Will Potter's Blog, page 33

Utne Reader Reviews Green Is the New Red

Utne Reader featured Green Is the New Red in the latest issue, calling it "a thoughtfully alarming examination of the U.S. government's post-9/11 domestic terror probes."

You can read the full review over at Utne. And you can also order a copy here!

KPFK's Sonali Kolhatkar Interviews Author Will Potter (Video)

When I was in Los Angeles on book tour, I had the pleasure of visiting the KPFK studio and speaking with Sonali Kolhatkar. It was an interesting discussion about the power of language, and how corporations are re-writing the law. Thanks to Sonali, Martina and everyone at KPFK for the opportunity! Video below…

Grist Interview with Will Potter: Environmentalists Under Attack

Grist.org is featuring a discussion I had with Robert Jensen, who is a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Citizens of the Empire (among many books). I think the interview turned out really well, and is particularly relevant in the wake of Tim DeChristopher's sentencing. I hope you'll check it out. You can read the full interview on Grist, and here's an excerpt:

Q. Whatever one thinks of the specific analyses or tactics of groups such as the Earth Liberation Front, the accelerating pace of ecological collapse suggests their call to consciousness about the larger living world is more important than ever. After your investigation into the Green Scare, what is your assessment of the likelihood the culture will listen?

A. As the scale of the ecological crisis we are facing becomes more apparent, and as the backlash against social movements that are challenging our self-destructive culture intensifies, it is difficult to not feel dark, to feel helpless. I certainly feel that way quite often — not just because of the content of my own work, but from the near-blackout in the mainstream press. Unfortunately, I do not see any of this changing anytime soon. As the ecological crisis accelerates, the accompanying crackdown by corporations and people in power will intensify as well. The people who have the most to lose will cling desperately to that culture as it is threatened, and this includes not just CEOs but much of the overwhelmingly privileged United States and so-called First World.

After all of that, this will probably sound quite odd, but in the face of this I would argue that there are reasons to be inspired. Through my work, and in particular through book and media tours, I have been fortunate to meet people all over the country from diverse backgrounds. What has been striking to me is that, even if people are unfamiliar with the Green Scare or the targeting of political activists, they are rarely surprised. People may not know the specifics, but they know that corporations have more power than people. They know the scope of ecological destruction is increasing. They know we have no choice but to change but that people in power will not change willingly. I'm not convinced that the question at hand is whether or not the culture will listen, because I think that so many people already feel this. I think the question is: Will we find the courage to be heard?

Tim DeChristopher Received Longer Sentence Than People Who Burned Churches and Threatened Black Leaders

Environmentalist Tim DeChristopher has received a longer prison sentence for non-violent civil disobedience than people who have burned churches, threatened African-American leaders, and plotted to kill people.

DeChristopher was sentenced to two years in prison today for disrupting an illegal oil and gas lease auction. Meanwhile:

Yesterday (and also in Utah), a man who set fire to two Mormon churches was sentenced to probation.
A Massachusetts a man who mailed letters threatening to burn black churches and NAACP headquarters was sentenced to 15 months. In his letters he said: "I do not like African-American or minorities in charge as supervisors of my security department at Novartis, nor I like them as President of the United States… For that I am going to burn down your offices just let you know how I feel. What right does some black person [have] to be in charge of me."
A Salt Lake City woman who defrauded clients of about $300,000 (comparable to the loss of profits that DeChristopher caused oil and gas corporations) was sentenced to 15 months.
A former FBI agent was sentenced to two years in prison for planning to assassinate an FBI official.

These examples aren't isolated instances. They can be mixed and matched with countless others. The point, as we have seen consistently, is that people who break the law in order to stop an injustice, who break the law in order to make the world even the slightest bit better, are met with disproportionate penalties compared to those who break the law for greed, hatred and revenge.

And of course, the disparity becomes even more extreme if we also consider the criminal activities of corporations– including the corporations DeChristopher protested, and the corporations which lobbied for him to receive a harsh sentence.

As Jamie Henn of 350.org tweeted recently: "Wall Street wrecked the economy & got billions in bail. Tim stood up for his beliefs and gets 2 years in jail."

Tim DeChristopher Sentenced — What's Next for the Environmental Movement?

Environmentalist Tim DeChristopher was sentenced to two years in prison for using non-violent civil disobedience to disrupt a sham oil and gas auction. He had been found guilty on two felony counts for making fake bids in the auction, costing corporations hundreds of thousands of dollars, and faced up to ten years.

He increased the bids on 22,000 acres of land in Utah national parks. A federal judge later ruled the auction was illegal.

DeChristopher's case has attracted international attention, and he has become a spokesperson for the environmental movement. This case is much bigger than DeChristopher, though (as he has often said himself). We all need to be thinking: what's next? How do we move forward?

