Koch Spin Bets We Are Stupid
I find especially distasteful efforts like this to deceive and manipulate the uninformed into participating in the destruction of their life-support systems:
This television commercial is from the astroturf group, Fueling U.S. Forward. That name itself is deceptive and manipulative, with its inherent claim on “progress.” So for the duration I’ll just refer to the group as FU. That acronym seems appropriate in light of the course of action the group has been set up to promote.
Wikipedia: “Astroturfing is the use of fake grassroots efforts that primarily focus on influencing public opinion and typically are funded by corporations and governmental entities to form opinions.”
This finds itself on the Wall of Shame here at Growth Bias Busted as an example of the storytelling that perpetuates the myth of progress from growth. The commercial puts some very pretty lipstick on this pig. Just look at the images.
The New York Times’ Hiroko Tabuchijan provided a disturbing report that details what FU is all about in Sensing Gains Ahead Under Trump, the Kochs Court Minorities. That’s right, FU is a Koch-funded effort to paint the destructive burning of fossil fuels as good for you. The message: if the price at the pump is cheaper, then that is going to fuel progress and make your life better. To hell with all the externalized costs and the longer-term consequences. The full truth, avoided by these spin doctors in the interest of boosting profits, is that continuing to burn fossil fuels will ultimately (within a few decades) make all our lives miserable.
The FU campaign is rife with such despicable spin as:
“Thankful for the fuels and innovation that make modern life possible.”
From the New York Times story:
“…Charles Drevna, president and chief executive of Fueling U.S. Forward and a former vice president at Sunoco, the company behind the Dakota Access oil pipeline, confirmed that the group was supported by Koch Industries, among other backers. ‘I am proud to help Fueling U.S. Forward promote the importance of domestic oil and natural gas to making people’s lives better,’ he said.”
We can’t expect anytime soon that capitalists like the Koch brothers and the huge companies they own will stop hammering us with spin in an effort to keep their gravy train on the tracks. While there’s no question it’s immoral, perhaps we could argue about whether they have a right to lie to us about the wonderful future ahead if we continue destroying our livable climate. But we don’t have to buy it. We would be very wise to do exactly the opposite of what this deceitful spin suggests.
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Tags: climate change, sustainability
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