( – promoted by buhdydharma )
There is a battle going on for the hearts and minds of Americans, regarding our Energy Future.
Given the well-funded nature of this Ad Campaign — we probably shouldn’t expect any changes in our “Energy Economics” Future, anytime soon.
The Breaking Point
from AmericanSolutions 188 Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
“Stop the National Energy Tax.”
— Paid for by American Solutions for Winning the Future.
Who or What is ASWF ???
Sounds harmless, enough …
First Rule of effective Public Relations Branding:
Do No Harm … and sound innocuous.
Who or What is the American Solutions for Winning the Future
American Solutions for Winning the Future (ASWF) is a 527 PAC group which describes itself as a “citizen action network” with the expressed goal “to create the next generation of solutions that will ensure that the United States remains the safest, freest, and most prosperous country in the world.” The group claims to be “non-partisan” and is headed by former Republican speaker Newt Gingrich.[1]
The group has launched a petition promoting expanding oil and gas exploration in the U.S.
American Solutions for Winning the Future (TM) …
Sounds Wholesome. Sounds Forward Looking. Sounds like they are looking out for us.
Until you take the time to look behind their slick Web Site exterior
Here’s one example, from Newt’s “American Solutions” platform that passes for News …
Don’t Punish Americans With More Energy Taxes
By Dan Kotman on April 28, 2009
Newt testified at the House Energy and Commerce Committee against this proposed massive, job-killing energy tax, which is often called cap-and-trade. (Watch his full testimony here).
The highlight of Newt’s testimony was this exchange with Representative Waxman where he argued we shouldn’t punish Americans with new energy taxes:
[see video clip below]
The Waxman-Markey bill is essentially a tax on energy companies and other industry that is passed down to every American in the form of higher energy costs and higher costs for anything produced with energy (i.e., food, clothing, entertainment, etc.).
Newt apparently thinks, he got the upper hand in this “Carrot and Stick” exchange with Henry Waxman, since this clip is proudly displayed on his “Energy Front Group” site:
from AmericanSolutions 188 Videos
In that last clip,
Newt effectively frames “Energy Incentives” as “Punishing Americans“.
Nice frame. Short. Emotional. Effective. Sloganeering.
Stop. Punishing. Americans.
Newt: 3 Ways to Lower Gas Prices
AmericanSolutions 188 Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
“Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less.”
— Paid for by American Solutions for Winning the Future (TM)
In that last clip,
Newt frames “Energy Independence” as:
an epic battle between “Trial Lawyers” and “American Oil Exploration”.
aka.
it’s the Tree Huggers vs the Grown-ups.
Don’t underestimate the power of Snidely … made comments.
Here’s some context from Source Watch
— a group that makes an effort to peer behind the Sponsors of so many Advertising Curtains …
American Solutions for Winning the Future
2010 Funding [for American Solutions]
In August 2010, Salon.com released their findings on who is funding Newt Gingrich’s American Solutions. Salon found a significant chunk of the group’s funding comes from oil and gas and coal companies, according to the its IRS filings. American Solutions has run national TV ads opposing cap-and-trade bills.[6]
According to Salon, American Solutions has taken in over $20 million as of the 2010 election cycle. Here are some of the group’s biggest funders:[6]
— American Electric Power: CEO Michael Morris of the Ohio-based power company gave $100,000 in 2009. Along with electricity, the company operates the nation’s largest power transmission network, operating over much of the East Coast and Midwest.
— Arch Coal: Based in St. Louis, Arch boasts it provides 16 percent of America’s coal supply from 11 mining complexes around the country, making it the second largest coal producer in the country. It gave Gingrich $100,000.
— Devon Energy: An Oklahoma-based oil and gas production company that gave American Solutions $250,000.
— Plains Exploration and Production: A Houston-based oil and gas company that operates in the Gulf gave $100,000.
— Workforce Fairness Institute: A Washington, D.C.-based anti-union pressure group that gave $150,000 to Gingrich’s organization this cycle. Its website says it is “funded by and advocates on behalf of business owners who enjoy good working relationships with their employees, and would like to maintain those good relationships without the unfair interference of government bureaucrats, union organizers and special interests.” Mark McKinnon, longtime GOP operative and Bush aide, has been a spokesman for the institute.
— Hubbard Broadcasting: Stanley Hubbard, a billionaire GOP donor from Minnesota, gave Gingrich’s group $100,000. He owns radio and TV stations in several states.
It’s good to know which groups are propping up the Gingrich Sock Puppet parade, eh?
It’s good to know someone is reading the “fine print“.
And now The Hill informs us about the The National Association of Manufacturers getting into this new “be very afraid” Advertising Act.
It’s either your Job, or your Energy Future … you decide …
“Congress is pushing higher energy taxes that could cripple American manufacturing and eliminate countless jobs,” the ad states. “We need more jobs, not higher energy taxes.”
