Guitar lovers may find this interesting. According to the Associated Press, Gibson Guitar “agreed to pay a $300,000 penalty, forfeit claims to about $262,000 worth of wood seized by federal agents and contribute $50,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to promote the conservation of protected tree species.”
The offense was importing exotic woods which violated environmental law. Gibson was using such woods as Madagascar ebony, which environmentalists consider being over-harvested. But the offense is based on U.S. laws. Harvesting and exporting ebony wood is legal in Madagascar and India. Aren’t those countries the best judges of whether or not their resources are being over-harvested?
What are the consequences of this prosecution? Gibson Guitar not only has been penalized but also has lost access to a critical component of their famous product. Guitar lovers now have fewer choices. And those who harvest and export ebony in Madagascar and India have lost a customer, possibly even jobs.
So is the Obama Administration now outsourcing radical environmentalism? And unemployment?
