Commentary

Keystone XL Pipeline: The Lies Go Beyond American Indians Now

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Condition. Discussion »

US Pipeline Jobs

The other side is mad. They are demonizing President Obama for rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline. There they were on the Sunday talk shows demonizing him for his decision of last Wednesday.

Wednesday, as I watched the CNN coverage of the announcement from the State Department, there was the other side ready to go on the attack as soon as the network switched to them. They were all lined up wearing their Congressional best business suits, visibly angry. One could hear it in their voices. They want the country back! Led by House Speaker John Boehner, who declared:

“This is not the end of the fight.”

Then yesterday, there was Newt Gingrich, fresh from his upending victory in South Carolina, demonizing President Obama for rejecting the pipeline. He claimed President Obama does not care about putting Americans to work and creating an alliance between China and Canada.

Of course, American Indians generally view what comes out of politicians mouths with a different filter system because we have been lied to for centuries.

For that reason, American Indians usually take a wait and see attitude when dealing with non-Indians, and especially politicians and political action committees, a.k.a. PACs, when it comes to policy matters. This time we should not take a wait and see attitude. We know we are being lied to by the other side.

Things have not changed. Except, the truth is politicians and PACs lie to non-Indians too. Apparently, they think the average American is stupid and don't know how to check the facts.

This is especially true with the big lie that is being put out by presidential candidates and even the US Chamber of Commerce concerning the Keystone XL pipeline.

On January 12, Thomas J. Donohue, president of the US Chamber of Commerce put a big one out:

"We can put 20,000 Americans to work right away and up to 250,000 over the life of the project."

What Mr. Donohue did not disclose is the TransCanada energy company, that would own the Keystone XL pipeline, has operated pipelines all over Canada for years.

Question:     What is the total number of jobs at any given time held by TransCanada?

Answer:     Less than 4,000.

The Cornell University Global Labor Institute estimates the number of permanent US pipeline jobs to be as few as 50.

So, when it comes to deceitful television commercials about the pipeline that seem to be shown quite bit during the local news, I find them almost laughable. Every time I see and hear the spots, I know I am being lied to by those who also are influencing Congress with big money.

On another matter, my local ABC affiliate carried a news story that said listening to music with headphones on is dangerous while walking. There is a rapid increase of incidences of people getting hit by trains because they don't hear them coming. Rather than paying attention to the environment surrounding them, they are paying too much attention to the music.

This leads me to my point.

We need to pay attention to what is next for the Keystone XL pipeline: Even though President Obama has rejected it, everyone needs to listen carefully to the lies and make sure the other side doesn't pull a fast one and slide it in to some legislation.

Otherwise, we will feel as if we were hit by a locomotive.

posted January 23, 2012 8:50 am est