Even if you do not consider yourself an environmentalist, or don't agree with DeChristopher's tactics, this case should raise serious questions about the misplaced priorities of our government and our entire culture. DeChristopher's two-year sentence is comparable to what members of underground groups have received for property destruction. The court has sent the message that public, aboveground activists, who use non-violent civil disobedience, will be treated on par with underground activists who use economic sabotage.

More importantly, though, the government has sent the message that the people who step forward to stop ecological destruction will be met with harsh punishments, while those who responsible for this destruction, such as the oil and gas corporations bidding for public lands, will go about business as usual.

As the judge said during sentencing: "Civil disobedience can't be the order of the day," or it will lead to "chaos."

But chaos for who? For the people? For the planet? Or for corporations?

This case, and the larger crackdown on the environmental movement, makes strikingly clear that the government is more concerned about the latter. As defense attorney Ron Yengich said: "We never impose the rule of law on people who steal from poor people, destroy the banking systems or destroy the earth."

Moving forward, we need to remember one thing above all else: this is happening because DeChristopher was effective.

DeChristopher's actions exposed what goes on inside sham corporate auctions, it cost corporations hundreds of thousands of dollars, and it galvanized the movement.

At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Dee Benson said that DeChristopher's leadership in the environmental movement, his "continuing trail of statements" for civil disobedience, and his speech outside the courthouse were the reasons he faced prison time.

The judge went so far as to take the unusual step of having DeChristopher taken into custody of the U.S. Marshalls until his prison sentence begins. In many other cases I have covered, including those of convicted arsonists, the prisoners were allowed to self-surrender. People are generally only taken directly into custody if they are a violent threat or a flight risk. Why was this different?

Because DeChristopher is inspirational, and he would clearly use his time before prison to organize.

"You have authority over my life, but not my principles. Those are mine," DeChristopher said to the judge. "I'll continue to confront the system that threatens our future."

Others have vowed to do the same. Thousands will be in Washington, D.C. in August to protest the Keystone XL pipeline to the Tar Sands. They are planning mass non-violent civil disobedience.

 

ALEC Documents Reveal How Corporations Secretly Create New Laws

Documents released today shed new light on how corporations are directly drafting legislation through the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC. The Center for Media and Democracy has publicized more than 800 of ALEC's "model bills" that have been created by corporations, and introduced across the country, all without other lawmakers and the public having any idea of their origins.

I have written at length about ALEC's model "eco-terrorism" legislation, which has been introduced in at least 16 states (a recent attempt in Washington would have made civil disobedience by environmentalists "terrorism"). These documents show how this group has a hand in many, many other issues. Busting unions, deregulating energy, gutting health care reforms, privatizing prisons… you name it and ALEC's corporate members have drafted a bill about it.

This is bigger than any single issue, though, and bigger than what some are describing as a conservative corporate agenda. ALEC should concern everyone, regardless of politics, because it its existence and power are incompatible with a healthy democracy.

How?

Here's an excerpt from a section in my book that gives an overview of how ALEC works:

Corporations including Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, Amoco, Chevron, Shell and Texaco pay nearly all of ALEC's expenses. The more they pay, the more power they have. Basic membership is $7,000 per year. Joining at increasingly elite levels—the Washington Club, Madison Club, or Jefferson Club— costs up to $50,000.

"Our members join for the purpose of having a seat at the table," said Dennis Bartlett of ALEC in 1997. "That's just what we do, that's the service we offer. The organization is supported by money from the corporate sector, and, by paying to be members, corporations are allowed the opportunity to sit down at the table and discuss the issues that they have an interest in."

This is the heart of the Trojan horse. Power in ALEC does not come from political acumen, it comes from brute financial force. Corporations buy their way onto one of ALEC's specialized task forces. There, "legislators welcome their private-sector counterparts to the table as equals," according to one ALEC publication. Actually, the corporate counterparts are more than equal. They have veto power. No bill is released from a task force without their approval. The results of such an arrangement are predictable. The task force on criminal justice, for example, has been co-chaired by a represen- tative of Corrections Corporation of America, the nation's largest operator of private prisons. In 1996, ALEC issued model legislation to deregulate utility markets: the legislation was pushed by Koch Industries and Enron.

After corporate members use ALEC to draft dream legislation, the "model" bills go home with state legislators. The ALEC bills are introduced, debated and voted on by other lawmakers who think the proposals are democratic creations.

Let's put this another way. Corporations may not be allowed to vote (yet), but through ALEC, they have an even greater power: they craft bills and frame the debate before any votes are cast.

Visit "ALEC Exposed" and check out some of the documents for yourself (they're all available in zip files). Which bills did you find most outrageous?

UPDATE: Protest ALEC in New Orleans August 5th.

The Book Is Already Being Reprinted!

Hey everyone — just a quick note to share some good news: the first edition of the book has sold out, and City Lights is in the process of having it reprinted! Incredible. Thank you to everyone who has picked up a copy!

If you haven't, why note take a second to check out what people are saying?

