regulation that would threaten their profitability, and the banks, auto makers, et. al. receive bailouts, subsidies, and tax breaks. Yet extending unemployment benefits, raising taxes on corporations by eliminating tax loopholes, or raising taxes on the rich meets fierce political resistance in Congress. If you question the idea that corporations only care about profits, listen to a quarterly corporate earnings call of a publicly traded company. Google a major publicly traded corporation's "investor relations" website to see when earnings have or will be announced. Some corporations archive previous quarterly earnings conference calls. The Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer speak to and answer questions from the analysts of the major brokerages who follow that company and the stock. The ultimate and final issue is whether earnings per share 1) met expectations and 2) will increase in the future. That it's, that's the bottom line.

Mountain Seer Conclusion A corporation's ultimate goal is to maximize shareholder wealth. This should be a disclaimer at the beginning of every advertisement on television, radio, the Internet, print, etc. Advertising and marketing campaigns are propaganda first and foremost. Corporations are only concerned ultimately about customers buying their product or service. This is enhanced by a positive public image sometimes. One way to enhance this public image is through charitable contributions, but only to the extent earnings per share are not materially affected negatively. Corporations want a financial, political, tax, and economic system that maximizes their profitability and therefore shareholder wealth. This is enhanced by political contributions. The Supreme Court of the United States has given corporations carte blanche to manipulate the tax and political system through bribes, sometimes called political contributions, to politicians in the United Corporations of America, formerly known as the United States of America and the Land of the Free. Maintaining or restoring clean air, clean water, and a functioning ecosystem costs money, reduces profits, and ultimately decreases earnings per share for the shareholders. Therefore it is cheaper for corporations to evade these expenses through a variety of legal maneuvers and pass on the costs to the public and taxpayers.

The Story of Citizens United v. FEC The Story of Citizens United v. FEC, an exploration of the inordinate power that corporations exercise in our democracy.

The Story of Citizens United

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Mitt Romney Defends Corporate Tax Breaks: "Corporations Are People" (Video) "Of course they are"

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Republican Party Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney: "Corporations are people"

United Corporations of America "It is a shocking admission from a candidate-and a party-that shamelessly puts forward policies to help large corporations and the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the middle class, seniors, and students," DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a statement. CNN is reporting, "In one instance, the candidate declared "corporations are people" - a line surely to become ammunition for political opponents eager to cast Romney as a wealthy corporate raider unfamiliar with the concerns of average Americans. At times Romney sounded populist themes, at one point saying: "If we're going to turn around the economy … Let's send some citizens to Washington." And yet, in another breath, the former Massachusetts governor defended big business against high taxes. 'Corporations are people, my friend,' Romney said. 'Everything a corporation earns ultimately goes to people.'"

No Tax Increases for Corporations Romney's bizarre logic is that he is against raising taxes on people, corporations are people, therefore he is against raising taxes on corporations. In the video below that led him to his statement, "corporations are people". First he said no tax increases, then someone in the crowd yelled "corporations", implying raise corporate taxes. Then Romney made the leap to include corporations as people, as among the people in the crowd. Of course Romney has, does, and will personally be enriched from no tax increases on the wealthy and corporations. Romney receives significant funds from corporations and the wealthy whose interests he protects. MSNBC reports, "Badgered by hecklers in an appearance at the fair, Romney insisted that "corporations are people," a comment Democrats predicted would be a defining moment of his campaign. Romney, a wealthy businessman who has struggled with an aloof and elitist image as he tries for the GOP presidential nomination a second time, made the remark while outlining options for reducing the federal deficit and overhauling entitlement programs." See previous post about corporations subverting democracy, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on Big Coal, Corporations, Democracy (Video) *USA democracy has been subverted*.

Mountain Seer Conclusion Mitt Romney is the candidate supported by the United Corporations of America, formerly known as the United States of America and the Land of the Free. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks". Romney should know that Bible verse from his Mormon background. At least Romney is candid in his position of corporations versus people, corporations versus democracy and has planted his flag squarely on the corporate side. A corporation's ultimate goal is to maximize shareholder wealth. This should be a disclaimer at the beginning of every advertisement on television, radio, the Internet, print, etc. Advertising and marketing campaigns are propaganda first and foremost. Corporations are only concerned ultimately about customers buying their product or service. This is enhanced by a positive public image sometimes. One way to enhance this public image is through charitable contributions, but only to the extent earnings per share are not materially affected negatively. Corporations want a financial, political, tax, and economic system that maximizes their profitability and therefore shareholder wealth. This is enhanced by political contributions. The Supreme Court of the United States has given corporations carte blanche to manipulate the tax and political system through bribes, sometimes called political contributions, to politicians in the United Corporations of America, formerly known as the United States of America and the Land of the Free. Mitt Romney is enjoying and profiting from the massive influx of corporate cash to political campaigns via Citizens United vs. FEC ruling by the Supreme Court of the United Corporations of America. Maintaining or restoring clean air, clean water, and a functioning ecosystem costs money, reduces profits, and ultimately decreases earnings per share for the shareholders. Therefore it is cheaper for corporations to evade these expenses through a variety of legal maneuvers and pass on the costs to the public and taxpayers.

