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Izzie is a conformist
02/12/2004 08:07 pmYessss. Copy cat Iz is following everyone else and doing that social status quiz ( Dare to be Square )
02/12/2004
Lest we forget......
02/12/2004 09:26 pmAnd justice will be done?
Fri 01 August 2003
International
George Bush is willing to spend billions, sacrifice many innocent lives, break international laws and dole out summary justice in the pursuit of his misguided 'war on terror'. However if you are a rich American ultimately responsible for the death of more than 20,000 poor people in far off India, you can expect a life of luxury safe from the long arm of the US law.
Warren Anderson, Union Carbide CEO at the time of the world's worst industrial disaster in Bhopal, India, lives a life of luxury in New York State. Anderson has been hiding in the US since an explosion at his company's plant in Bhopal caused the immediate deaths of thousands of people and led to life long suffering for almost 120,000 survivors. He is wanted in India to face charges of culpable homicide over the deaths of 20,000 people since the disaster.
On the night of the disaster, December 3, 1984, an explosion at Union Carbide's pesticide plant caused 40 tonnes of lethal gas to seep into Bhopal. Six safety measures designed to prevent a gas leak had either malfunctioned, were turned off or were otherwise inadequate. In addition, the safety siren, intended to alert the community should an incident occur at the plant, was turned off.
As the Union Carbide boss, Anderson knew about a 1982 safety audit of the Bhopal plant, which identified 30 major hazards. Rather than fix them in Bhopal, only the company's identical plant in the US was fixed. Neglecting these hazards in Bhopal caused the deadly explosion. Anderson flew to India after the disaster but to the company's surprise, police investigating the disaster immediately arrested him. He subsequently jumped bail and was flow by private jet back to the US, never to return to India.
While fleeing the law in India his company abandoned the polluted factory site allowing it to poison Bhopal residents for 18 years. He did not disclose the composition of the poisonous gas (the company still claims this is a trade secret), thus preventing doctors from properly treating the 120,000 people who are still sick. Company lawyers ensured survivors only got between US$300-500 compensation each, if they were 'lucky', for their ruined lives. Dow Chemical took over Union Carbide in 2001 but it claims Union Carbide has 'settled' the issue of Bhopal.
Despite being wanted in India and by Interpol, Indian and US authorities have been inactive for the last 18 years. US authorities claimed they could not find Anderson and India has not pursued his extradition from the US for fear of damaging US investment and trade. However last year with the help of a UK newspaper we tracked him down to a luxury home in Long Island, New York. Life as a corporate criminal in the states is hardly difficult - Anderson's yearly golf club membership alone is 3-4 times the average compensation for a Bhopal survivor.
Possibly spurred by Anderson's discovery and growing protests at home, the Indian Government has formally filed an extradition request with the US. Better 18 years late than never. The order is likely to be ignored by the US and, no doubt, India hopes it can relieve pressure at home while relying on the US inaction.
Just maybe Warren Anderson will be back in Bhopal in time to answer charges in court about the disaster in time for its 20th anniversary. Unlikely, but at least more likely now than any other time in the last 19 years.
And it gets even worse
And when you get tired of killing Indians, you can always screw them as well
One law for the rich
Izzie remembers the whole sad saga very vividly. I guess this incident had a similar influence on Izzie's world view as the Twin Tower attacks had for the younger generations of today. This is the event that finally turned Izzie a very dark shade of green and made her exceedingly suspicious of corporations and business in general. It also confirmed the suspicion about some human beings being more equal than others in the eyes of the world community.
Izzie, while horrified and disgusted, was rather innocent then. She vividly remembers the fifty vultures winging their way from the USA to Bhopal within days of the disaster and thought that they were over in India to help the victims. Turned out that they were rather more interested in the fleece than the flock.
While the Twin Towers attacks were unusual in being an act of malicious ingenious intent - probably one of the first incidences of televised 'live' mass murder - the world's worst Snuff movie and Bhopal was simply yet another example of corporate irresponsibility and wilful negligence if not out and out incompetence, it is the differing fallout from both these events (in particular, the response of the United States Government) that intrigues and disgusts the Iz.
Twenty years on and people in Bhopal are still dying from the effects of the poison leaks. Hardly any compensation has been paid and the new owners Dow - while quite happy to privatize the profits (ie claim the assets of their acquisition) have no interest at all in being responsible for the liabilities - other than the ones that the bean counters have listed in the company books.
And what is the United States response to the awful effects of this corporate weapon of mass destruction? Destruction caused by a corporation based in the USA. Worse than nothing. They are refusing to extradite the man who was the boss of Union Carbide at the time. Of course, Warren Anderson did not personally order the destruction of the city but in the pursuit of profit, certain safety standards were ignored and maintenance was neglected. If a CEO gets share options and bonuses for when a company does well, then they should also take the rap when the shit hits the fan.
Three years on, people in New York and Washington are still traumatized over the attacks and many are still suffering from their injuries. But at least they did not have to wait twenty years for compensation and the survivor's children are probably not suffering from birth defects.
And what is the United States' response to these attacks? They invade and bomb the shit out of a country that had NOTHING to do with it and probably get DOW corporation to supply them with napalm to do it.
This blatant abuse of power is simply beyond belief. And things have not changed. James Hardie are indulging in the very same activities today. The shareholders made lots of money from the sale of asbestos containing products but the scumbag directors use the corporate veil to move the company overseas to avoid legal liability for the compensation of victims - including their own employees. Oh they did leave a compensation fund but made sure that it contained not much more than a handful of peanuts. Oh never mind. The taxpayers can pay for it.
Well - maybe Izzie after a bit more goblin training will finally be able to get to use those 3 Unforgivable Corporate Curses. But unfortunately, it takes lots and lots and lots of practice to perfect the Dark Arts of Legislation, Taxation and Liquidation (and you got to start smalland be very very discrete)
Constant Vigilance!
