Chevron Seeks Money from Wounded and Tortured Protesters

The mistreatment of locals in oil rich countries by rich oil companies is nothing new. We all know about the collusion that goes on between oil companies and despotic and corrupt governments all over the world, especially in Africa. It's been covered for years. But most of us turn a blind eye to it all, as facing such atrocities head on would paralyze us. Filling your gas tank would be a serious moral dilemma, as would doing nearly everything from buying milk (it got there on a oil-fueled truck) to taking a flight for work or vacation. No, it has been much easier to run from our dependence on often blood-stained oil than to responsibly deal with it.

And the oil companies, to their credit, have helped us keep up the fallacy. With bright, friendly logos and convincing PR tactics, they've built up a façade that we have no interest in questioning, lest we question our entire society and how it's literally run.

But sometimes the oil companies overplay their hands and the façade slips, and we're forced to wake up, if only for a minute, from our delusionary dreams.

Today's Los Angeles Times reports that Chevron Corp., one of the world's largest non-government oil companies, is seeking nearly $500,000 in legal costs from Nigerian villagers who had brought a human-rights lawsuit against them and lost. The villagers had sought to hold Chevron responsible for a 1998 incident in which protesters and the Nigerian government clashed over an oil platform, leaving two protesters dead and more wounded. Chevron won, the villagers lost, and therefore I guess, we, the people, both won and lost.

But that's not the issue at hand. Rather, it's Chevron's over-the-top and unnecessarily cruel eye poking that should have people everywhere outraged. That the company, which posted "a record $23.8-billion profit for 2008," actually expects a group of poor Nigerian villagers to pay them an essentially unfathomable amount of money is obscene. As Laura Livoti, founder of Bay Area-based Justice in Nigeria Now, puts it in the article, Chevron is attempting to squeeze "nearly half a million dollars out of poor villagers who don't even have access to clean drinking water."

To add insult to injury, the villagers Chevron is seeking reimbursement from include a protestor who was shot and wounded, another who was arrested and tortured, at least a dozen children, and thirty former plaintiffs who dropped out of the case before it went to trial.

Just what is Chevron trying to prove with these actions? Do they really need the money, which includes $190,000 in photocopying charges, and that accounts for less than a rounding error for the company?

Decidedly not.

Chevron must know they'll never see this money -- hell, the villagers would never see this money if they worked fifty lifetimes. But the company is sending a message to protesters and activists around the world: "Don't fuck with us."

As if they weren't already concerned for their lives and safety, you better bet poor villagers in Africa or Indonesia or South America, and their lawyers here, are now going to think twice as hard about taking on oil companies and the like in the court of law.

And while the oil companies win again, and the villagers lose again, there's no split decision for us, the people. No matter what the savings at the pump or in the market, the silencing of protesters and the destruction of their environments and lives is as great a loss for us as it is for them. We just don't know it yet.

Comments

[dbrower]

I, for one, think the original article in the LAT and re-run here is hyperventilating and misleading.

Chevron is really going after the US lawyers who brought the suit in US court that was thrown out. As badly as the protesters were treated -- and there is no denying that -- the didn't have a case in the US against the US company for their government's actions.

I jerk my knees plenty on progressive and due-process causes, but this isn't one of them. If your indignity is wounded, send them money directly.

[Furby]

So does what you're saying change the fact that little guys who's environment and lives were ruined by an oil company pay the price for us to guzzle oil with impunity? Your argument is an example of the denial we exercise daily to make ourselves feel better about our lack of compassion and morals.

[katheyquilts]

I have a legal question..­.How can anyone (US GOVT INCLUDED) legally litagate in the US for "harm done" in another counrty? I guess this also covers GITMO..if I stand in MY country and throw a rock at someone, or shoot a gun, or whatever..­.how can the trial happen in another counrty?

[darthmaul]

This is hard to believe. I have heard Chevron's commercials when the news hour comes on everyday. The chevron announcer in hushed, soothing tones says that we should "all work together", you know one world family. This can't be the same Chevron!

[Pippilin]

Almost exactly my first thought upon reading this article. Archer Daniels Midland had a moving little ad on PBS a year or two ago that had a whispering voice (maybe Mother Nature?) calling to all within hearing distance, " Can you hear me? " PBS needs to be more picky about its corporate sponsors.

[blood1]

I agree that this is egregious behavior and US citizens (why not World citizens) should boycott these gasoline providers, but we also need to think a larger:
1. Why did Nigeria allow the lawsuit to go forward?
2. Is the suit filed in US or Nigeria?
3. Are the lawyers from the US or Nigeria?
4. Is the Nigerian political /government entity in the pocket of Chevron?

I don't know any of those answers, but someone should...i­s anyone listening?

