Editorial There is so much to do! As we look inward to ourselves to create our resolutions for 2015, we might consider a second category of resolutions. What are we going to do to make the world a better place? It’s fine to strive to eat less, eat healthy, exercise more, stay active and involved, remain calm and positive while helping others, but there is a bigger picture. We have an obligation to our fellow man, all our brothers and sisters on this Spaceship Earth, to pollute less, conserve more, re-use, repurpose and recycle, contact our elected officials with our views and opinions, remain engaged in the political process on the city, state and federal levels. Otherwise, the current oligarchy, made up of overly-influential corporations and the uber-rich, will continue to buy politicians and run away with our democracy. Case in point--the Koch Brothers, whose corporation is named Koch Industries. According to Wikipedia, “The company was renamed Koch Industries in 1968 in honor of Fred Koch, the year after his death. At that time, it was primarily an engineering firm with part interest in the Pine Bend Refinery in Minnesota, a crude oil-gathering system in Oklahoma, and some cattle ranches. “In 1968, Charles approached Union Oil of California about buying their interest in Great Northern Oil Company and its Pine Bend Refinery but the discussions quickly stalled after Union asked for a large premium. In 1969, Union Oil began trying to market their interest in Great Northern by telling potential buyers that Koch’s controlling interest could be thwarted by currying favor with another owner, J. Howard Marshall II. When Marshall discovered this he threw his lot in with Koch, they together acquired a majority interest in the company and ultimately bought Union’s interest. “Ownership of Pine Bend refinery led to several new businesses and capabilities, including chemicals, fibers, polymers, asphalt and other commodities such as petroleum coke and sulfur. These were followed by global commodity trading, gas liquids processing, real estate, pulp and paper, risk management and finance.” Google the list of products that come from Koch Industries, and know that every time you purchase any of these items, you undermine American freedom and democracy. ~ Steve Carlson, Editor
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 00:33:52 +0000
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