Once again the Forest Industry and Rimbunan Hijau (RH) through its “news”paper the Daily Log aka The National marched out industry guru Alan “Bozo” Oxley to try convince ..............well actually we don’t know who they are trying to convince - themselves I guess - that the forests of PNG are in no danger of disappearing despite the rapaciousness of RH throughout the country.
In yesterday’s hilarious article in the Daily Log entitled “Consultant Discards Myth of Forestry” one knew right away - oh oh - here’s comes Oxley the clown setting the record straight on all those terrible people and especially NGO’s who are creating “myths”.
Before I even had my morning coffee the PNG chat rooms, blogs and my personal emails were laughing at the article. The funny thing is, as so many of you alluded to yesterday is that neither RH or the Forest Industry have a clue about how these articles are being perceived. They actually think people are buying Oxley’s rant. I loved the two sites which have decided to put Oxley’s quotes out as a site on its own - good stuff people! And as you rightly post Oxley is so far up the butt of the industry that the industry doesn’t see him and what he says for what it is. I am sure Greenpeace (who seems to be a favorite target of Oxley the Clown) could fund raise quite successfully just posting his rants, which I understand they are beginning to do. About time Greenpeace. Go for it.
Now just so the newer readers among you are clear Oxley - you’re gonna love this - is an Australian “lobbyist”, former “trade representative” and former “Ambassador” (ooooooohhhh that makes him the man doesn’t it?) who heads the World Growth Institute (WGI). We kid you NOT - that is the name of the institute. In a time when even capitalists themselves are questioning growth, good ole Ox heads an institute calling for more of the cancer cell philosophy. Oxley also owns (whoa!!!!!) International Trade Strategies Global (ITS). And here’s a surprise (NOT!) ITS has “close associations” with several politically conservative US think tanks including the American Enterprise Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute and biggest Luddites of them all the Heritage Foundation.
ITS is in the pockets of NOT only RH, but frequently funded in mega dollars multinational logging, woodpulp and oil plam corporations. The financial supporters of ITS include parent corporations, producing paper and wood products under the ageis of “Asian Pulp & Paper” among others. WGI often lobbies public opinion on the behalf of Sinar Mas Holdings, a conglomerate of mostly Indonesian logging and wood-pulp and oil palm companies, one of the companies which is facing expulsion by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for “serious non-compliance with RSPO Code of Conduct with respect to environmental and social sustainability guidelines.” You get the picture.
Oh - and in an interview with Malaysia’s The Star newspaper, in which Ox the Clown strongly advocated further oil palm expansion in that country, he refused to answer a direct question (Ox and companies can not stand direct questions - lowers his massive income from the industries) as to whether he or WGI was supported by Malaysian palm oil industry. Are you ready for Ox response? Why the Ox man said the question was “immaterial”. Oh yes he did. Because he thinks he can get away with it and he keeps his cash cow bosses happy. Ah Ox man - a bit of advice to you and to your bosses - no one outside the industry takes you seriously. No one - you really are an international joke.
But Ox doesn’t care - he laughs all the way to the bank - right Ox man? Well as my granddaddy used to say about people like Alan Oxley “ we know what they are boy - we just don’t know the price”.
Yep - Grand dad was right - but with Ox we do know some of the prices especially from RH.
You can see Oxley when he comes to PNG usually hanging at the Airways Hotel. We’ll let you know the next time he drops in - go have a laugh. You won’t miss him - he’ll be the one looking way to self-important in other words the clown.