tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43443872369038027382024-03-12T17:49:02.888-07:00Chevron ShillsThis blog exists to expose and keep track of Chevron's ongoing effort to obfuscate the truth and control the conversation regarding their genocide in Ecuador.FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-48883112610410567012011-11-07T11:07:00.000-08:002011-11-07T11:09:51.184-08:0018 Years of Fighting Chevron<P><P><br />You'd better have a box of Kleenex handy, 'cause this will make you cry.<br /><P><P><br /><embed wmode="transparent" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/beggujH7SaM?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="415" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false"></embed> <div style="font-size:0.9em;"><br /></div>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-57634713880687262912011-11-07T10:43:00.000-08:002011-11-07T11:00:56.102-08:00Chevron isn't the only evil in Ecuador.<P><P><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/10/07/Lesbians_Escape_From_Ecuadors_ExGay_Torture_Centers/">Lesbians Escape from Ecuador's "Ex-Gay" Torture Centers</a><br /><br />Read the above article, then <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/fiscal-general-del-estado-close-fake-clinics-that-torture-lgbt-in-order-to-cure-them">sign this petition</a> to make it stop.<br /><P><P>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-29569895546162445752011-11-01T12:01:00.000-07:002011-11-01T12:04:57.951-07:00Chevron Getting Pwned: A Look BackI never get tired of thinking about this. It's so nice to see a rotten corporation's own tools turned against it.<br /><br /><br /><embed wmode="transparent" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/ZbB1b-7JrlQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false" height="415" width="480"></embed> <div style="font-size:0.9em;"><br /> <a href="http://vodpod.com/watch/15634385-scraping-off-chevrons-greenwash">Scraping off Chevron's Greenwash</a><br /></div>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-71151111616551815782011-05-15T22:44:00.000-07:002011-05-15T22:46:24.430-07:00My Response to Chevron's "We Agree" Ad Campaign<iframe class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="415" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OFl4RZ701oc?autoplay=" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /> <br /> <P><P><BR><BR>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-90242373790977393642011-02-15T14:02:00.000-08:002011-02-15T14:11:51.856-08:00Chevron Loses in Ecuadorian Court!<a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2011%2F02%2F15%2FBU751HMTTO.DTL">Ecuadoran court slaps Chevron with $8 billion fine<br /></a><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">David R. Baker, Chronicle Staff Writer<br /><br />Tuesday, February 15, 2011<br /><br />An Ecuadoran judge today fined Chevron Corp. $8 billion in a bitter, 18-year-old lawsuit over oil-field contamination in the Amazon rain forest.<br /><br />The judgment, however, does not mark the end of the marathon court case, closely watched by environmentalists and oil executives worldwide...</span><br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br />This is way less than the plaintiffs were asking for, and Chevron will, of course, employ every dirty trick in the book to delay and avoid paying this fine, but it's still an historic victory. The war is far from over, but the good guys just won a major battle.<br /><P><P><BR><BR>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-83470947256466278652011-01-08T04:05:00.000-08:002011-01-08T13:59:49.008-08:00Ecuador mentioned in Wikileaks document<P><P>A Norwegian newspaper has revealed the following classified document, dated 30 January 2008, which pertains to Ecuador. I won't pretend to understand its significance, but here it its, for what it's worth:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.aftenposten.no/spesial/wikileaksdokumenter/article3972823.ece">ECUADOR: CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY FOCUS UNCLEAR </a><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000090<br /><br />SIPDIS<br /><br />SIPDIS<br /><br />E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2018<br /><br />TAGS: PGOV, EFIN, SNAR, KCOR, EC<br /><br />SUBJECT: ECUADOR: CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY FOCUS UNCLEAR<br /><br />REF: A. QUITO 55<br /><br />B. 07 QUITO 2580<br /><br />Classified By: Ambassador Linda Jewell for reason 1.4 (B, D)<br /><br />1. (SBU) Summary: As the Constituent Assembly reaches the<br /><br />two-month mark, members are meeting with various interest<br /><br />groups and holding private committee meetings, but have yet<br /><br />to debate publicly any constitutional language. The Assembly<br /><br />has approved six laws or other documents, including the<br /><br />controversial tax reform. President Correa´s speech to the<br /><br />Assembly marking his first year in office and the<br /><br />government´s denunciation of bribery attempts have been<br /><br />highlights. End Summary<br /><br />60 DAYS AND COUNTING<br /><br />--------------------<br /><br />2. (SBU) Since its inauguration on November 29 in<br /><br />Montecristi, the Constituent Assembly has sometimes appeared<br /><br />more interested in legislating than in drafting a new<br /><br />constitution. So far it has approved the tax reform law (Ref<br /><br />A), three "constituent mandates," and two resolutions.