A quick search shows they are headquartered in CA and they have an affiliation with TX.
In Nigeria Chevron employs approx 1800 Nigerians - with an est. population of 138M.

Looks like very bad PR for Chevron! and we will be watching thanks to the LA times!

[GardenerNorCal]

Bet they joked up in the board meetings when the findings came in. I for one don't buy Chevron, and only drive when absolutely necessary.

I would love to see all their tax breaks and federal incentives cancelled.

[schatsie]

Exactly, we owe it to the poor people they are taking advantage of to rake them over the coals with the IRS audits and publication of their financials­... and benefits, and the pensions for the current people and the retired ruling class....l­ike Jack Welch and all the goodies he got

[1differentdrummer]

Is any oil company ethical and moral?

[Rogan]

Wesson, maybe

[InLosAngeles]

Probably not. Is any protest group ethical and moral. Probably not. Everyone has an agenda, and whether corporation or protest group, they all are in it for money and power.

[Pippilin]

Oooh, how negative can you get? Put a little light in your life!

[Tim LaDuca]

Better yet, STOP DRIVING CARS! Do what you have to do. Ride the bus, ride a bike, walk. Buy an electric bike, I did. Carpool. Get a ride from a friend. The solution to this problem starts with you, and you and you and you. (and me)

[devanate]

Proud to say I've never owned a car. Always walk if I can, bike if I need to and occasionally catch the bus.

[Kaviraj]

Tim La Duca
from the car to the bus or the electric bike?
from the frying pan into the fire!

what do you think drives the bus's engine?
what do you think powers the electicity from which you charge that electric bike?

the solution starts with (and me)

[Nooneyouknow]

Why not revoke their corporate charter? Corporations live under the legal fiction that they're people. Except people die, while corporations don't; their evil can go on indefinitely, or permanently, in the case of the environmental catastrophes some corporations visit on us.
Why not kill the corporation? Sorry--you're no longer in business. The people who might be thrown out of work could be supported by the liquidated assets of the entity until they find other work.
Etc. etc.
Why not?

[MsLiz]

Sure, go right ahead. No one will mind. They won't fight you.

[drymartini1]

govt. should impose serious fines on blatant stupidity of posters too ^^

[Archie1955]

Well now I know for sure whom I'm not buying gas from!

[janie@atthelake]

Mine is shredded and will go back as well MagnaCarta.

[MagnaCarta]

My Chevron card goes back shredded tomorrow. Yours?

[DrSeeLove]

My husband has a Chevron card and I will be inviting him as well as others in my circle to boycott Chevron. This level of bullying reminds me of what America has been doing around the world for the last few years.

Preempting the next post by the marine...I am joining the conversation about the seemingly necessary and in many cases excessive use of profanity. As a high school teacher, I can tell you all that profanity has infiltrated the vocabulary of young minds in a way that lacks creativity and self-control.

Profanity is now common place in taxpayer-funded public primary and secondary educational institutions. Freedom of speech, right? How about "The Communication Act: Freedom from Profanity Pollution"? What if The Communication Act, protects minors in public spaces and in media places accessible by the general public?

It seems to me that adults use to think of children, family, and community first, now far too many adults think "me, me, me - mine, mine, mine" first...al­most as if they are, ironically, stuck in "terrible twos".

One thing that comes to mind is that with freedom comes choice; why choose to pollute the minds of young Americans? Do we as adults lack so much that we have forgotten, "It's a small world after all."?

Oh yeah, that's right, it's the parents' and teachers' responsibility to protect and guide...pa­rent and teacher speaking up here.

[tb92]

Be sure to let Chevron know what you think of this behavior. Boycott, spread the word, and make sure they know why.

[aniram63]

Yes. The only route to a behaviorial change will be across their balance sheet. A coordinated boycott is definitely in order.

[schatsie]

Boycott and write the congress, in this day and age, the tax cuts these people get are OUTRAGEOUS­....and the CEOs pay less than 20% in income taxes....a­nd we taxpayers get to pick up a third of the tab on the expenses..­.

[atomic]

Chevron / Texico is the worst ... I just cancelled my charge accounts with them because their customer service is shady. I have also made it a rule to never buy gas from them again.

[mjt218]

Chevron sold off their credit card business last year . . . They probably don't care too much.

[Sean Magnoni]

Shameful.

[jonmonbuckeye]

If you want this to stop, then you need to spread the marketing message that simply states the following:

Chevron = murder

It has to be coordinated and spread easily. Like videos on Youtube, mass emailings, and large demonstrations at their corporate headquarters- all released on the same day, at the sametime on a worldwide basis.

Shame them or investigate them....th­ey'll stop, just like the blood sucking cockroaches they are.

[Palemoon]

Chevron should be barred from doing business in the United States as a result of this callousness.