The initial phase of the campaign will focus on Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.
Cue the Video:
Vote For Jobs, Not Higher Energy Taxes in Nevada Elections
from NAMVideo 95 videos
“Tell Harry Reid to say Yes to Jobs, and No to higher Energy Taxes.”
— Paid for by The National Association of Manufacturers (TM)
But Wait there’s More! … More Room on the “Leave Industry Alone” bandwagon.
A New Foundation For Growth
from energy 84 Videos (a front group for the API)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
“Tell Washington:
NO to New Energy Industry Taxes, and
YES to U.S. Energy Production.”
— Paid for by the American Petroleum Institute (TM)
What does Source Watch have to say about the American Petroleum Institute (API) ?
Lobbying [sponsored by API]
“The American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry’s main trade group, paid Timmons & Co. $200,000 to lobby the federal government in the first half of 2007,” reported AP in August 2007. “The firm lobbied on various pieces of legislation dealing with homeland security appropriations, energy policy, taxes, price gouging and other issues. … Daniel Shapiro, former deputy chief of staff for Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., is among those registered to lobby on behalf of the institute.” [12]
API spent $4 million to lobby the federal government in 2007, according to lobbying disclosure forms. “The trade group lobbied on various appropriations bills, and on oil taxes and fees, chemical plant security, price gouging, international investment and more,” reported Associated Press. “Besides Congress, the American Petroleum Institute lobbied the departments of Defense and State, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Internal Revenue Service.” [30]
[…]Concerns about API-funded research
In April 2005, it was reported that API was overseeing a $27 million study on the health effects of benzene, funded by the major oil companies BP, Chevron Texaco, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Shell Chemical. The study was launched in 2001, in response to a National Cancer Institute study that found “workers exposed to average levels of benzene had a risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma more than four times greater than the general population.” A follow-up NCI study, published in 2005, found that “benzene had toxic effects on blood cells at 1 part per million – the level workers in the United States are allowed to be exposed to over an eight-hour workday.” Benzene is a component of gasoline, so oil companies were concerned that tighter benzene regulations would affect their operations.[4]
Nice eh?
Who’s looking out for you?
Kind of reminds me, of the Tobacco Execs all standing up before Congress saying …
The Seven Dwarves: “I believe that nicotine is not addictive”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
“I too, believe that Nicotine is Not addictive.”
— Paid for by nicotine-addicted Smokers all across America, and the World. (They have No Trademark.)
Industry Exec’s they Got your best interests, in their sights, all right.
Competitive forces — demand it.
They definitively Sound harmless, enough … in their “grown up” Suits and Ties …
Well they were following First Rule of effective PR Branding:
Do No Harm … and sound innocuous.
Too Bad, They were Lying! Lying to Congress. Lying to their Shareholders. Lying to the American People.
Bald Face Lies.
And No One too many Died. … and No One went to Jail ….
Perhaps Americans DO need to “be afraid” about our “Energy Future” being left to such Industry Giants and Front Men —
But not in the ways we’ve been led to believe, by their well-funded, emotionally triggered, Industry-biased Ads, eh?
Perhaps we need to be afraid of Oil & Coal Execs leading us down, yet another, prim-rosed garden path … where everything is fine, they got it covered …
As they keep assuring Congress, and the American People:
“We believe the Effects of Climate Change, are Not Addictive.”
Their well-funded research tells them so.
——————–
You TOO, can peer behind those Industry “Front Groups” iron curtains.
As Source Watch explains in this How To Research Front Group Guide
right here.
Who knows …
Maybe that someone reading the “fine print” next time — could be you.
Thank you for taking to time, to be better informed.
2 comments
Author
Be very afraid!
Or instead,
Be Active.
Be very Active.
you decide.
Yes, Galloping Gertie (the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge) did fall in 1940, but was replaced in 1950, with some design improvements and is still in use today. A second Tacoma Narrows Bridge was added in 2007, with an identical 2800 foot span, the two tied for the fifth longest suspension bridges in the United States and the longest pair of suspension bridges in the world (tied for 31st longest in the world).
Perhaps not surprisingly, one suspension bridge or another held the world record for the longest in this category from 1849 to 1981, a span of 122 years. The record was last held by the U.S. when the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was displaced, perhaps fittingly, during Ronnie Reagan’s first year in office. Since that time, seven longer suspension bridges have been built, all in other parts of the world. Yet another sign of the declining relative superiority of the United States in the world.
But, in the hands of skilled propagandists, fear can become the ultimate weapon, which was well understood by FDR. Once fear has been introduced and established, its victims become extremely susceptible to manipulation. As long at the people can be led to fear something that is only imaginary, they will never be forced to directly face the source of that fear, only to then realize that it is not nearly as large as advertised.
Joseph Goebbels would be proud.
No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.
Edmund Burke, “A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful”, 1756