If You’re an Environmentalist, Chevron has YOU in their Crosshairs

I don’t know which is worse, the fact that Chevron is trying to track down everyone who was even remotely involved in a lawsuit filed in Ecuador against Chevron — or the fact that a U.S. judge has approved Chevron’s subpoena.

Last year an Ecuadorian court imposed an $18.2 billion judgment against Chevron for repeatedly dumping toxic waste into the Amazon River, polluting people’s drinking water and causing irreparable damage to waterways and the rainforest.

Here’s another link.

So far Chevron hasn’t paid a dime of this judgment.  But the company has acted with blinding speed to retaliate against everyone connected with the suit against them.

Chevron has filed a lawsuit in the United States, alleging that everyone connected even remotely with the suit against Chevron was engaging in a conspiracy to defraud the company.  As part of their lawsuit, Chevron has subpoenaed three Internet Service Providers — Google, Microsoft and Yahoo — for the IP and e-mail address of hundreds of advocates, journalists, lawyers and anyone else who was even peripherally connected to the suit against Chevron.

And Chevron found themselves a willing prostitute:  U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan has approved Chevron’s subpoena.  Maybe somebody should subpoena Judge Kaplan’s bank records to see how much Chevron has been paying him off.

Remember when the judicial branch was somewhat less corrupt than the other two branches?  Or maybe that never was the case and things are just more blatant now.

Interesting times we’re living in.  If you “donate” millions of dollars to a political campaign and purchase the election, you can stay hidden under your rock and nobody will ever know who you are.  If you send an e-mail expressing your personal opinion on a pollution issue, a vengeful corporation can track you down.