Fri 01 August 2003
International
George Bush is willing to spend billions, sacrifice many innocent lives, break international laws and dole out summary justice in the pursuit of his misguided 'war on terror'. However if you are a rich American ultimately responsible for the death of more than 20,000 poor people in far off India, you can expect a life of luxury safe from the long arm of the US law.
Warren Anderson, Union Carbide CEO at the time of the world's worst industrial disaster in Bhopal, India, lives a life of luxury in New York State. Anderson has been hiding in the US since an explosion at his company's plant in Bhopal caused the immediate deaths of thousands of people and led to life long suffering for almost 120,000 survivors. He is wanted in India to face charges of culpable homicide over the deaths of 20,000 people since the disaster.
On the night of the disaster, December 3, 1984, an explosion at Union Carbide's pesticide plant caused 40 tonnes of lethal gas to seep into Bhopal. Six safety measures designed to prevent a gas leak had either malfunctioned, were turned off or were otherwise inadequate. In addition, the safety siren, intended to alert the community should an incident occur at the plant, was turned off.
As the Union Carbide boss, Anderson knew about a 1982 safety audit of the Bhopal plant, which identified 30 major hazards. Rather than fix them in Bhopal, only the company's identical plant in the US was fixed. Neglecting these hazards in Bhopal caused the deadly explosion. Anderson flew to India after the disaster but to the company's surprise, police investigating the disaster immediately arrested him. He subsequently jumped bail and was flow by private jet back to the US, never to return to India.
While fleeing the law in India his company abandoned the polluted factory site allowing it to poison Bhopal residents for 18 years. He did not disclose the composition of the poisonous gas (the company still claims this is a trade secret), thus preventing doctors from properly treating the 120,000 people who are still sick. Company lawyers ensured survivors only got between US$300-500 compensation each, if they were 'lucky', for their ruined lives. Dow Chemical took over Union Carbide in 2001 but it claims Union Carbide has 'settled' the issue of Bhopal.
Despite being wanted in India and by Interpol, Indian and US authorities have been inactive for the last 18 years. US authorities claimed they could not find Anderson and India has not pursued his extradition from the US for fear of damaging US investment and trade. However last year with the help of a UK newspaper we tracked him down to a luxury home in Long Island, New York. Life as a corporate criminal in the states is hardly difficult - Anderson's yearly golf club membership alone is 3-4 times the average compensation for a Bhopal survivor.
Possibly spurred by Anderson's discovery and growing protests at home, the Indian Government has formally filed an extradition request with the US. Better 18 years late than never. The order is likely to be ignored by the US and, no doubt, India hopes it can relieve pressure at home while relying on the US inaction.
Just maybe Warren Anderson will be back in Bhopal in time to answer charges in court about the disaster in time for its 20th anniversary. Unlikely, but at least more likely now than any other time in the last 19 years.
And it gets even worse
And when you get tired of killing Indians, you can always screw them as well
One law for the rich
Izzie remembers the whole sad saga very vividly. I guess this incident had a similar influence on Izzie's world view as the Twin Tower attacks had for the younger generations of today. This is the event that finally turned Izzie a very dark shade of green and made her exceedingly suspicious of corporations and business in general. It also confirmed the suspicion about some human beings being more equal than others in the eyes of the world community.
Izzie, while horrified and disgusted, was rather innocent then. She vividly remembers the fifty vultures winging their way from the USA to Bhopal within days of the disaster and thought that they were over in India to help the victims. Turned out that they were rather more interested in the fleece than the flock.
While the Twin Towers attacks were unusual in being an act of malicious ingenious intent - probably one of the first incidences of televised 'live' mass murder - the world's worst Snuff movie and Bhopal was simply yet another example of corporate irresponsibility and wilful negligence if not out and out incompetence, it is the differing fallout from both these events (in particular, the response of the United States Government) that intrigues and disgusts the Iz.
Twenty years on and people in Bhopal are still dying from the effects of the poison leaks. Hardly any compensation has been paid and the new owners Dow - while quite happy to privatize the profits (ie claim the assets of their acquisition) have no interest at all in being responsible for the liabilities - other than the ones that the bean counters have listed in the company books.
And what is the United States response to the awful effects of this corporate weapon of mass destruction? Destruction caused by a corporation based in the USA. Worse than nothing. They are refusing to extradite the man who was the boss of Union Carbide at the time. Of course, Warren Anderson did not personally order the destruction of the city but in the pursuit of profit, certain safety standards were ignored and maintenance was neglected. If a CEO gets share options and bonuses for when a company does well, then they should also take the rap when the shit hits the fan.
Three years on, people in New York and Washington are still traumatized over the attacks and many are still suffering from their injuries. But at least they did not have to wait twenty years for compensation and the survivor's children are probably not suffering from birth defects.
And what is the United States' response to these attacks? They invade and bomb the shit out of a country that had NOTHING to do with it and probably get DOW corporation to supply them with napalm to do it.
This blatant abuse of power is simply beyond belief. And things have not changed. James Hardie are indulging in the very same activities today. The shareholders made lots of money from the sale of asbestos containing products but the scumbag directors use the corporate veil to move the company overseas to avoid legal liability for the compensation of victims - including their own employees. Oh they did leave a compensation fund but made sure that it contained not much more than a handful of peanuts. Oh never mind. The taxpayers can pay for it.
Well - maybe Izzie after a bit more goblin training will finally be able to get to use those 3 Unforgivable Corporate Curses. But unfortunately, it takes lots and lots and lots of practice to perfect the Dark Arts of Legislation, Taxation and Liquidation (and you got to start smalland be very very discrete)
Constant Vigilance!