<br /><br />Democratic Left Assembly member and former Finance Minister<br /><br />Diego Borja explained to poloff the differences between these<br /><br />legal instruments: Laws are equivalent to those that the<br /><br />suspended Congress would approve, constituent mandates are<br /><br />approved under an expedited process and last only as long as<br /><br />the Assembly is in session, and resolutions are the<br /><br />Assembly´s internal rules.<br /><br />3. (U) The Assembly´s legislative and oversight committee is<br /><br />currently analyzing two additional bills submitted by the<br /><br />executive branch. One would regulate land transport,<br /><br />transit, and road safety. The other deals with restructuring<br /><br />management of public finances, including bringing the<br /><br />petroleum funds into the central budget.<br /><br />4. (C) Proud and Sovereign Fatherland (PAIS) political bureau<br /><br />member Augusto Barrera, who is serving as a liaison between<br /><br />the Executive and Assembly on substantive matters,<br /><br />acknowledged to the Ambassador on January 24 that each law<br /><br />the Assembly passes has a political cost. While claiming<br /><br />that 80% of past constituent assemblies in Ecuador have also<br /><br />legislated, he said the government would seek consideration<br /><br />of only a minimum number of laws, namely those necessary for<br /><br />effective governing.<br /><br />5. (SBU) The constituent mandates have addressed diverse<br /><br />topics. One approved mandate regulates salaries in the<br /><br />public sector so they do not exceed that of the President.<br /><br />It sets a monthly ceiling of $5,000, with the exception of<br /><br />personnel representing Ecuador abroad and "specific strategic<br /><br />jobs." Another mandate suspended the elections of members of<br /><br />congress representing two new provinces, Santo Domingo de los<br /><br />Tsachilas and Santa Elena, until after the official results<br /><br />SIPDIS<br /><br />of the referendum on the new constitution. Ref B described<br /><br />the first constituent (or constitutional) mandate, which<br /><br />affirmed the Assembly´s full powers.<br /><br />INTEREST GROUPS SWARM TO MONTECRISTI<br /><br />------------------------------------<br /><br />6. (C) The work of the Assembly´s nine<br /><br />constitutional-drafting committees has centered thus far<br /><br />around consultations with interest groups, plus executive and<br /><br />judicial officials, and private committee discussions. The<br /><br />committees and Assembly leadership have been besieged by<br /><br />requests for meetings on every imaginable constitutional and<br /><br />legislative topic. Several committees are also holding<br /><br />meetings outside of Montecristi to solicit citizen input in<br /><br />specific constitutional areas under their jurisdiction.<br /><br />Barrera mentioned that PAIS was struggling with how to<br /><br />balance being responsive to citizen groups with the need to<br /><br />focus on substance ) he cited a recent meeting between a<br /><br />group that believes in UFOs and the Sovereignty committee as<br /><br />an example of how things were out of control to the point of<br /><br />near absurdity.<br /><br />7. (SBU) There are indications that the committees are hard<br /><br />at work debating constitutional issues behind closed doors.<br /><br />For example, after a draft text leaked to the press, PAIS<br /><br />assembly member Betty Amores, the vice president of the<br /><br />Committee on Reform of State Structure and Institutions,<br /><br />explained during a January 22 television interview that the<br /><br />committee is contemplating a number of changes, including the<br /><br />elimination of the vice presidency and extension of the<br /><br />presidential term from four to six years. Amores stated that<br /><br />the committee had not yet reached a consensus on whether<br /><br />immediate reelection of the president would be allowed under<br /><br />the new constitution.<br /><br />8. (SBU) An encouraging sign of seriousness as well as<br /><br />open-mindedness on at least some issues, the international<br /><br />donor community has been approached for technical assistance<br /><br />in several areas, in most cases by request from ministries<br /><br />working with given committees on specific policies. USAID,<br /><br />for example, has been asked to provide technical assistance<br /><br />on several issues under review by the Environment committee.<br /><br />CORREA SPEAKS TO ASSEMBLY<br /><br />-------------------------<br /><br />9. (SBU) On January 15, President Correa delivered a speech<br /><br />to the Constituent Assembly describing his government´s<br /><br />accomplishments during his first year in office and detailing<br /><br />ambitious plans for the coming year. Perhaps harking back to<br /><br />his days as a professor, Correa spoke for more than two<br /><br />hours, accompanied by a 133-page PowerPoint presentation. A<br /><br />system for governing through seven regions was among the new<br /><br />proposals. Correa also urged amnesty for several groups<br /><br />involved in protests and release from prison of individuals<br /><br />charged with carrying small amounts of drugs as "mules."<br /><br />Some opposition Assembly members walked out at the start,<br /><br />arguing that the Constitution required that the President´s<br /><br />annual speech be delivered to the Congress, not the Assembly.