The 2009 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Conference, which started yesterday September 13 is being sponsored by some of those corrupted corporations. This event is organized by the CHCI, an institution created to 'educate' the young political leaders of this country.
This year's CHC conference will end this Wednesday September 15 with a gala reception where president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will be attending.
Anti-war protesters in front of the Lockheed Martin offices in Arlington, VA, during a march to the Pentagon for the sixth anniversary of the Iraq war, on March 21, 2009. Photo APInitially, I didn't intend to write much about the CHIC event. All of you who read me know what I think about the U.S. government imposing the false Hispanic identity, as if we people suddenly would lose our heritages and become Spaniards just because we speak Castillian.
The fact that this conference doesn’t include any discussion about racial issues, or topics affecting directly the Indigenous and Afro descendant communities -whom they try to represent- says it all.
However, I am more concerned about the list of corporate sponsors of this conference program. If they are financing the "education" of our young leaders, what hope do we have of a different future?
Altria Group
From its own website:
Altria Group is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, John Middleton, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Philip Morris Capital Corporation. Philip Morris USA is the largest tobacco company in the United States, with approximately half of the U.S. cigarette market. U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company is the leading producer and marketer of moist smokeless tobacco. John Middleton is a leading manufacturer of large machine-made cigars. Ste. Michelle Wine Estates ranks among the top 10 producers of premium wines in the United States. Philip Morris Capital Corporation's portfolio consists primarily of leveraged and direct finance lease investments. In addition, Altria Group holds a continuing economic and voting interest in SABMiller plc, one of the world's largest brewers.Corporations sponsoring 2009 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Conference: Walmart, Phillip Morris, Citi, Bank of America, Lockheed Martin, Shell, Walt Disney
Lockheed Martin
The largest armament manufacturer in the planet, Lockheed Martin's profits come from wars, violent conflicts and all kinds of armed confrontations in the world. From Wikipedia:
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a multinational aerospace manufacturer, global security and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed with Martin Marietta. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Lockheed Martin employs 146,000 people worldwide. Robert J. Stevens is the current Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. Lockheed Martin is the world's largest defense contractor by revenue in 2008.[1] As of 2005, 95% of Lockheed Martin's revenues came from the United States Department of Defense, other U.S. federal government agencies, and foreign military customers.From WordPolicy:
George W. Bush has strong ties to Lockheed Martin from his service as Governor of Texas, where he tried to give the firm a contract to run the Texas welfare system before he had to relent in the face of public protests and an unfavorable regulatory ruling by the Clinton administration. Lockheed Martin VP Bruce Jackson is a finance chair of the Bush for President campaign, and was heard to brag at a conference last year that he would be in a position to "write the Republican platform" on defense if Bush gets the nomination (which he will, later this week).
Wal-Mart
The world’s largest retailer, according to Wal-Mart Watch:
Wal-Mart's still insures barely over half its employees on the company plan, Poverty-level wages make life extremely difficult for Wal-Mart's 1.4 million workers, Wal-Mart's business model is detrimental for our planet, Wal-Mart continually fails to pay every worker for every hour worked.
With the election of Barack Obama and the potential passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, Wal-Mart is clearly afraid that its anti-worker practices of the last half century might be coming to a close.
The current contrast between the earnings of the 1.4 million U.S. Wal-Mart employees and the earnings of the Walton family provide a striking example of the widening income gap in America.
Wal-Mart is currently facing more than 80 lawsuits at various stages of the legal process. The potential financial impact of these cases and those still to come are massive, even for a behemoth such as Wal-Mart.
Shell
The Dutch oil and gas giant corporation is accused of polluting gas flaring and alleged human rights abuses in Nigeria, and other countries in the world.
Greenpeace and Green Left report:
The Oil Spill Intelligence Report, a 10-year spill record commissioned by Greenpeace, has revealed that Shell's major spills in Nigeria total a massive 7.4 million litres. Of the major spills from Shell operations in over 100 countries worldwide, 40% occurred in Nigeria, according to the report. Shell is the world's second biggest company in terms of sales ($US107,000 million) after General Motors ($US125,000 million).Exxon Mobil
The world's largest oil corporation, based in Texas and with strong connections to both Republican and Democratic parties, Exxon Mobil is one of the biggest polluters in the planet and is one of the top five lobbyist in U.S. Congress. Check what ExposseExxon says:
Despite record profits, ExxonMobil refuses to help the world build a cleaner energy future, curb global warming, or even pay the damages it still owes. ExxonMobil is moving America backward on energy policy when we desperately need to move forward. ExxonMobil is the ONLY major oil company that denies the urgency of global warming and funds global warming skeptics that cloud the facts and create a debate where there isn’t one. ExxonMobil leads the charge against efforts to reduce global warming pollution worldwide. It is also the ONLY major oil company still a member of Arctic Power, the special interest group lobbying Congress to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - a move that would not result in lower gas prices or greater energy security. Despite ExxonMobil's record profits, it refuses to invest in renewable energy like its competitors. Plus, ExxonMobil is still appealing the $4.5 billion (plus interest) in punitive damages for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill awarded to fisherman, native Alaskans and others harmed by the spill.Exxon Mobil has destroyed the environment of Indigenous peoples in Philippines, Singapore and the Nepal delta in Africa. Recently, Exxon Mobil sued the government of Venezuela, after the oil corporation was expelled when it refused to reinvest its profits in the country's poorest.
More dinero more problems
The list of corporate sponsors continues with the racist stereotyping media empire Walt Disney Company; the corrupted Walk Street banks and bailout beneficiaries Citi and Bank of America; the unhealthy, children poisoning and animal rights abuser fat factory McDonalds, and beer making Anheuser-Busch Companies. Oh, let's not forget California's gas and electricity supplier PG&E Corporation.
Of course, there are also a couple of national labor unions in this list. Shame on them to go along with corporate America. These are the same Wall Street corporations behind free trade policies that have hurt the U.S. working class so much!
I say, shame on the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute for selling their souls to the very oppressors of our Indigenous and Afro descendant communities, especially the working class in the U.S. and the rest of the Americas. Shame on them for brainwashing those who might become our future leaders.
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