Voters Heckle Romney in Iowa Talks get tense when Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney faces angry voters during a rally in Iowa. Romney makes his "corporations are people" statements beginning at 3:23. His exact statement was, "Corporations are people, my friend. Of course they are. Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to people. Where do you think it goes?"

The Story of Citizens United

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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on Big Coal, Corporations, Democracy (Video) *USA democracy has been subverted*

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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.: "Corporations do not want democracy, they want profits."

The Last Mountain Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was on Tavis Smiley upon the release of the documentary, The Last Mountain. The Last Mountain is the story of a community that fights back to protect Coal River Mountain and stop Massey Energy from destroying it with mountaintop removal. This documentary was reviewed in a previous post: The Last Mountain: A fight for our future (Video) *Mountain Top Removal: reducing mountains to rubble*. Kennedy states, "We are cutting down the Appalachian Mountains, literally. They are blowing the tops off the mountains to get at the coal seams beneath. They detonate 2,500 tons of explosives every day and the explosive power of a Hiroshima bomb once a week."

Corporations versus Democracy Kennedy says, "Appalachia, especially West Virginia, is the template for when corporations take over a democracy. It's a company town, what they are doing is illegal. They have flattened an area larger than the State of Delaware. They have blown up the 500 biggest mountains in the State of West Virginia in the last 10 years - and it's all illegal. They've buried 2,500 miles of rivers and streams. That's illegal, you can't do it! I debated on West Virginia TV, Don Blankenship who is the head of Massey Energy [now Alpha Natural Resources], the biggest mountaintop removal company. I said to him, By your own records you had 67,000 violations of the Clean Water Act. Over the past 5 years you've had tens of thousands of violations of labor laws, mining safety laws, all these other laws. Is it possible for you to make a profit without violating the law? He said, 'no'. He said, 'These are silly laws'. So he acknowledged his company is a criminal enterprise and their business plan is to break the law and to get away with it. In order to do that, you have to subvert democracy."

Democracy Essentially Doesn't Exist in West Virginia When corporations control the political process, democracy ceases to exist. Kennedy states, "If you go to West Virginia, democracy essentially doesn't exist. If you are a property owner in the state, you have no right to stop corporations from raining boulders down onto your property, poisoning your children, poisoning your wells, drying up your streams. You don't have the right to participate in local democracy, which is the fundamental zoning laws and planning laws. In West Virginia, you can't zone out these corporate activities. The transparency has disappeared in government, which is the hallmark of democracy. The agencies which are supposed to protect the West Virginia public from these companies have become the sock-puppets, the instrumentalities for the companies they're supposed to regulate. The judiciary and virtually every public-elected official in the state has been corrupted by Big Coal. Every poll, 2/3's of the West Virginia public wants to see mountaintop removal banned, but not a single politician dares to say that in the state." See a previous post, Massey Energy Falsified Safety Records (Video) "Single most destructive coal mining company in history".

Unleashed Corporate Power West Virginia is an example of unleashed corporate power. Kennedy says, "This is what happens when corporations take over government. Big government is a threat to democracy, but a bigger threat is unleashed corporate power. The domination of government by business is called communism. The domination of business by government is called fascism. That's what you are seeing, that form of government. Our job is to walk that narrow trail in between and hold big business at bay with our right hand and big government at bay with our left, and walk that narrow trail in between, which is free market capitalism and democracy. To do that, we need an independent press." He also stated, "When corporations take over a democracy, such as West Virginia, everything becomes a commodity."

We Need An Independent Press and Informed Public An independent press watches both big government and big business. Kennedy says, "We need an independent press that stands up and speaks truth to power and informs the public. We need an informed public that can recognize all the milestones of tyranny and we don't have either of those things left in this country", that is an independent press or informed public.

There Is Hope! Kennedy quotes Martin Luther King, Jr., "Martin Luther King said the tools of advocacy are agitation, legislation, litigation, and education. I would add to that innovation. We are seeing today a wave of innovation in this country", including the media and energy system. "This is going to democratize our energy system and take it away from Big Coal", not because of legislation but because of solar and wind power. These "disruptive technologies are cascading and at a tipping point". "That gives me a tremendous amount of hope".