<br /><br />A WEEK OF CONTROVERSY<br /><br />---------------------<br /><br />10. (SBU) Minister of Government Fernando Bustamante and<br /><br />Anticorruption National Secretary Jose Luis Cortazar<br /><br />announced January 22 that a bribery attempt in the Assembly<br /><br />had been discovered. Authorities detained Bolivar Lopez and<br /><br />Cao Lay Munoz after PAIS assembly member and former<br /><br />Anticorruption Secretariat employee Gabriel Rivas claimed<br /><br />that they had offered him USD 3 million to obtain 25 assembly<br /><br />votes against the new constitution and for re-opening<br /><br />Congress.<br /><br />11. (SBU) A video recording that is being used as evidence by<br /><br />the authorities mentions Patriotic Society Party (PSP)<br /><br />Assembly member Julio Logrono, which triggered angry<br /><br />responses from the PSP. During a press conference, Minister<br /><br />Bustamante cast blame on former PSP President Lucio<br /><br />Gutierrez, who categorically denied any involvement in the<br /><br />matter.<br /><br />COMMENT<br /><br />-------<br /><br />12. (C) Suspicions that PAIS already has a written<br /><br />constitution in its pocket continue to worry commentators,<br /><br />although PAIS leadership strongly denies it. The<br /><br />government´s investigation of acts of corruption implicated<br /><br />the second largest bloc in the Assembly, which in turn gave<br /><br />the latter ammunition to claim political persecution. With<br /><br />the perceived lack of results thus far and with corruption<br /><br />rearing its evil head, the Assembly needs to demonstrate a<br /><br />greater focus on constitution drafting if it is going to<br /><br />retain a wide measure of public support.<br /><br />JEWELL </span></blockquote><br /><P><BR><br /><br />Original article (translated into English) here:<br /><br /><a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=no&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=no&tl=en&u=http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/uriks/wikileaks/article3972469.ece">Wikileaks documents: your input, our search results</a><br /><br /><P><P><BR><BR>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-47802813325794759472010-10-20T17:58:00.000-07:002010-10-20T18:05:28.923-07:00Sorry Chevron, you just got PWNED!From Yahoo News:<br /><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101019/bs_yblog_upshot/new-chevron-we-agree-ad-campaign-hijacked-by-anti-corporate-tricksters">New Chevron ‘We Agree’ ad campaign hijacked by anti-corporate tricksters</a><br /><br />Hah, hah, hah!<br /><br />Do be sure and check out the fake Chevron site right here:<br /><br /><a href="http://chevron-weagree.com/">http://chevron-weagree.com/</a><br /><br />Hey, if Chevron can make a fake Web site like The Amazon Post, in which one of the world's most notorious polluters masquerades as a concerned corporate citizen, why shouldn't the people who actually care about the rain forest make a fake Chevron site?<br /><P><P><BR><BR>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-29305016335698447342010-10-15T23:22:00.000-07:002010-10-15T23:36:34.818-07:00Chevron's Toxic Waste Pits in ParadiseThe good folks at Amazon Watch have posted a new video on their Chevrontoxico blog, giving you an up close and personal view of the toxic sludge pits which Texaco/Chevron intentionally created in the rain forest, sludge pits that were <span style="font-style:italic;">designed</span> to pollute.<br /><br />Don't watch this video if you don't want to feel disgust and outrage:<br /><br /><a href="http://chevrontoxico.com/?utm_source=Amazon+Watch+Newsletter+and+Updates&utm_campaign=a49a3acb83-Chevron_Oct_15_2010&utm_medium=email">Chevron Toxic Waste Pit in Ecuador: Designed to Pollute</a><br /><br />If you have a YouTube account, please "like" and "favorite" the video:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaAgLkbehfI">Watch on YouTube</a><br /><br />And please share this video with folks on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, and anywhere else.<br /><br />The more we get the word out, the more weight of public opinion is brought to bear, the more Chevron will be forced to finally own up to what it's done.<br /><br /><P><P><BR><BR>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-68350624878616211832010-10-01T16:24:00.000-07:002010-10-01T16:35:07.204-07:00Order Restored in EcuadorOne day after the violent coup attempt, I am relieved to learn that Ecuador's neighbors have reopened their borders and President Correa is firmly back in control of his country.<br /><br />And as the following BBC article reveals...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11457012">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11457012</a><br /><br />...I'm not the only one who knew there was a lot more to this than cops rioting about a pay cut.<br /><br />QUOTE:<br /><br /><blockquote style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">He alleged that the uprising was not just a dispute over benefits.<br /><br />"There were lots of infiltrators, dressed as civilians, and we know where they were from," the president said.<br /><br />"The people of Lucio Gutierrez were there, provoking, inciting to violence," he added, referring to the leader of the opposition Patriotic Society Party (PSP).</blockquote><br /><br />Who wants to bet Chevron Corporation is funneling money and ideas to Gutierrez's party? I'd be shocked if they weren't.<br /><br /><p></p><p><br /><br /></p>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-40096889942481330572010-09-30T14:48:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:32:43.972-07:00Breaking News: Ecuadorian Government Under Seige!As I write these words, Ecuador is in a state of chaos, due to a violent uprising by police officers protesting the country's new austerity measures. Rebellious police have seized control of police barracks in several cities and have set up numerous roadblocks with burning tires in order to cut off access to Ecuador's capital city, Quito. Looting has been reported, and a state of martial law has been implemented in order to restore order.