On a related note, a big thank you to whoever created a Facebook page to encourage The Daily Show to book me as a guest. What an awesome idea, and a really nice thing to do. I hope it works!

This is a photo I snapped at City Lights Books. Yes, City Lights has a muckraking section (and my book is housed there). As if you needed another reason to love City Lights…

Los Angeles Speaking Events at Diesel Books and the Animal Rights Conference

I'll be heading out to California soon for a few speaking events in Los Angeles as part of the book tour! The first stop is at Diesel Books, and then on to the national Animal Rights Conference.

Why both? Well, at Diesel Books I'll be able to go into detail about these issues, and have plenty of time for discussion. The book encompasses so many different topics that it's nice to have the time to delve into specific points that folks are interested in. The bookstore events so far have been fantastic (and as a warning, they've all also been standing-room only, so you might want to get there early).

At the Animal Rights Conference, I'll be speaking on multiple panel discussions. Topics include updates on key court cases, working with media, journalism, and more. I'm really looking forward to this as well, because of the very focused nature of the discussion. I'll also be tabling at the conference from Friday to Sunday — and I'll have books, Matt Gauck signed posters, and shirts, so stop by and say hello!

Details below. See you in L.A.! 

 

Diesel Books

Will Potter discusses and signs "Green is the New Red"

Thursday, July 21, 2011

7 p.m.

(NOTE: It is at the Brentwood location, Brentwood Country Mart on 26th at San Vicente)

Please RSVP on Facebook!

 

Animal Rights Conference

I'll be speaking on multiple panels and a plenary session. See the full schedule of incredible speakers here.

Friday, July 22  to Sunday, July 24

The Westin LAX - 5400 West Century Boulevard

Please RSVP on Facebook!

 

 

Justin Solondz, ELF Fugitive, Arrested by FBI

Justin Solondz was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday after being extradited from China, where he was imprisoned on drug charges. Solondz was wanted by the FBI for his involvement in arsons claimed by the Earth Liberation Front, particularly the arson at the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture.

Solondz is alleged to have helped created the incendiary devices used to destroy the lab. Recently, his co-defendant in the case, Briana Waters, changed her plea to guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government. If this case goes to trial, Waters will likely be forced to testify against her former friend.

The FBI was quick to issue a press release trumpeting the arrest, and attributing it to the "dogged persistence and long term patience of the FBI." However, the real story isn't nearly so flattering.

The entire "Operation Backfire" investigation of the Earth Liberation Front was made possible by chance, when the FBI pressured Jacob Ferguson in another case, and the heroin addict confessed to a string of arsons. Ferguson, the informant in the largest domestic terrorism investigation by the FBI, was recently sentenced to 5 years in prison for heroin charges and for endangering his daughter.
Solondz was arrested in China on drug charges. If anyone could claim this arrest as a "victory," it is Chinese police, not the FBI.
The primary strategy of the FBI against all of the ELF defendants was to instill fear. The defendants, who did not harm a human being but were accused of serious property destruction, were threatened with multiple life sentences. Many received the "terrorism enhancement."

I point all of this out because it helps put into context the FBI's relentless clamoring for recognition and validation in this "terrorism" case. Agents and prosecutors are looking to make career advancements by cracking down on "eco-terrorists," and it should make everyone pause, regardless of how you feel about these individuals and tactics.

To raise this question another way: When the FBI proudly says it is tracking environmentalists "across eastern Europe, Russia, Mongolia, and China," what other threats are not being so doggedly pursued?

Jake Ferguson Sentenced to 5 Years on Drug Charges

Jacob Ferguson was the lead arsonist in the Earth Liberation Front cases dubbed "Operation Backfire," but the heroin addict avoided any prison time by wearing a wire and recording conversations with his former friends that could be used against them in court. By being an informant, Ferguson got a free pass on all of his crimes, and avoided decades in prison.

Ferguson was unable to stay away from heroin, though, and in April he was arrested on drug charges. Now he has been sentenced to five years in prison. He pleaded guilty to manufacturing and selling heroin (he was caught with two grams at his home), possessing cocaine, and neglecting and endangering his 4-year-old daughter.

That 5-year sentence is just for the drug charges, though. Another consequence of his guilty plea is that it means he has violated the conditions of his probation in the ELF cases. In other words, a federal prison sentence will likely be on the horizon. Ferguson– one of the most notorious government informants in recent FBI history– is going to have a difficult time in prison as a well-known "snitch."

More broadly, Ferguson's heroin charges should also raise some questions about the type of people the FBI is willing to rely upon in their desperation to convict "eco-terrorists."

It should also raise some questions about sentencing disparities in the criminal justice system. Ferguson, a drug addict who neglected and endangered his child, was sentenced to 5 years  in prison. Daniel McGowan — one of the people Ferguson informed on, who destroyed property in the name of defending the environment — was sentenced to 7.

Previously: Lead ELF Informant Jake Ferguson Arrested on Drug Charges