Mountain Seer Conclusion A corporation's ultimate goal is to maximize shareholder wealth. This should be a disclaimer at the beginning of every advertisement on television, radio, the Internet, print, etc. Advertising and marketing campaigns are propaganda first and foremost. Corporations are only concerned ultimately about customers buying their product or service. This is enhanced by a positive public image sometimes. One way to enhance this public image is through charitable contributions, but only to the extent earnings per share are not materially affected negatively. Corporations want a financial, political, tax, and economic system that maximizes their profitability and therefore shareholder wealth. This is enhanced by political contributions. The Supreme Court of the United States has given corporations carte blanche to manipulate the tax and political system through bribes, sometimes called political contributions, to politicians in the United Corporations of America, formerly known as the United States of America and the Land of the Free. Maintaining or restoring clean air, clean water, and a functioning ecosystem costs money, reduces profits, and ultimately decreases earnings per share for the shareholders. Therefore it is cheaper for corporations to evade these expenses through a variety of legal maneuvers and pass on the costs to the public and taxpayers.

Tavis Smiley: Environmental Advocate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The environmentalist, who appears in the documentary The Last Mountain about the fight over coal, discusses the lack of government transparency and shares whether elective office is in his future.

West Virginia Environment and Economy Kennedy goes on to explain. Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy [now Alpha Natural Resources] admitted to 67,000   violations of the Clean Water Act over 5 years. The West Viriginia DEP, Department of Environmental Protection, which is responsible for enforcing that law, has never given him a penny in fines. Massey Energy has thousands of other violations that other agencies. Don Blankenship has been able to disable the agencies that are supposed to implement democracy in this country. So it can be illegal under the law, but he can get away with it. His business plan is to break the law, violate the law, and get away with it. He also stated, "When corporations take over a democracy, such as West Virginia, everything becomes a commodity." Big Coal says the coal industry brings prosperity to West Virginia. Kennedy responds, "It doesn't. It's emptying West Virginia of people. It's [Big Coal} whole business plan is to depopulate the countryside. Also, they've reduced the number of miners. My father said, 'West Virginia is the richest state in the country, in natural resources, but it is almost the poorest for the people, behind Mississippi. Why is that? It's because the corporations have stolen the resources from the people in the state'.

Supreme Court of the United States or of Corporations? Kennedy says of the current Supreme Court and ruling bloc, "The coherent philosophy of Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Antonin Scalia, John G. Roberts, Jr., and Clarence Thomas is one thing, the corporations always win. If it's government against an individual, the government wins. If it's corporations against the individual, the corporation wins. If it's corporations against the government, the corporation wins. Show me one exception to that in any decision written by that Supreme Court." In 2010, this ruling bloc repealed a 100-year old law and made it legal for corporations to "flood our federal political campaigns with a tsunami of money. And that is the beginning of the end."

Biased Media and the Uninformed Public Kennedy notes that while the Supreme Court unleashed corporate power, the media and public "spent the last year talking about Charlie Sheen and Britney Spears, instead of talking about what's really about to destroy our democracy, which is this huge flood of corporate money that is going to put corporations in the driver's seat." If journalists do tell the truth, "they are branded and marginalized as being liberal just for telling the truth."

Devolution of the American Press Kennedy says the the devolution of the American Press began in 1986 when President Ronald Reagan abolished the Fairness Doctrine as a political payback to the Christian right-wing. There was a law since 1928 that said, "the airwaves belong to the public, the broadcasters can be licensed to use them but only if they use them to promote the public interest, to inform the public, to advance democracy". The other rule was to "avoid corporate consolidation, a diversity of control". This second rule was strengthened after 1944 by Congress because, "they saw what Hitler had done", taking control of the media. Kennedy adds, "Now you have 5 giant corporations that control virtually all 14,000 radio stations, all 2,200 TV stations, 80% of our newspapers, all of our billboards, and most of the large Internet content providers. You have 5 guys who are deciding what Americans hear as news. They know no longer have an obligation to serve the public interest, their only obligation is to their shareholders. They serve that obligation not by informing us, telling us the things we need to know to make rational decisions in a democracy, but by entertaining us. So they appeal to our prurient interests of sex and celebrity gossip. So we are today the best entertained, least informed people. They got rid of their investigative reporters - 85% of them lost their jobs in the last 15 years. They got rid of their foreign news bureaus.

Ignorance, Fairness Doctrine, Corporate Money "The Canadians still have a Fairness Doctrine", Kennedy compares. "Fox News can't go to Canada, it's illegal to lie on the air in Canada. So Fox News can't go there". England and Europe also have similar rules. But in America there is no longer such rules and Kennedy says, "We know a lot about Britney Spears' gradual emotional decline and we know a lot about Charlie Sheen, but we don't know much about global warming or the fact that the Appalachian Mountains essentially no longer exist. So much of the media is dependent on corporate money".

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