<br /><br />President Rafael Correa was even physically attacked and brutalized by out-of-control police officers. True to his tough nature, however, he faced down anti-government protesters, saying,<br /><div><div style="overflow: hidden; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;color:transparent;"><p><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">"If you want to kill the president, here he is! Kill me!"</span></blockquote><br /><p></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Read the whole story here:</p><p><a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/world/police-soldiers-in-ecuador-seize-airport-block-roads-in-protest-of-benefit-cuts-104088148.html">http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/world/police-soldiers-in-ecuador-seize-airport-block-roads-in-protest-of-benefit-cuts-104088148.html</a><br /></p><span><br /><p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">What does all of this mean?</span><br /></p><p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Well, I want to be the first person to publicly go on record as saying I sense the hand of Chevron working behind the scenes.</span><br /></p><p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We know Chevron is guilty of playing all manner of illegal, dirty tricks in their effort to undermine the lawsuit in Ecuador (see my previous blog entry about Chevron's attempt to recruit a Mexican journalist to spy on the plaintiffs for one small example of the company's ruthless criminality).</span><br /></p><p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We know the vast, overwhelming majority of Ecuadorians love and cherish their president, who they regard as a hero.</span><br /></p><p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We know Chevron does not like Ecuador's president at all, because he has been uncompromising in his commitment to the victims of Chevron's genocide.</span><br /></p><p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We know Chevron got the lawsuit relocated from North America to Ecuador because they felt they had a much better chance of corrupting the process and undermining the suit if they were dealing with a third world legal system, as opposed to a US court of law.</span><br /></p><p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">What, therefore, are the ramifications for the lawsuit against Chevron, if the country in which the suit is to be heard is thrown into a state of instability, chaos, and possible regime change?</span><br /></p><p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">And what wouldn't Chevron do to promote such insurrection and upheaval?</span><br /></p><p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pray for Ecuador.</span><br /></p><p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pray for her president.</span><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></span></div></div>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-56027680537313612782010-09-18T20:48:00.000-07:002010-09-18T20:55:42.185-07:00Thank You, Frog Blog!The team of artists and writers responsible for the awesome <a href="http://obituarytypo.blogspot.com/">Frog Blog</a> have given Chevron Shills some very welcome exposure by featuring my anti-Chevron cartoon art. Check it out:<br /><a href="http://obituarytypo.blogspot.com/2010/09/gocomics-reader-art-flight-suit.html"><br />http://obituarytypo.blogspot.com/2010/09/gocomics-reader-art-flight-suit.html</a><br /><br />I love how they even included my colorful <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">¡Viva</span> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Ecua</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;">dor!<br /></span></span><br />If you like Frog Blog (and how couldn't you?), do be sure to also check out their daily comic strip, <a href="http://www.gocomics.com/frogapplause">Frog Applause</a>.<br /><P><P><BR><BR>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-72047961574315398642010-09-18T20:37:00.000-07:002010-09-18T23:08:14.561-07:00Chevron Attempts to Bribe Journalist to Spy on EcuadoriansThere truly is no depth to which Chevron will not sink. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Atlantic</span> just published a stunning article detailing the oil company's effort to recruit a Mexican journalist to spy on the plaintiffs in the Ecuadorian lawsuit and "dig up dirt" on them.<br /><br />Read all about it here, and prepare to be outraged:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.chevroninecuador.com/2010/08/chevron-tries-to-bribe-journalist-to.html">http://www.chevroninecuador.com/2010/08/chevron-tries-to-bribe-journalist-to.html</a><br /><P><P><BR><BR>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-31203960719205083372010-09-08T19:19:00.000-07:002010-09-08T19:44:37.904-07:00More Lies and Law-Breaking from ChevronChevron, which is one of California's biggest polluters, is at this very moment using well-paid lobbyists to try and gain an exemption from state environmental laws for the rebuilding of its notorious Richmond refinery.