The Same Old

Interesting that those things which seem to be causing us the most problems are all supported by a group of the same folks, over and over. A case of the same old.

Remember during the cigarette manufacturer's face off with this nation's populace, that the CEO's denied and lied about the damage being done? Remember the pr that went with it? Full page ads. Television and radio spots. Highway billboards. They spent a lot of money lying to anyone who would listen that their products were safe.

Well, the folks in the longwall and mountain top destruction mining business are playing the same game. Hard to believe that they would follow a model that was disgraced and failed in the end. But, sure enough, the play is being acted out note for note.

First, we have the CEO's of CONSOL Energy, Massey and the rest, telling us that coal is not just important, but that we can't live without it. That the economy of the nation is dependent upon coal.

Second, we have the ads, the falsified letters going to Congressfolks, the tv spots for "clean coal," highway billboards and all the rest of the nonsense. They've even hired the very same people to do their overt lying as were connected to the cigarette fiasco.

Third, we have all of these folks claiming that coal doesn't do any damage to the environment. That coal isn't in anyway connected to the ice melting in the Arctic and the climbing temperatures around the globe.

The coal CEO's, just like the cigarette folks, are liars. And, they hire professional liars to assist them. Seems to work pretty well for awhile. At this time, there are people working against their own best interest to assist them. People who will suffer the most in the end, are paraded before tv screens and local meetings decrying the job losses that are surely coming. That, because there are those who want clean air and water for them and their progeny.

It is unfortunate for all on the planet, that the longwall mining CEO's and their professional liars will likely carry this out as far as they are allowed. Rather looks to be a case of the same old.