Memo to David Brooks: Francis Is Not Naïve for Criticizing Capitalism

Memo to David Brooks: Francis Is Not Naïve for Criticizing Capitalism Peter Laarman: What begins in the column as praise for Francis ends as a patronizing lecture on the virtuous dynamism of the market system. READ MORE shared from

THURSDAY, 25 JUNE 2015 Memo to David Brooks: Francis Is Not Naïve for Criticizing Capitalism Peter Laarman: What begins in the column as praise for Francis ends as a patronizing lecture on the virtuous dynamism of the market system READ MORE Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend After He Leaves, What Will They Say About Obama’s Foreign Policy? Murray Polner: Obama was going to be different, or so we hoped. The hundreds of thousands who joyously hailed him in Grant Park and the 1.5 million who turned out for his first inauguration were ecstatic with anticipation. The policies of the past were dead and gone. Or so we innocents thought. READ HERE The Fallout From TPP Michael Hertz: If you've kept up at all on the tortured legislative history of TPP, you understand that what has occurred shows how divided the country and both major parties have become. READ MORE Weeding Roses in Kabul Martha Hennessy: Of the estimated two million child laborers in Afghanistan, 60,000 work in Kabul, competing for meager wages. They sell bread and shine shoes on the streets to support their families so that they may eat. READ MORE Pieces of Cloth Larry Wines: Let's recognize that any time we have divided ourselves — which is usually because somebody, powerful enough to do it, excluded some of us from making our contributions — we have been diminished. READ HERE

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THE FIGHT AGAINST TPP IS FAR FROM OVER

Dear FRIEND, We fought hard, but Congress passed fast track. Take the next step: Demand fair trade, not toxic trade! We put in an incredible fight, but big polluters got their way on fast track. Fortunately, the larger fight against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and for fair and responsible trade is far from over. A bill to fast-track toxic trade deals that could threaten climate progress just passed through Congress. We're disappointed with this outcome, but thanks to the work of people like you, our movement is stronger and more powerful than ever before. We made this a tough vote by demonstrating that the public rejects bad trade deals that devastate communities and the environment. What's next? We're not going away! We'll now work directly to defeat the toxic Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) once and for all, and we'll keep fighting to make sure the trade deal with Europe, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), doesn't turn into another toxic polluter giveaway. The passage of fast track makes both of these fights harder, but it only makes us more determined. Add your name to our petition to demand fair trade, not toxic trade! Let us know you're still with us in this fight. We've made incredible progress over the last few months.Sierra Club supporters sent more than 350,000 messages to Congress, made more than 10,000 phone calls, and organized and attended events across the country opposing fast track. More people than ever before are aware of the dangers posed by free trade pacts like the TPP to our environment and climate. An incredible movement is mobilizing against toxic trade and for responsible trade. Climate activists stood side by side with labor, food safety, human rights, and internet freedom activists, speaking out against this toxic fast track bill. With the support of people like you, we will continue to stand with our friends to fight toxic trade deals and we will win. In the coming months the TPP may come to Congress for a vote and the negotiations for TTIP are at a critical point. We came so close to defeating fast track. If we keep up the momentum and turn this movement we've created into a crescendo of voices calling for responsible trade and against toxic trade, we will ultimately prevail. Fight back against big polluters. Add your name now to demand fair trade, not toxic trade! Thank you for your continued efforts to protect our environment and build a new model of trade. Sincerely, Michael Brune, Executive Director Sierra Club P.S. After you take action, be sure to forward this alert to your friends and colleagues! Share this action on Facebook Share this action on Twitter

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Create a basic income guarantee for everyone.

Create a basic income guarantee for everyone.  Share this action on Facebook  Share this action on Twitter The Charleston massacre has elevated the issue of venomous racism, and will hopefully bring down flags and other symbols of white racism. Meanwhile, just as there is no excuse for racism, there is no excuse for poverty in a country as wealthy as ours. Poverty is a huge problem among Americans of all races -- but it is very disproportionately a problem for African-Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. Let's do something about it: Click here. In the year 2000, the typical white family held a net worth six times greater than the typical black family. That gap has now more than doubled. As wealth disparity increases across the board, so does racial wealth disparity (with the 400 wealthiest Americans possessing more wealth than half the country). The median white household now has 13 times the wealth of the median black household and 10 times that of the median Latino household.[1] With 10% of whites in the U.S. officially in poverty, for blacks it's 27% and for Latinos 24%. Click here to sign a petition to begin to change this. One way to address the legacy of slavery and racism that creates the racial wealth disparity would be to acknowledge the worth of every human being by creating a basic income guarantee. A basic income guarantee is an idea whose time has come in our country. Alaska has a form of it with oil money going to all citizens. Proposed by Thomas Paine, Martin Luther King Jr., President Richard Nixon and many others throughout history, a basic income guarantee could eliminate poverty, reduce bureaucracy, reduce inequality, and reduce crime and desperation. While other countries have been creating basic income guarantees, the United States is lagging behind. It's time to put such guarantees on the national agenda. Click here. After signing the petition, please forward this message to your friends. You can also share it from the webpage after taking the action yourself. -- The RootsAction.org Team P.S. RootsAction is an independent online force endorsed by Jim Hightower, Barbara Ehrenreich, Cornel West, Daniel Ellsberg, Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein, Bill Fletcher Jr., Laura Flanders, former U.S. Senator James Abourezk, Coleen Rowley, Frances Fox Piven, Lila Garrett, Phil Donahue, Sonali Kolhatkar, and many others. P.P.S. This work is only possible with your financial support. Please donate. Footnote: 1. Pew Research Center: Wealth inequality has widened along racial, ethnic lines since end of Great Recession Background: Remapping Debate: Guaranteed Income's Moment in the Sun www.RootsAction.org

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Curious coincidence involving Shell, Iran, Noble Corp and $2.16 billion

Curious coincidence involving Shell, Iran, Noble Corp and $2.16 billion

Jun 25th, 2015

by John Donovan. 

