Pundits like Lou Dobbs have likened the ongoing pressure by Mexican nationals pushing through our porous southern border to an invasion of the USA. Huge sums of money through Homeland Security mount an attempt to repel this ‘invasion.’
But when the threat comes to our northern border, it is met with indifference or encouragement. The threat from Canada is not from masses seeking to improve their economic condition or to better the education of their children. No, the northern threat is in the form of a highly toxic sludge of Canadian tar sands pushed under pressure along a 2,000+ mile-long pipeline, the Keystone XL pipeline.
When this pipeline breaks catastrophically or springs small leaks, it poisonous ooze can contaminate streams, wells and entire aquifers from Montana to the Texas Gulf Coast. This dirty oil can be refined in Texas, but it is not our oil and will not contribute to our energy independence. It contributes to Canada’s export balance and energy independence.
Like it fraternal twin, the current frenzy of fracking, the tar sands pipeline is but another profit-motivated grab by the corporate state in the latest of its last-gasp efforts to exploit the environment until the very life is wrung from our planet. It is a wholesale disposal of our well-being to boost the bottom line of a trans-national entity, a corporate ‘person’ without loyalty to any nation.
Studies have indicated that not only may the pipeline result in only handfuls of jobs, in the long run, it may destroy jobs. With the apparent short-sightedness of expecting an immediate reverse in the unemployment numbers as the result of the pipeline, both President Obama and Gov. Romney fully support this invasion of our country. Not that anyone is surprised that both are willing to ignore the real security of our homeland when corporate arms extend an ‘ata boy’ reach across their shoulders.
As an aside, it is my guess that the popularity of such apocalyptic TV shows as “The Walking Dead” can be explained by a widespread feeling that something is about to destroy us and zombies give our fears a focus. The slashing and shooting of these walking dead by the remnant of survivors gives viewers the sense that we can defend ourselves against a lethal enemy. In truth the enemy is indeed a dead ‘person,’ i.e., a ‘person’ without empathy for its fellows and they are a horde. The enemy is a plague of corporate ‘persons.’
In the interest of all of us right now and our descendants, it is time to tell the oligarchs and corporate cartels: “No, we’ve had enough!”
Sanchismos 
I like the analogy of corporations as the walking dead – these “people” have more rights than real people. And few of the responsibilities. I just don’t get why Romney and the Republicans continue to have as many followers as they do.
I’m puzzled by it too Cindy.