2.) To get the truth, you often have to go "into the bowels of government where the really good sources are," maverick investigative journalist Izzy Stone once said. "They're the best kind of source."
Izzy Stone; Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
It's of course the height of cynicism, but in the world of U.S. politics, that's just business as usual. We just have to be careful not to be dupes of orchestrated PR campaigns and ALWAYS follow the money and primary source documents and sources. Wouldn't we all be a lot better off if we all did that as a citizenry? I'm not 100% sure, but I think so.
In the case of this specific story, there was plenty of money to follow, and I'll be honest -- it was a fun story to work on because of that.
JB: I'm glad someone's having a good time with it. Has this story grown legs yet? And if so, what do the rest of the participants in the Climate Talks think about American actions? Talk about zero credibility!
SH: You know, I have some work to do in so far as that goes. I've yet to show it to civil society groups and NGOs headquartered in the Global South, but I think their reaction would be something along the lines of "Yep, same old, same old from Captain America."
As far as growing legs, not really. I mean, it's gotten some play in the world of alternative media on networks like The Real News Network and on the independent radio circuit, but it hasn't been touched by environmental NGOs within the U.S. or the U.S. print mainstream media. But that's nothing new, I must say, for the stories I tend to write.
Zero credibility? I guess that depends on who you ask, but I tend to agree with that conclusion!
JB: Anything you'd like to add before we wrap this up, at least for now?
SH: This, we must discuss, in a broader context. In other words, this wasn't the only Christmas gift Obama gave the oil and gas industry while the broader U.S. population was popping champagne bottles and celebrating the impending new year.
JB: No? I'm not at all sure I want to hear this, Steve....
SH: Ha! Well for example, he also handed the industry a repeal of the oil export ban. The expedited pipeline permitting story might seem dreary, but by comparison oil exports is probably even more cynical in that it unfolded in true "House of Cards" fashion.
Among the promoters of that provision in the broader budget bill: the solar and wind industries, which got their own tax credits and incentives out of it. The lobbyists for the solar and wind industries on that one included a former top-level staffer for U.S. Sen. John Boehner (R-OH) named David Schnittger and former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) and his former chief-of-staff David Hoppe (who now works as chief-of-staff for Majority Leader and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin). Lott and Schnittger also lobby for Shell, one of the myriad companies that lobbied for a repeal of the oil export ban.
Trent Lott; Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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