Skip to main content

ATTENTION: This site is no longer active but remains as an archive.

Iraq Veterans Against the War has become About Face: Veterans Against the War. About Face can be found at aboutfaceveterans.org

Iraq Veterans Against the War

Join IVAW

Donate to IVAW

  • About
    • Founding of IVAW
    • Mission, Values, and Vision
    • War in Afghanistan
    • Why We Are against the Wars
    • Resolutions
    • IVAW Timeline
    • Board of Directors
    • Advisory Committee
    • Staff
  • Events
  • Campaigns
    • Operation Recovery
    • Winter Soldier
      • Breakdown of the Military
      • Civilian Testimony
      • Corporate Pillaging
      • Cost of War at Home
      • Crisis in Veterans Healthcare
      • Future of GI Resistance
      • Gender and Sexuality
      • Legacy of GI Resistance
      • Racism and War
      • Response to DoD
      • Rules of Engagement
      • Press Coverage
      • Press Releases
    • Right to Heal
  • Members
  • Resources
    • AWOL
    • Active Duty
    • Conscientious Objector
    • Depleted Uranium
    • History of Resistance
    • IRR Reactivation
    • Lariam
    • PTSD
    • Profiles of Resisters
    • Resources for Veterans
    • Stop Loss
    • Women's Resources
    • Mesothelioma
  • Press
  • Contact
    • Press
    • Speaker Request

Making the Connections between Fracking and War

published by Joyce Wagner on 12/27/11 4:19pm
Posted to: 
Board
On July 25, 2011, Arthur “Jerry” Kramer, Chairman of Empire Government Strategies, addressed a letter to the Executive Director of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Jose Vasquez.  The letter claims that Empire Govt Strategies has been in discussion with veterans’ organizations that are interested in the job possibilities offered by the controversial practice of hydrofracturing, or fracking.  The letter further claims “we believe, and others join us in feeling that veterans organizations should have an interest in supporting hydrofracking because of the job potential and the fact that our continued reliance on foreign oil should be unnecessary.” Our second point of unity states that we believe that veterans should be taken care of when they return from war, which indeed includes jobs and healthcare.  But our third point of unity is reparations and self-determination for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, including an end to corporate pillaging. There is a clear connection between the companies pursuing hydrofracking and the corporations profiting from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. BlackRock Inc. is the biggest hydrofracking investment firm in New York with 38.5 million dollars invested in hydrofracking in that state.  They also encourage their clients to invest in oil and other energy products in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia, to include Iraq and Afghanistan.  They own shares in a number of  corporations who profit from the sacrifices that many of us have made in war, including Chevron. In May 2010, Global Exchange published an alternative annual report on the Chevron Corporation.  This report exposed Chevron’s corrupt political involvement in a number of countries and regions, including Iraq.  The segment on Iraq was written and compiled by former IVAW board member TJ Buonomo and current IVAW advisory board member Antonia Juhasz.  It explains Chevron’s role in catalyzing the illegal war in the name of its own profits, disregarding the value of the lives of our brothers and sisters who would be fighting it.  Additionally, corporations like Blackrock who are profiting from fracking in our own backyards are also deeply invested in Chevron and similar corporations who are making enormous profits oversees. These corporations did not care about our health and safety when they allowed us to sacrifice our minds and bodies – not to mention our brothers and sisters - in the name of their profits, and they do not care about it now.  Not only does fracking destroy drinking water, but it also puts workers and communities at risk from many of the same hazards we have already faced in war, such as explosions and risks to our health and safety. We often return from war with few employable skills and are frequently preyed upon by corporations and contractors eager to put us back into the wars from which we have just returned.  The only difference with hydrofracking is that it’s happening in our own backyards. We gathered in Pittsburgh in September of 2009 during the G20 summit to tell major corporations and world economic leaders that we have already sacrificed too much for their wallets, and that we refuse to continue to sacrifice for their profit.   Many of our members have joined the occupy movement for similar reasons.  Now it'stime to tell hydrofracking investors, energy companies, and their representatives that we’ve sacrificed too much already, and we are not interested in supporting their destructive and irresponsible war on our communities and natural resources, whether foreign or domestic, at any price.

What's wrong with a flip-floppity dovish senator that knows some foreign policy?

 That Commie Pinko, Hanoi John, Worthless Expletive, Jane Fonda wannabe, five-term Senator foreign policy buff John Kerry, as Secretary of State? Where’s that petition to renounce my citizenship? Wait. Wait, wait, and wait...

Executive Director Job Posting/Position Description

As you may have heard in recent communications, our Executive Director, Jose Vasquez, has resigned his position with IVAW. Of course, the Board thanks Jose for his dedication and years of service to IVAW, and has a seat...
Sara Beining's picture

Letter from the Secretary

Dear Members, With every convention, we mark a sort of “new year” for IVAW. We have virtually a brand new board, a new executive committee, and a new Board Chair. The 2012-2013 Board of Directors is as follows: Geoff...
Scott Kimball's picture

'We Will Make Our Voices Heard': Chicago War Resister Speaks Out Against NATO

Published on Tuesday, April 3, 2012 by Common Dreams Link to article: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/04/03-0 'We Will Make Our Voices Heard': Chicago War Resister Speaks Out Against NATO by Sarah Lazare and...

Premeditated

For an act to be premeditated it has to be planned. In the United States we hear about premeditated murder and in some states this has been defined as mere seconds before the criminal act. Our reasoning for going to war with...
Joyce Wagner's picture

The War in Iraq is Not Over

Recently the media has been filled with announcements that the war in Iraq has finally ended.  But in a war fought not only by enlisted foot soldiers, but also largely by corporations, mercenaries, and drones, what...

Pages

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next ›
  • Last »

Supporter Newsletter!

Donations

Make a single donation or become an IVAW sustainer by making your donation a recurring one. Please consider making your generous gift right now.
Donate Online Today!

Speaker Request

Please be advised that we get many speaker requests, but regret that we are sometimes unable to fill them.
Speaker Request

Joining IVAW

Iraq Veterans Against the War is open to Active Duty, National Guard and Reservists who have served since 09/11/2001.
Join IVAW

Navigation

  • About
  • Events
  • Campaigns
  • Committees
  • Chapters
  • Members
  • Resources
  • Contact