And now comes this lawsuit as their real backup plan. Because keep in mind, President Obama remains a strong advocate of the TPP, in defiance of his supporters (or should we say "former" supporters), and this just opens the back door even wider to jam this disaster in the making of a pipeline through, regardless of his official Keystone XL decision.
JB: You're painting a pretty outrageous picture, PEN.
PEN: The sheer arrogance of these corporate monsters is demonstrated by their legal complaint where they argue, and get this, that President Obama's rejection of their pipeline application was merely a "symbolic gesture," aimed at placating environmental activists. Of course, in their eyes the president of the United States is just a symbolic figurehead, with no more actual executive power than a Wal-Mart greeter, and that for all practical purposes in their view ALL real political power lies in the hands of the corporate business elites, just the way the Citizens United Supreme Court decision intended.
JB: So, where does that leave us?
PEN: By the way, we are making dramatic strides in fighting back against that, too. In Washington State, we and others helped to collect 337,000 petition signatures to get the question of overturning Citizens United on the state ballot there, delivering those petitions just this month. And in California, that state's supreme court just ruled that the state legislature DID have the constitutional right to put this same question on the California ballot, as it tried to do for the last election, and we will be reviving that fight there.
JB: 337,000 signers in Washington State alone; that's fantastic!
PEN: The singular point is this: While manipulating the legal system to set up secret star chambers (same as "kangaroo" courts), run by appointed corporate lobbyists themselves, to bend the people to their will against our interests by legal extortion, you can be very sure that when total calamity strikes, they will scurry behind the protection of the corporate immunity they are also building into this thing.
In short, they can sue us for damages based on their fantasy of lost "anticipated profits." But when they do grave harm by their irresponsible corporate greed, we'll have some fat chance of recouping any meaningful damages from aquifers polluted for all eternity that can never be restored. Or perhaps you would prefer drinking from the Flint River (the most recent environmental disaster news), with every child there permanently damaged by lead poisoning.
JB: A bunch of lousy choices, to be sure. But now what? How long do we have to stop the TPP? And how much is the word getting out about all this? Is the mainstream media reporting it adequately? It seems like people would be outraged if they only knew what's afoot.
PEN: Well, thank you for doing your own part as a valiant activist by publishing this very interview.
JB: You're welcome. But hosting and posting this interview seems like very small potatoes in the larger scheme of things.
PEN: It's all cumulative. When each of us speaks out in every small way we can, collectively we ARE the mass media.
Legally, pursuant to the Fast Track bill, which never should have been passed in the first place, President Obama could submit the actual TPP implementing bill as soon as February 5th. The good news is that we have already raised such a ruckus in terms of political pressure that it may be difficult for members of Congress who voted for Fast Track to perpetuate this outrage. So, the upshot of all this is that it is URGENT that we CONTINUE to speak out against the TPP, and here is the action page we are using for this purpose.
Stop TPP Action Page: http://www.peaceteam.net/stop_tpp.php
When you submit the action page, from the return page you can also request one of "Expressway To Trade Hell: TPP" bumper stickers, and we'll send one for no charge, not even shipping, just by submitting the form. Of course, if you can make a contribution of any amount, this is what makes it possible for us to send free stickers to anyone who can't make a donation right now.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
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