<br /><br />Listen to KQED radio's report on the situation right here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqed.org/a/kqednews/R201009081730/a">http://www.kqed.org/a/kqednews/R201009081730/a</a><br /><br />Or read all about it at the San Jose Mercury News:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_16018970?IADID">http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_16018970?IADID</a><br /><br /><br />A highlight from the article:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">"The courts have said, 'You didn't follow the law. You are going to be polluting communities a whole lot more than you are disclosing," said Tina Andolina, legislative director for the Planning and Conservation League, a Sacramento environmental group. "This company broke the law, and now they are coming to ask for an exemption to the law they broke."</span></span></blockquote><br /><br />Chevron's shills will inevitably be posting pro-Chevron comments on both of the pages I've linked to, so I encourage you to visit both pages and post your feelings about Chevron's criminality and the genocide in Ecuador.<br /><br />Thank you.<br /><P><P><br><br>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-85811810622284223052010-07-19T23:16:00.000-07:002010-07-20T00:30:31.658-07:00The Amazon Post's Sickening LiesFor a while now I've been meaning to mention Chevron's primary shill site, <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Amazon Post</span>.<br /><br />Originally, The Amazon Post masqueraded as an impartial information source, purporting to tell the truth about Chevron's genocide in Ecuador. Anybody searching the Web might find themselves reading The Amazon Post, and it would only be when they got to the bottom of the page that they <span style="font-style: italic;">might</span> happen to notice the fine print stating that the site represented the views of Chevron employees.<br /><br />More recently, the phrase <span style="font-style: italic;">"Chevron's views and opinions on the Ecuador lawsuit"</span> has appeared at the top of the page. I can only assume that the site's original, more deceptive configuration did not test well with focus groups.<br /><br />Anyway, I just popped over to The Amazon Post to make sure I was getting its URL right so that I could link to it here. I hadn't meant to actually read any of their disingenuous content, but the following shameful blog post immediately jumped right out at me:<br /><br /><a href="http://theamazonpost.com/news/amazon-defense-front-exploits-ecuadorian-hardship-in-gulf-publicity-stunt">Amazon Defense Front Exploits Ecuadorian Hardship in Gulf Publicity Stunt</a><br /><br />Chevron's blogger writes, <blockquote style="font-style: italic;">"A recent delegation led by the Amazon Defense Front traveled to Louisiana in attempt to draw a parallel between a lawsuit backed by U.S. trial lawyers against Chevron and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.<br /><br />There is no question that the people of Oriente face difficulties. However, there is no valid comparison with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the trial that is currently taking place in Ecuador. It is disappointing that the Amazon Defense Front (the named financial beneficiary in the Ecuador trial) and its supporters would take advantage of the people of the Gulf and their tragedy in an attempt to legitimize their fraudulent lawsuit against Chevron..."</blockquote><br />And that's just the first two paragraphs. To see a major American corporation engaging in such a blatant and extreme distortion of the truth is truly chilling. This reality-distorting spin reminds me of exactly the type of galling dishonesty exhibited by shills for the Chinese government when they're trying to justify their continued occupation of Tibet.<br /><br />It reminds me of the propaganda employed by the National Socialists against the Jews in the years leading up to World War II.<br /><br />For the truth regarding the Ecuadorian mission to Louisiana, please refer to my previous blog entry, or get the straight dope from a <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> unbiased news source (Public Radio International) right here:<br /><a href="http://www.theworld.org/2010/07/14/ecuadorians-share-lessons-for-battling-oil-companies-with-louisiana-tribes/"><br />Ecuadorians Share Lessons for Battling Oil Companies with Louisiana Tribes</a><br /><br />This is a photo a friend of mine took during a recent visit to Ecuador. Seen here is a caregiver walking on the grounds of an orphanage with one of the countless children whose parents have died as a direct result of Texaco/Chevron's poisoning of the Ecuadorian rain forest:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TEVHZpiaRuI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/XPeL8dmGDf0/s1600/climbyhuggy2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 348px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TEVHZpiaRuI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/XPeL8dmGDf0/s400/climbyhuggy2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495877426248042210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is who Chevron is calling a liar.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo credit: Mary "Grassroots Girl" B.</span><br /><p></p><p><br /><br /><br /></p>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-394353589423653492010-07-14T15:07:00.000-07:002010-07-15T14:02:08.878-07:00Thank you, Public Radio International!