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FROM A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR

The former owners of the Frontier drilling company sold their rigs to Noble for $2.16 billion in 2010. Given that their fleet of five vessels consisted of ancient rust buckets which were fit only for the scrapyard, this has always seemed like an inordinately large sum. The five vessels had been acquired by Frontier for about $100 million. The only client of Frontier was Shell. See http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/06/28/us-noblecorp-idUSTRE65R2C520100628 . (See below)

Noble operated two rigs for Shell in Alaska (Discoverer and Kulluk) during the disastrous 2012 drilling campaign. In spite of their performance in 2012, Noble will once again be operating the Discoverer (now over 50 years old) during the upcoming drilling campaign. Discoverer is one of the rust buckets that Noble acquired from Frontier.  

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Posted in: Alaska, Arctic, Chukchi Sea, Environment, Iran, Oil, Royal Dutch Shell Plc,Shell, United States.
Tagged: Alaska · Arctic Ocean · BP · Chukchi Sea · Environment · Iran · Kulluk · Noble Discoverer · Royal Dutch Shell Plc · Shell

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Shell Executives Visit Tehran for Projects If Sanctions End

Shell Executives Visit Tehran for Projects If Sanctions End

Jun 25th, 2015 

by John Donovan. 

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by Javier Blas 24 June 2015

Royal Dutch Shell Plc executives have visited Tehran to discuss possible partnerships, the latest sign that the largest oil companies are serious about returning to Iran once a deal on the country’s nuclear program is done.

The meeting with Iranian officials covered its outstanding debt to National Iranian Oil Co. and possible areas of business cooperation, the company said in an e-mailed statement Wednesday. Shell owed $2.16 billion as of the end of 2014 for oil it wasn’t able to pay Iran for because of sanctions, according to its annual report.

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Posted in: Ben van Beurden, Bloomberg, Gas, Iran, Oil, Oil Prices, Reuters, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Total.
Tagged: Ben van Beurden · Gas · Iran · Oil · Royal Dutch Shell Plc · Shell · Total

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Shell flotilla begins assembling in Dutch Harbor

Shell flotilla begins assembling in Dutch Harbor

Jun 25th, 2015

by John Donovan. 

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BY TIM BRADNER, ALASKA JOURNAL OF COMMERCE: 24 June 2015

“Once again, Shell is up to their old tricks, deliberately ignoring federal regulations. We urge President Obama to cancel Shell’s lease and prevent them from drilling in the Chukchi Sea,”

Dutch Harbor will be busy in the next couple of weeks as Shell’s Arctic drill fleet converges on the Aleutians port, prior to heading north for the Chukchi Sea.

Shell’s spill containment barge Arctic Challenger is already in Dutch Harbor, having arrived June 14, and the semi-submersible mobile drill rig Polar Pioneer is now en route from Seattle, Shell spokeswoman Meg Baldino said June 23.

A second drilling vessel, Noble Discoverer, is meanwhile still in port at Everett, Wash., making preparations to sail to Dutch Harbor.

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Posted in: Alaska, Arctic, Chukchi Sea, Climate Change, Environment, Greenpeace, Gulf of Alaska, John Donovan, Oil Spill, Pollution, President Obama, Royal Dutch Shell Plc,Shell, United States.
Tagged: Alaska · Alaska Journal · Arctic Ocean · Chukchi Sea · Environment · Oil · Royal Dutch Shell Plc · Shell

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BREAKING: Supreme Court Will Not Take Away Health Care From Millions Of Americans

BREAKING: Supreme Court Will Not Take Away Health Care From Millions Of Americans

BY TARA CULP-RESSLER POSTED ON JUNE 25, 2015 AT 10:09 AM

CREDIT: AP PHOTO/ANDREW HARNIK

The closely watched case represents the second time that the Affordable Care Act has withstood a major constitutional challenge. In 2012, the Roberts Court upheld the law’s individual mandate, which paved the way for Obamacare to be implemented on a state level.By a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court decided on Monday to avoid a major disruption to the insurance market by leaving in place the Affordable Care Act’s current tax subsidies. The decision preserves financial assistance for the Americans purchasing insurance plans through Obamacare’s federally-run marketplaces, effectively maintaining affordable access to health carefor millions of people whose coverage was thrown into question by the King v. Burwell case.

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Stop union busting - support the online campaign

The right join a trade union of your own choosing is a basic human right. It is enshrined in international law, in the eight core conventions adopted by the International Labour Organization. The World Bank recognizes this, and through the International Finance Corporation (IFC), provides financial support to private sector companies which have agreed to recognize this right.  The loans and support those companies receive is dependent upon their acceptance of workers' rights, including the right of workers to choose their own unions. So why is the IFC financially supporting a company like SFI in Malaysia, which refuses to allow workers to join the union they want? SFI is defying an order of the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources and is in clear breach of the ILO conventions with its refusal to recognise the Sabah Timber Industry Employees Union (STIEU). Instead, the company is insisting it will only recognize an in-house union it controls. In India, the same company does recognize unions.  But not in Malaysia. We've been asked by the local union through its global union federation, Building and Wood Workers' International, to mobilize thousands of union members around the world to send messages of protest to the company. Please take a moment to send your message today: http://www.labourstart.org/go/sfi And then, please share this with your friends, family and fellow union members. Together, we can persuade SFI to do the right thing, and support our brothers and sisters in the forests of Malaysia. Thank you! Eric Lee

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