An interview with George Draffan

February 19, 2005

NOTE: Images in this archived article have been removed.
Image Removed George Draffan is a forest activist, public interest investigator, and corporate muckraker. He has worked as a carpenter, landscaper, and librarian. He is the author or co-author of Cascadia Wild, Railroads & Clearcuts, The Elite Consensus, Strangely Like War, Welcome to the Machine, and several activist research manuals. He is a freelance researcher and writer for citizens and public interest groups. Some of his work can be found at www.endgame.org

I interviewed him over email at the end of January, 2005.

 

Aric McBay: When I look at the news about Peak Oil and energy issues in the corporate-owned media, I am assured that I have nothing to worry about. If I look deeper, I might hear that there may be problems a few decades from now, but that the “experts” will have solved the problems by then. If I really dig, I might hear that the “solution” involves corporations converting to “green” companies — like British Petroleum’s advertising campaign to rebrand themselves as “Beyond Petroleum” — and building an electrical renewable infrastructure that will require no effort or change on my part. Why do we hear this “take it easy” message instead of the more serious truths coming out of the independent media? How are those in power able to influence a supposedly investigative and democratic media?

George Draffan: The media isn’t democratic and its purpose is not to investigate and provide a public service. Its purpose is to sell advertising, and that means entertainment: violence, sex, consumer products. It sometimes does that by “investigating” scandal or controversy, but sensational reporting is serving a commercial purpose. There are lots of ways to influence the media, but owning it is the best.

The industrial lifestyle depends on technology and anything that questions technology as an ultimate solutions to all our problems is a threat. The green consumer approach is palatable to advertisers, which include auto and oil companies, and it’s palatable to the consumer. Few Americans or Europeans want to reduce their consumption to the level of the average person.

For full interview please go to the In The Wake website: www.inthewake.org/draffan1.html


Tags: Activism, Fossil Fuels, Oil, Overshoot, Politics