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TD42F92glpI/AAAAAAAAAQw/t3tVKMDuqAo/s1600/oil1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TD42F92glpI/AAAAAAAAAQw/t3tVKMDuqAo/s400/oil1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493888071569020562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I was just listening to Public Radio International's <span style="font-style: italic;">The World</span> and was pleasantly surprised to hear them discussing the disaster in Ecuador and interviewing the lead plaintiff in the suit against Chevron! Go here and click "download mp3" to hear the piece for yourself:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theworld.org/2010/07/14/ecuadorians-share-lessons-for-battling-oil-companies-with-louisiana-tribes/">Ecuadorians Share Lessons for Battling Oil Companies</a><br /><br />It was deeply moving, and quite horrifying, to hear the man's account of what happened when oil company personnel showed up in his village in 1963. He explains that his people had never seen helicopters before, and initially fled into the jungle, thinking some type of strange ghost had arrived.<br /><br />He goes on to describe the oil company cutting down the trees which were sacred to his people. It's like a scene right out of the film "Avatar."<br /><br />Then he explains that his people had never seen oil before, and that when they asked the oil company employees if the oil flowing into the river which provided their drinking water was dangerous, they were told that it was not only perfectly safe, but that it had medicinal properties, and could be used to treat a wide variety of illnesses!<br /><br />This is mind-boggling to me. Why would anybody deliberately mis-inform the villagers? Were they intentionally trying to kill these people? Was it all just a big, funny practical joke to them?<br /><br />"Hey, get a load of this: I just told them dumb sonsabitches that drinking oil was good for 'em, and they believed me!"<br /><br />Because of what was done to their families and to their rain forest home, some Ecuadorians have concluded that God is dead.<br /><br />I don't think God is dead, but I do suspect He's very angry.<br /><p></p><p><br /><br /><br /></p>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-77151133271315641972010-07-11T16:30:00.000-07:002010-07-12T21:39:03.614-07:00A Chevron Executive Tours Ecuador<span style="font-style: italic;">Please click on each panel to enlarge for maximum readability.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TDpU9S6mgTI/AAAAAAAAAQo/agP8w-tewn8/s1600/Page_1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TDpU9S6mgTI/AAAAAAAAAQo/agP8w-tewn8/s400/Page_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492796107558125874" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TDpU0GSLQKI/AAAAAAAAAQg/lJEROU850dI/s1600/Page_2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TDpU0GSLQKI/AAAAAAAAAQg/lJEROU850dI/s400/Page_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492795949548519586" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TDpUr55ayfI/AAAAAAAAAQY/D5ZGqiu-750/s1600/Page_3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TDpUr55ayfI/AAAAAAAAAQY/D5ZGqiu-750/s400/Page_3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492795808784501234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TDpUTcC7vfI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/4hY3SLRQgso/s1600/Page_4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TDpUTcC7vfI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/4hY3SLRQgso/s400/Page_4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492795388454485490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Correction: The 700 Billion Gallon figure <span style="font-weight: bold;">IS</span> accurate, but it refers to the total amount of toxic waste (oil plus chemicals plus contaminated water), as opposed to just oil.</span><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /><br /></p>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-5403904499334622382010-07-09T23:46:00.000-07:002010-07-10T00:00:57.307-07:00Don't Get Gagged!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TDgZPf0zakI/AAAAAAAAAQI/hGOSyR6GDEY/s1600/chevronballgag.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TDgZPf0zakI/AAAAAAAAAQI/hGOSyR6GDEY/s400/chevronballgag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492167499610024514" border="0" /></a><br /><p><br />Here's a little something I created in Photoshop to illustrate the Orwellian level of control which Chevron currently exerts over the public discourse regarding their destruction of the Amazon rain forest.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >This Photoshop manipulation is based on a Wikimedia Commons image, and is being used under the GNU Free Documentation License. The original image can be found at <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ball_gag1.jpg">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ball_gag1.jpg</a> and is the work of JBC Productions/Aussie Rope Works <a href="http://www.aussieropeworks.com/">http://www.aussieropeworks.com/</a></span><br /></p><p></p><p><br /><br /></p>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-66150817420124297772010-07-06T21:02:00.000-07:002010-07-06T21:14:41.322-07:00Why We Fight<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TDP-cz8Ki3I/AAAAAAAAAQA/C-1RjxaQTMQ/s1600/musician.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 195px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TDP-cz8Ki3I/AAAAAAAAAQA/C-1RjxaQTMQ/s400/musician.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491012141627116402" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is a resident of the rain forest, recently photographed in Quito (Ecuador's capital). He commutes with his family from the rain forest to the city in order to play music on the streets. He is one of the Quechua, and the woman who took this photograph is worried these people won't be around much longer.