Caterpillar's Choice

By Liat Weingart, Sister Valerie Heinonen, and Mary Ann McGivern

On April 14, an American corporation was confronted with the choice of whether or not to examine their role in perpetuating the cycle of violence in the Mideast. An alliance of Catholic nuns and Jewish peace activists teamed up to introduce a shareholder resolution asking Caterpillar, Inc. to conduct an internal investigation to determine if the use of their bulldozers to violate human rights laws goes against corporate policies. In fact, it was the first time ever that a shareholder resolution relating to human rights violations in the occupied territories has been brought before a US corporation. Though the odds against the resolution were tremendous, it still garnered 4% of the vote, enough to be re-introduced next year.

Caterpillar, the industry leader in heavy equipment manufacturing, has put its brand name at risk by becoming the industry leader in transforming construction equipment into military equipment. According to Caterpillar Chairman Jim Owens, in a letter sent to Jewish Voice for Peace on August 22, 2003, Caterpillar bulldozers are sold to Israel through the US Foreign Military Sales Program. In other words, Caterpillar bulldozers are not given to Israel as construction equipment but explicitly as weapons.

The Caterpillar Corporation came under intense fire from human rights groups for their role in providing Israel with bulldozers that were used to destroy part of the Jenin refugee camp in April of 2002 and killing American human rights volunteer Rachel Corrie nearly a year later. Caterpillar bulldozers razed an entire neighborhood in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin to the ground, leaving about 4,000 people, almost a quarter of the camp, homeless. Human Rights Watch later reported that a bulldozer buried a paralyzed man alive in his house, despite pleas from the family for time to save his life and evacuate him. Human Rights Watch said, "The abuses we documented in Jenin are extremely serious, and in some cases appear to be war crimes.

On March 16, 2003, Rachel Corrie, an American from Washington, was killed as she attempted to prevent the destruction of a Palestinian home in Gaza. According to the Investor Responsibility Research Center which provides impartial information on corporate governance and social responsibility, "Corrie was wearing a bright orange vest and yelling at the driver through a bullhorn to stop. . The driver pushed the mount on top of Corrie, ran her over and then backed over her again." Legislation now pending in the House of Representatives is calling for an independent American investigation into her death. The photograph of Corrie before her death, in front of a Caterpillar bulldozer, made front page news worldwide and sparked increasingly negative press reports about the company.

Corrie's death and the destruction of a neighborhood of the Jenin refugee camp shed light on Caterpillar's role in perpetuating the cycle of violence since 1967. According to Israeli human rights groups, Caterpillar bulldozers have been used to demolish over 7,000 homes, making over 50,000 Palestinians homeless. Most homes are demolished for minor permit violations, and only a small percentage of home demolitions involve families of those involved with violence against Israelis. According to Amnesty International, "wanton destruction," including destruction of property in occupied territory, "constitutes a war crime."

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=22&ItemID=5370

All supporters of Israel buy Cat stock.

From the article:

"An alliance of Catholic nuns and Jewish peace activists teamed up to introduce a shareholder resolution asking Caterpillar, Inc. to conduct an internal investigation to determine if the use of their bulldozers to violate human rights laws goes against corporate policies. In fact, it was the first time ever that a shareholder resolution relating to human rights violations in the occupied territories has been brought before a US corporation. Though the odds against the resolution were tremendous, it still garnered 4% of the vote, enough to be re-introduced next year."

Why are you opposed to that?

Violet...

n/t

96-4.

I didn't ask what the vote of Caterpillar shareholders was. Now, would you like to answer the question I asked you?


Violet...

It's pretty difficult to explain why you would be opposed to even an investigation into human rights abuses. I'd be thinking if there wasn't something to claims that the equipment is being used to violate human rights, then 'supporters of Israel' wouldn't have any problem with an investigation of that sort...


Violet...

Should Chrysler investigate how its autos are used elsewhere? How about Dell and its computers? Or Starbucks? Should they check and see if foreign soldiers are caffeinated?

This is just another pro-Palestinian dodge that failed miserably.

Caterpillar equipment is being used to kill people in the Occupied Territories. I don't recall a cup of Starbucks coffee demolishing homes and crushing people, though if you do have any stories about that, feel free to share them...

No, that's no 'pro-Palestinian dodge'. It's people who actually care about other human beings regardless of their skin colour, ethnicity, etc, and who don't want to see their human rights violated. Anyone who cared the slightest about the human rights of others wouldn't have a problem with any investigation being carried out...

