We reward those destroying us. GOP absolves corporations from bad acts. Chris Rock speaks.

Political Analyst Jaime Rodriguez visited with us to discuss the Democratic Party and much more. David Suzuki points out that we reward those who harm us. Republicans strategically want us to look away from corporate bad deeds. A message about Chris Rock’s Netflix skit Selective Outrage.

Why Chris Rock?

GOP absolves corporations from bad acts.

Republicans are doing what they do as they attempt to offset blame for Norfolk Southern East Palestine derailment and environmental disaster on the government. Sadly, the mainstream media is falling for it by giving the argument plausibility.

It is clear the Republicans are great at deflecting. They want Americans to blame Pete Buttigieg and the Biden Administration for the East Palestine derailment and environmental disaster. Recently, Joe Scarborough called them out. Why did it take a former Republican ultra-conservative to do that?

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We reward those destroying us.

The reason we continue to have our environment placed in peril, our healthcare remains an immoral, inhumane mess, and our social safety net a disaster of inconsistencies is that we don’t reward excellence but gangsters. I’ve restarted our series, A Better Human Story with Andrew Schmookler, which explores much of this.

This morning, I read David Suzuki’s article “Stop Rewarding Destroyers of Our World and Punishing Those Defending It.” He wrote the following in Common Dreams.

As of early February, police have “made more than 90 arrests and dozens of detentions” to facilitate construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northern B.C., “running up a taxpayer tab of more than $25 million,” according to the Narwhal. François Poirier, President and CEO of TC Energy, which owns the project, was rewarded with “$9.81-million in his first full year as CEO, including a $1.1-million bonus and share and stock option awards valued at $6-million,” the Globe and Mail reported.

During the November COP27 climate talks in Egypt, more than 30 climate protesters were jailed in the U.K., adding to more than 2,000 arrests in a campaign that began in April. On January 17, climate activist Greta Thunberg and others were arrested for protesting the demolition of a German village for a coal mine expansion. On the same day, a Reuters headline read, “Big Oil’s good times set to roll on after record 2022 profits.”

Worldwide, climate activists — and journalists and scientists — have been arrested, jailed, silenced and even killed for protesting to keep the planet livable for humans. Meanwhile, “The top executives at seven big energy companies had an average increase in their compensation of more than 21 per cent in 2021, compared with the prior year. In dollar terms, that was an extra $2.3-million for each, bringing the average pay package to $13.4-million,” the Globe and Mail reported.

For decades, oil companies covered up their own and other scientific evidence that their products could cause catastrophic climate disruption. Not only have they faced no consequences, they’ve reaped massive benefits.

New evidence shows the lengths to which they’ll go to enrich themselves and shareholders — even if it means supporting brutal governments. The world’s largest oil and gas service companies have been raking in enormous profits in Myanmar, propping up a murderous military regime. In 2021, oil giant Chevron lobbied against proposed sanctions that would hinder operations in the country.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is driving fossil fuel profits to record highs — as global average temperatures also break records.

The rewards aren’t just monetary; former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, who has dismissed evidence about climate change from his and other company’s scientists, was appointed secretary of state in the Trump administration.

Under our outdated economic systems, those who knowingly fuel a crisis that threatens human health and survival are richly rewarded, while those who try to halt the destruction — often young people whose future is most at stake — are punished.

Governments aren’t just subsidizing coal, oil and gas companies with tax and royalty breaks, loans and direct financing; they’re also using tax dollars to provide security for these companies through aggressive policing and enforcement.

We have a lot of work to do. The most important part of this work is earning the trust of most Americans who have been hoodwinked into believing a narrative of who we are and how we got here as the American society. We will create a truly equitable system, an egalitarian society we yearn for and must have.

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Chris Rock speaks.

You might ask, why am I speaking about this Chris Rock incident in my political newsletter? Firstly, we are all multidimensional and popular culture has an effect on most of us in some manner. Secondly, in my world, there is usually a political message in just about all that we do and don’t do.

I watched Chris Rock on Netflix at 1 AM this morning while spinning. It was clear that the Will Smith slap at the Oscars has affected Chris Rock’s comedy. He was not as naturally funny as he normally is, IMHO. He went really hard on Jada Pinkett Smith as well. I think Rock was harder on Pinkett Smith than on Will Smith, which I think opens the door for a discussion on sexism which is the political part.

That said, it was Chris Rock who was initially harmed. Chris Rock displayed a great degree of restraint when Will Smith slapped him. He must be commended for that.

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