On the phallacy of change: Oil interests in politics
Just like the Republicans, the Democrats have done their part to help big oil companies make mega profits at the expense of working people. It is well known that Bush and co. are oil men and women, but this is not unique. Oil money has seeped into many hands in Washington, those in power have returned the favour.
Even the “environmentalist” Al Gore has played his part. During the Clinton/Gore years the largest act of privatization by the federal government took place when the Department of Energy sold 47,000 acres of the Elk Hill oil reserve to the energy company Occidental. The sale of the publicly owned oil reserve to a private company came after five years of lobbying, with Clinton and Gore pushing for Elk Hills to be sold as part of their 1995 “Reinventing Government” initiative, despite a recommendation against privatization by the National Academy of Public Administration. Gore served on the board of directors of the private company hired to assess the sale’s environmental impact and at the time controlled $500,000 of Occidental stock. After the sale, Occidental’s stock shot up by 10 percent, netting hefty gains for Mr. Gore.
In addition, oil companies have not made payments of at least $10 billion in royalties for the right to drill on public land. This began under Clinton and has continued and been compounded under Bush. Whistleblowers in the Department of the Interior have reported intimidation at attempts to rectify this situation from within the department.
So can we expect anything to change now that Bush is on the way out and the Democrats seem poised to take the reins of power? Obama opportunistically and demagogically poses as an opponent of big business. For example, earlier this year he appeared in a TV ad stating: “I’m Barack Obama. I don’t take money from oil companies or Washington lobbyists, and I won’t let them block change anymore…”
As it happens, ever since 1907, federal law has prohibitted corporations from contributing directly to federal candidates – making his statement technically true of all the candidates. Nevertheless, they receive millions from big oil on the campaign trail and then serve corporate interests once in office. What Obama fails to mention is that, while he has received no money directly from corporations, he has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from top executives of oil companies in the form of individual contributions. George Kaiser, the chairman of Oklahoma-based Kaiser-Francis Oil Co., ranks 68th on the Forbes list of world billionaires, and is listed on Obama’s web site as having raised between $50,000 and $100,000 for the candidate. He has also received contributions from “individuals” at ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron and BP. All in all, he has taken in more than $213,000 from “individuals” in the oil and gas industry alone.
Obama, seen by many as a candidate of “diversity,” also equally respects the funding he has received from those in the nuclear power industry. For example, the executives and employees of Illinois-based Exelon have contributed at least $227,000 to Obama’s campaigns for the United States Senate and now for President. Two top Exelon officials, Frank M. Clark, executive vice president, and John W. Rogers Jr., a director, are among his largest fund raisers.
Of course, working people can expect no more from McCain. Although he has said: “I am very angry, frankly, at the oil companies,” he takes their money just the same, to the tune of $720,613. Big oil is clearly hedging their bets in order to ensure their interests are represented no matter which party wins the Presidency. [16.7.08, Shane Jones, Socialist Appeal USA]
Libellés : Politique, États-Unis
par Borges à 11:29