<br /><br />The photographer told me that when you look into the eyes of a rain forest native, it is as if something indescribably ancient and vast is looking back at you.<br /><br />"When you look at somebody like this," she said, "you feel as if you're looking at a unicorn."<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Photo credit: Mary "Grassroots Girl" B.</span><br /><br /><P><P><bR><BR>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-48948529969859331302010-07-06T02:26:00.000-07:002010-07-06T02:30:09.019-07:00Numbers<span style="font-weight:bold;">280</span>: Chevron's yearly profit, in billions, USD.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">40</span>: Percentage of Chevron's public relations budget currently devoted to social networking sites such as <span style="font-style:italic;">Facebook</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">Twitter</span>.<br /><P><P><BR><BR>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-47083182958619793682010-07-05T22:30:00.000-07:002010-08-09T18:14:01.364-07:00Horrifying Fact of the Day<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ecuador's Sacha Sur tribe used to number over fifteen thousand. Today there are about three hundred of them, less than two percent.</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">*</span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><br />When your pockets are as deep as Chevron's, you can afford to wait out most anything. Delay court proceedings long enough, and eventually the people suing you will die off. Especially if you've made them sick with cancer.<br /><br />Here's a story about one such person:<br /><br /><a href="http://chevrontoxico.com/news-and-multimedia/2006/1115-mother-who-testified-about-chevron-rainforest-trial-dies-of-cancer-.html">Mother of Three Dies of Cancer</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">*</span></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Correction: I've just been informed that the actual number of surviving Sacha Sur is 200, not 300.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Just to put those numbers in perspective, if we were talking about an animal species rather than a human tribe, this is the category that the Sacha Sur would be placed in:</span><br /><blockquote style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Critically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations."</span></blockquote><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The only category between this one and Extinction is "Extinct in the Wild."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Source:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critically_Endangered">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critically_Endangered</a><br /><p></p><p><br /><br /></p>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-88000264399236112742010-07-03T20:11:00.000-07:002010-07-03T20:32:27.803-07:00The Word "Echo Chamber" Comes to MindHere is aptly-named, know-nothing blogger Jeff Poor, toeing Chevron's party line:<br /><br /><a href="http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2009/10/12/ny-times-plays-photo-tricks-condemn-chevron-ecuador-dispute">NewsBusters.org article</a><br /><br />I almost hesitate to link to this sort of material, because every time you link to something, you're helping its Google ranking. It's important, however, to expose just how pervasive and repugnant this type of Chevron shilling is.<br /><br />Look at the comments people have posted on the guy's essay; he really is in an echo chamber, preaching to the converted, telling them exactly what they want to hear.<br /><br />I find it deeply troubling that so many angry conservatives on the Web have chosen to view this as the "liberal media" and dirty poor people (Spanish speaking ones, no less) trying to exploit an innocent American corporation.<br /><br />The fantasy these free-market neo-conservatives have bought into is that corporations are inherently virtuous, that attempting to make a buck is a fundamentally noble endeavor, and that greed really is good.<br /><br />I miss William F. Buckley, but perhaps it's a blessing that he's not alive to see how these idiots are destroying the conservative movement.<br /><P><P><br><BR>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-14981799403561604702010-07-03T15:18:00.000-07:002010-07-03T16:03:45.641-07:00Enemy MineAlthough this blog's chief purpose is to expose Chevron's covert shills, no discussion of this topic would be complete without a mention of Chevron's Über-Shill, Justin H. I do give him credit for being completely truthful about the fact that he is a Chevron spokesperson, but that's where Justin's truth-telling begins and ends. Here are just a few of the footprints Justin's left on the Web:<br /><br /><a href="http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/chevron%E2%80%99s-mess-in-the-amazon/">Justin commenting on The Pump Handle blog</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/han-shan/oil-giant-chevron-accused_b_368076.html">Justin attempts to undermine HuffPo blogger Han Shan</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Chevron_Justinh?action=comments">Justin's many comments on various Huffington Post articles</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.renewable-energy-news.info/chevron-announces-renewable-energy-investment/">Justin commenting on Green Energy News</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">An Open Letter to Justin H of Chevron:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Dear Justin,<br /><br />You may not believe this, but there's a lot that I like about you. I admire your rhetorical skills. I like that you understand the subtle art of lying with facts. You're <span style="font-weight:bold;">good</span> at this.