Weekly News- Egypt, Koch Brothers, Fracking and More

The Egyptian People Rise Up!                                 photo credit: Avaaz

"  Citizens protesting in the streets from Greece to England, and more demonstrably, from Tunisia to Egypt, may be revolting for national reasons and against individual governments, but they share a common bond. They are revolting against a world that lines the pockets of rich deal-makers while sticking the tab to ordinary people. That bond is global". 


1. As we watch the unfolding drama in Egypt, our hearts go out to the struggling masses yearning for  more equitable and freer lives. Mubarak's thugs have been targeting journalists and attacking the nonviolent protesters. Here is a take on the unrest that rarely makes it into the news.

2. The Koch Brothers Exposed!

Thanks to Greenpeace!

For years the Koch brothers have been funding conservative think tanks, have given $54.9 million to climate denying organizations and most recently, they helped start Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Works which got the Tea Party rolling. They are multi-billionaires who want to be even richer at the expense of the people and the earth. Here's a Jim Hightower article on what happened recently at an exclusive resort where the Kochs and their super rich friends were meeting. Fifteen hundred protesters showed up and no one could ignore the blimp flying overhead!

3. I mentioned to some friends recently how one of Bremmer's Orders after the Iraq invasion was to prevent farmers there from saving seed- setting them up for a Monsanto invasion. Here's a video that describes the death of farming in the Fertile Crescent.



4. Subject line: Diesel Oil in your drinking water?

If we want to protect New York's drinking water from risky natural gas drilling, we need to act now.

The New York Times just reported on a Congressional investigation into hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), a drilling method that threatens our water supply and our environment. The investigation reported that companies including Halliburton have been pumping tens of millions of gallons of diesel oil into our water supply as part of the fracking procedure.

After grassroots pressure from tens of thousands of concerned New Yorkers, the State Senate approved a moratorium on fracking this summer. But it's time to tell Gov. Cuomo that a moratorium isn't enough -- we need to ban fracking permanently in New York before our water supply becomes contaminated.

I just signed the petition sponsored by the Working Families Party telling Gov. Cuomo to ban fracking. Will you join me? Just go to:

http://action.workingfamiliesparty.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3271


5. Back to Egypt- so relieved to see the massive protests in Egypt are peaceful so far today. But no doubt, this is a time for a radical change in our foreign policy that is economically breaking our nation, creating enemies and is antithetical to true American values. "Wake Up Call for U.S. Empire: Egypt an Opportunity for a Transformational New Beginning"

Please sign the world wide petition to show you are standing with the people of Egypt!