Ever wonder why we've ever heard the phrase "clean coal?" Even though coal is clearly dirty all the way from extraction, to burning, and even though none of the 100 or so (and decreasing) coal-fired power plants on the board incorporate any kind of carbon emission-reductions, we still keep hearing those two words in the same sentance! I've taken a personal mission to stop using the phrase to whatever extent possible. It is such a magnificant lie.
But it still begs the question... how did this idea become so prevalent that all the 2008 candidates were talking about it? (I'll give you a hint: Who was the largest corporate sponsor of the presidential debates?) Well, we're finally getting the word straight from the mouths of the satan-spawn responsible for injecting the idea of "clean coal"into the presidential campaign.
A press release from the Kelley Campaign brings to light an internal memo from the spin doctors who brought us the greatest lie since the safe cigarette.
From the January 14th press release:
"Experts on the human and environmental impact of coal expressed outrage today at a newly posted memo from a D.C.-area public relations firm. In the unseemly memo, the Hawthorn Group extolled their PR campaign on behalf of the coal industry as historic, although “clean coal” does not actually exist."
The whole letter, sent to employees of the PR firm, details a highly organized strategy to simulate grassroots support and convince the candidates that Americans support the coal industry, in coordination with a national advertising campaign that reportedly took the total expense to $55 million.
You can see the full text of the memo right here! (until they realize we're blogging on it, and they take it down....).
A few gems:
“We nearly turned candidate events into clean coal rallies,”
“We did this by sending ‘clean coal’ branded teams to hundreds of presidential candidate events, carrying a positive message (we can be part of the solution to climate change) which was reinforced by giving away free t-shirts and hats emblazoned with our branding: Clean Coal.”
"ACCCE (a coal indusry front group) shaped the debate by finding supporters of the candidates and turning them into clean coal advocates."
3 comments:
Wow, another type of presidential campaign was in the works without my realization! Interesting, the ability to make something dirty look clean just by exposure and influence. Not truth. A childish tactic able to control the masses. The responsible voter has been duped.
I'm with Bill Hicks on this one, marketers, kill yourselves, now. At this point this isn't that surprising, though that doesn't make it any less evil. Of course campaigns are run by corporate interests. The oil industry is going down the tubes and I think most people see their end coming by now. But coal's been working quietly in the background for the most part, and they've been around a lot longer. And they wan to be damn sure they don't lose their place in the whatever economy manages to survive the global clusterfuck of monetary dissters we're seeing the start of. Fuckers.
more on this
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-grandia/leaked-coal-memo-manna-fr_b_158647.html
Post a Comment