<br /><br />Real good.<br /><br />But you're doing wrong.<br /><br />You know this.<br /><br />You know it in your bones.<br /><br />You know it in the quiet moments when it's just you looking in the mirror. You'll know this many years from now when you're retired, living comfortably off the wealth you built shilling for Chevron.<br /><br />I have faith in you Justin, faith that you truly <span style="font-weight:bold;">do</span> know these things, because you're not a dumb guy. To do what you do every day, I can only assume that you must have to force yourself to disconnect from your own heart and your inner sense of what's right, much in the same way that a streetwalker has to stuff her feelings in order to prostitute herself.<br /><br />Is this what you want to be known for, Justin? When you look back on your life, are you going to say, <span style="font-weight:bold;">"I sure am glad I did such an effective job helping Chevron avoid its responsibilities?"</span><br /><br />Of course not, Justin.<br /><br />You're better than that.<br /><br />Join us.<br /><br />We can't offer you the money and power that Chevron can.<br /><br />We can only offer our friendship and support. You'll need these things when you finally do begin the hard work of setting the record straight.<br /><br />Join us Justin, and find out what it feels like to be a hero instead of a villain.<br /><br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Brendan "FlightSuit" B</span><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-21916876306256008622010-07-03T13:51:00.000-07:002010-07-03T14:02:23.901-07:00Why We FightA few weeks ago, a good friend of mine journeyed to Ecuador to do some volunteer work with the latest generation of children orphaned as a result of Chevron's refusal to clean up after itself. She could not help but fall in love with these little humans as they climbed all over her. Since climbing and hugging was one of their chief activities, she came to think of them as the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Climby Huggies</span>. This is what a Climby Huggy looks like:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TC-krvh8EiI/AAAAAAAAAP4/fvCI7X2H3dk/s1600/climbyhuggy.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FbAz_Ycoav4/TC-krvh8EiI/AAAAAAAAAP4/fvCI7X2H3dk/s400/climbyhuggy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489787542188069410" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Photo credit: Mary "Grassroots Girl" B.</span><br /><P><P><BR><BR>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4344387236903802738.post-68354229795531812542010-07-03T13:39:00.000-07:002010-07-03T16:28:31.094-07:00Don't Believe the TripeHello, and welcome to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chevron Shills</span>. I'm starting this blog as a resource to keep track of the various canned comments which Chevron's paid supporters are posting everywhere on the Web. They do this as part of Chevron's well-funded, ongoing campaign to control the conversation about their destruction of the Amazon rain forest and de facto murder of Ecuador's indigenous peoples.<br /><br />Whenever this topic comes up on any public message board, forum, blog, news site, Twitter or Facebook page, it is inevitable that Chevron's shills come out of the woodwork, pretending to innocently offer an alternative view.<br /><br />They're easy to spot, because they always hit the same talking points. When "Joe from Arkansas," "Betty in Des Moines," and "Larry in SF" are posting on three different message boards, and all three posts contain, verbatim, the words, <span style="font-weight: bold;">"I saw the documentary <span style="font-style: italic;">Crude</span> and was outraged by what I learned, but then I did some research and now I feel I've been duped..."</span> well, it's pretty obvious that Joe, Betty, and Larry are all the same person, using different screen names to create the false impression that Chevron enjoys massive, grassroots support.<br /><br />When you see examples of this sort of blatant, dishonest shilling, please submit links and/or screen shots to <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">formerlyflightsuit at gmail dot com</span></span> so they can be listed here. It is my hope that this blog will become a resource you can use when fighting the shills.<br /><br />That way, the next time you see "Bertha in Big Bend" posing as a concerned citizen and spreading Chevron's propaganda, you'll be able to post a reply saying, <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Gee, it's funny that you claim to be Bertha in Big Bend, spontaneously offering these thoughts just off the top of your head, because, according to the </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Chevron Shills</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> blog, you have posted the exact same words under several different names on several different Web sites. Here's a link..."</span><br /><br /><br /><br />Thank you, and...<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">¡Viva</span> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Ecua</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;">dor!<br /></span></span><br /><p></p><p><br /><br /></p>FlightSuithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18424355892619234956noreply@blogger.com1