Divide and conquer in the 21st century

The concept is far from new, but the application of it certainly has taken on a modern twist. Or perhaps it's more a combination of two tried and true devices: divide and conquer and achieving a large objective in small bites. Either way, it is proving successful.

The first step in this new stratagem also is tried and true, but also with a new twist. Long ago it was established that success lies in appealing to the selfish interest, or as seems to have worked vis-a-vis the coal industry, not appealing to it, but rather in attacking that which is not at risk as a selfish interest to other segments of the industry.

A case in point. Other than the very young, everyone in coal should remember well the first round of emission limitations. Those in the high sulfur areas of Appalachia and the rest of the East raised voices of doom over the ramifications to their segment of the coal industry. Those in the South and West raised whispers and privately rubbed their hands in anticipation of a windfall. What was a bane to one was seen a boon for the other. That was one boon that went boom. There no longer is jubilation among the low sulfur producers of the East.

The point is, the anti-coal forces didn’t appeal to the selfish interest of the low sulfur Appalachian producers, they simply attacked the high sulfur producers in, which the low sulfur producers had no selfish interest, and they divided and conquered.

Now it’s mountaintop mining, strictly a southern West Virginia issue, at least, if you will pardon the pun, on the surface. No need of the underground folks being alarmed, quite the contrary. The proponents of putting an end to mountaintop mining early on touted this as an initiative to increase underground mining by not allowing companies to surface mine those resources. Also, this is a West Virginia issue, not an industry issue. Again, divide and conquer.

Apparently they never considered, or they were convinced those who longed for a resurgence in underground mining never would consider, that the companies who were expected to make huge investments in expanded and new facilities may have opportunities elsewhere with better prospects for a reasonable return on those investments; places called the Powder River Basin and overseas.

The governor of West Virginia, Cecil Underwood, and the state’s congressional delegation immediately entered the fray. On the federal and state level, pressure is being brought to bear and solutions are being sought to remedy the economic catastrophe the judge’s ruling makes inevitable. And the impact this can have on neighboring and other coal producing states is being recognized.

As Mike Musulin, president of the Kentucky Coal Association, expressed it: “Judge Hadens ruling gave us three or four days of prosperity before they come and kill us with restrictions based on that ruling." Even though Judge Charles Haden stayed his ruling until the appeal is heard in Richmond, Va., a process that some say could take up to six months, any immediate relief the stay may bring is temporary at best, and non-existent at worst. What company is going to go forward with a major investment based on a temporary reprieve? None of whom we are aware.

But there is a glimmer of hope. As intimated in Musulin’s comment, and evidenced by the quick and continued action of the West Virginia congressional delegation and its governor, this time the anti-coal forces may have miscalculated. This time, rather than divide the industry, they actually may have begun the unification of it. Just as Musulin recognizes, what is a problem for the West Virginia coal industry is a problem for the entire coal industry. History leaves no doubt about it, either united we stand, or divided we fall, and the industry cant leave West Virginia to fight this battle alone. CA

“HISTORY LEAVES NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, EITHER UNITED WE STAND, OR DIVIDED WE FALL, AND THE INDUSTRY CAN’T LEAVE WEST VIRGINIA TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE ALONE.”