We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, November 21, 2016

North Dakota Law Enforcement Official: “I’ll ultimately be paid by the oil people…”

Click here to access article by the media collective known as Unicorn Riot

(Note: Unlike corporate media which support the profit and power opportunities of corporations, this media collective supports the interests of the people. We simply must support them and their work. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could unite with other such independent journalist organizations, in a revolutionary bottom-up authority structure, to share resources and skills to become even more effective? This can only happen if we support the efforts of independent journalists and organizations like this to bring us accurate news, information, and views that serves the people's interests instead of the corporations.)

This media collective through their investigative journalism has uncovered evidence that the oil pipeline company may pay North Dakota government agencies for their police work in protecting the company's strongly contested oil pipeline operations through the state. Here is one piece of evidence. Read the article for others.
The “oil company” Falk refers to would appear to be Energy Transfer Partners (ETP)  or its subsidiary, Dakota Access, LLC.  While no direct evidence of ETP or DAPL financing police has yet emerged, this email sent by Falk shows that some North Dakota law enforcement personnel think of themselves as working on the pipeline company’s behalf.
These protests by several hundred Native-American tribes, who are fighting to protect their land and water on the Standing Rock reservation, is being suppressed by law enforcement personnel from public agencies whose ostensible purpose is to serve the public's interest, not those of corporations. But under capitalism, despite all the ruling class pretenses, the reverse is true.

For the latest coverage of this ongoing defense of Native-American land and water, you might be interested in this piece entitled "400 DAPL [Dakota Access Pipeline] protesters ‘trapped on bridge’ as police fire tear gas, water cannon (VIDEO)".