At this juncture in Trump’s America, it might be a chore to find an American who isn’t aware that the corrupt businessman in the White House doesn’t do anything if there’s no money involved; either for himself or his friends. On Friday Trump issued the construction permit for the foreign corporation TransCanada to build a highly-destructive KeystoneXL tar sand pipeline across America’s heartland with the promise of creating massive numbers of jobs and guaranteeing American energy independence. Of course, like every utterance from Trump’s nasty mouth, those reasons are blatant lies and it is not this author’s opinion, it is a fact.
As some Americans are aware, the project will link the climate-destroying tar sands from Canada, much of which is owned by the Koch brothers, to oil refineries, also owned by the Kochs, en route to Texas for export to Asia and Russia. One of the companies that will profit immensely by Keystone’s construction is Secretary of State and Vladimir Putin loyalist Rex Tillerson’s company Exxon Mobil. Owners of the Republican Congress, Koch Industries will also profit because besides being the largest land owners of Canadian tar sands, the Kochs own refineries contracted to refine the Canadian tar into diesel oil which is in high demand in Russia and China.
None of the refined tar will be used in America and yet it is American land, water, and air that will be adversely affected to enrich the Koch brothers, foreign oil exporters, Rex Tillerson’s company Exxon, and a Russian oligarch-friendly with Donald Trump. It is the primary reason Trump issued a construction permit on Friday last and saying otherwise makes him a liar; particularly because he claims he did it to create tens-of-thousands of jobs.
Trump claimed Keystone pipeline will create a monumental number of jobs, but not anything remotely close to the fantasy number of over 28,000 jobs he claimed. According to the company contracted with the Canadian corporation TransCanada to actually build the pipeline, Cardno Entrix, the United States Department of State estimate of “temporary construction jobs” is virtually spot on. Cardno Entrix puts the number of temporary, seasonal construction jobs at between 5,000 and 6,000 for a maximum of two years, not 28,000. The number of permanent jobs created is a whopping 35, not 28,000 and it is worth reiterating that the figure was calculated by TransCanada’s pipeline contractor Cardno Entrix.
One of the detriments of constructing the pipeline to enrich the Kochs and Trump’s Russian oligarch friend are raising the price of fuel in America; diesel fuel that farmers and truckers depend on and gasoline all Americans use. The reality of raising fuel prices is not conjecture or this author’s “opinion,” the pipeline’s foreign owner TransCanada reported that fuel prices for Americans will increase by 20 cents to 40 cents or more per gallon at the pump because the pipeline will drain off oil reserves along its route on its way to Russia and Asia via export from Texas ports.
According to a report produced by Research Director Emeritus Judy Dugan and independent energy analyst Tim Hamilton utilizing industry data, public records and company documents:
“Keystone XL is not an economic benefit to Americans who will see higher gas prices and bear all the risks of the pipeline. The pipeline is being built through America, but not for Americans.”
As the pipeline’s route passes directly over the Ogallala Aquifer that supplies drinking water to 2 million Americans and is the primary source of groundwater for 20 percent of America’s agriculture, the potential for environmental disaster is immense; and that doesn’t include the “game over for the climate” warning by the Earth’s leading environmental scientists.
Oil pipelines are an incredibly more dangerous means of transport than by rail, a fact TransCanada is all too aware of. There have been several TransCanada pipeline breaks, spills, and leaks including one that spilled 12 times in one year. And, three years ago in Michigan, the Lakehead pipeline system ruptured leaving crews still struggling to clean up the mess because unlike “regular crude,” tar sand oil sinks and doesn’t float. Those are indisputable scientific facts; not this author’s “opinion.”
The dangers of the Keystone XL pipeline are immeasurable with no benefit to the American people whatsoever. Still, Trump approved the construction permit because there is big oil money involved and it is worth reiterating that every bit of that “big oil money” will go directly to the Koch brothers, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s company and Trump’s Russian oligarch friend responsible for manufacturing the pipeline’s steel; despite Trump’s pledge it would be made in America or the pipeline would not be built.
Even if Trump was an innately brilliant business mind, something 7 bankruptcies inform he is not, he would never make a decision to create a measly 35 permanent jobs with such a monumental risk to the American people. However, he is risking the environment, drinking, and agricultural water for 2 million Americans, guaranteeing higher fuel prices for American farmers, truckers, and drivers to enrich the Kochs, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s company, and his Russian oligarch friend. The only question that remains is how much wealth the Kochs, the Russians, and Rex Tillerson will skim off for Donald Trump because by now everyone and their pet hamster knows that Trump does nothing unless he personally profits.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn't look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
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