Violet...

Nothing more, nothing less.

It failed miserably. And deservedly so.

This is like pulling teeth. The question I've asked you and which you've failed to answer is Why do YOU oppose any investigation into human rights abuses...

So far the responses (not answers to the question asked) have been:

Caterpillar shareholders voted.

They don't want to investigate Starbucks!

and now

because the law says so!

Tell me, Muddle. So you agree with every US law, no matter how much it works to encourage human rights abuses outside of the US? Back when US law denied the vote to Afro-Americans, that was okay with you just because it was the law?

I want to know YOUR opinion on why YOU think human rights violations shouldn't be investigated. You said the vote failed and 'deservedly so'. Why was it 'deservedly so'?


Violet...

Nor the responsibility, nor anything else.

If the UN wishes to investigate alleged rights abuses, let it. That is not the job of corporate America.

Again, this was simply an end run on the boycott law. It failed. Yey!

While corporate America wouldn't bat an eyelid at sending equipment that rains death and destruction on oppressed people elsewhere, it should be their responsibility to give a bit of a shit about human rights being violated with their equipment. I really don't understand why you'd go 'yey!' about thinking it's okay to violate human rights like that. Well, I think I do understand why, but I won't go into that because I don't want my post deleted :)

btw, you didn't answer the question about whether you would have agreed with US laws that denied voting rights to Afro-Americans just because it was law. I'd be interested in seeing a response to that...

Violet...

Throughout the world.

I can just see a guy wearing the CAT hat running down the street in Botswana, complaining about how the equipment is being used.

That's silly and a ridiculous expectation for companies.

As for the other question. Citizenship in the U.S. is accorded to those who are born here. So those laws violated the Constitution.

GE, Raytheon, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman - all companies that profit from death and destruction. All eager for your investment bucks.

Though it's tough to argue with the Caterpillar advertising. Big macho bulldozers crashing through homes and market stalls (and the occasional civillian).

Makes for a 'warm and fuzzy', and suitably progressive, portfolio.

http://www.stopcat.org/

Caterpillar FAQ

<snip>


What’s Caterpillar got to do with Palestine?
The Israeli Occupation Forces frequently destroy the homes of already impoverished Palestinian civilians. According to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (www.icahd.org/eng)*: since the beginning of Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the West Bank in 1967, Israel has destroyed over 10,000 buildings, leaving 50,000 men, women and children homeless. What is the IOF’s choice weapon in its home demolition campaign? Specially armored D9, D10 and D11 Caterpillar bulldozers. On March 16, 2003, Rachel Corrie, an American student volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, was murdered by an IOF soldier driving a Caterpillar bulldozer as she attempted to stop an illegal home demolition in the Rafah district of Gaza. For more information on Rachel, visit: www.palsolidarity.org
*Many believe that the total number of Palestinian homes destroyed is far higher that the estimate of the ICAHD.

<snip>

What does all this have to do with me?
The Caterpillar bulldozers that destroy Palestinian homes are partially financed by your tax dollars. Israel is the world’s largest beneficiary of U.S. military and economic aid. It receives over five billion dollars a year and 75% of this is spent on arms and equipment from U.S. corporations. As U.S. taxpayers, we need to take personal responsibility for ensuring that our money is not used to support brutality, oppression and military occupation. In the wake of September 11, it is vital that we promote peace, democracy and social justice in the Middle East and around the world. We unequivocally support our UAW brothers and sisters in their struggle for a fair contract. We do not, however, support the executives of Caterpillar in their decision to sell D9, D10 and D11 bulldozers to the Israeli military with the full knowledge that they are used as a weapon in illegal home demolitions.



What is this campaign asking of Caterpillar?
We demand that Caterpillar cease all sales to the Israeli military and government!
We demand that James Owens, CAT CEO, meet with a small delegation (including the parents of Rachel Corrie) at 3:00 PM on Friday April 23 in Peoria during the “International Day of Action Against Caterpillar”!
We demand a fair contract for CAT workers represented by the UAW!

Is the campaign winnable?
Yes! Unlike arms manufacturers, Caterpillar sells mostly to civilians, and it has many customers in the Arab world. Sales to the IOF represent a small part of Caterpillar’s total business. So the company may well be willing to give up its IOF contracts in order to maintain its standing with Arab and Western civilian customers.