Just in case anyone might not be noticing stuff in Iraq right now:
The private security firm, Blackwater, was banned from operations in Baghdad today. This edict was handed down by the new Iraqi government. You can bet your butt that soon, like probably later today, our government here will stomp all over the power of the purportedly much-longed-for, self-governing Iraq, and will put Blackwater right back in business.
Listen: Here is one of the ways i understand the world:
I go to work everyday with people (including me sometimes) that will accept an hour's pay in return for not a full hour's work. This is dishonest.
I know folks who won't give the cashier girl's accidental over-payment at the grocery store back. I know folks that cheat on their income tax. I know people who think that when it comes to selling a house or a car that it was okay not to tell the buyer about the flooding in the basement or the bad transmission because, well, hey, they forgot to ask. This is dishonest.
I know people that cheat insurance companies. I know insurance companies cheat people. I know doctors that overcharge. I know company owners that bribe city officials. I am certain that lobbyists are responsible for all kinds of decisions that voters would never make simply because the lobbyists paid. These things, too, are dishonest.
I know insider trading happens to the tunes of millions. I know that Enron bilked an entire state out of billions of dollars. I know that there is a fortune to be made in war.
I mention all this stuff, this continuum, because it tells me something: it tells me that if i know people--including me--who are willing to do something like lie and cheat over a few lousy dollars on their paycheck, how could i possibly expect anything different when it comes to people dealing with millions and billions of dollars?
I do not for one second trust anything our current administration does in Iraq. I'm pretty sure a whole lot of that stuff is dishonest.
10 years ago
1 comment:
War is more important to Bush than millions of uninsured children (he turned down the bill and used the money to buy more weapons), and victims of the hurricane in Louisiana, victims of the Tsunami in Indonesia (the US gave the least amount in aid). High gas prices are not due to shortages but another way to bilk Americans of their money to fund the war. The Arabs see this kind of thing as another example of Western Imperialism, and rightly so. Marshal law, a police state, has never succeeded in anything but provoking aggression and violence, senseless deaths, torture and human rights violations. Bush is also responsible for torture and ill treatment of P.O.W.'s in Guantanamo Bay and in Afghanistan, in spite of the Geneva Convention's policy on humane treatment of P.O.W.s. Bush isn't concerned with Iraqis self-governing themselves because he does not respect their rights as a people and nation, and he is only prolonging agony and increasing the death rate of Americans and Iraqis; and whether or not the Sunnis and Shiites are equally represented in their government or continue to fight is not something any Westerner will ever solve, since they have fought amongst each other since 680!!! There is no human element in Bush's policies, other than corpses. He needed to be impeached long ago.
PS. James bought a vintage Ludwig Kingston 5-string, mint condition, for $91 (including shipping), it doesn't sound like crap, has a lovely tone, no tinny sound or rattling, goat skin top (not mylar), steel resonator, mahogany back, rosewood arm rest, and after a bit of research (the goat skin with the very subtle leather grain gave us a hint), we found it was made by the Ludwig Drum Company circa 1925-30's and is worth $750-900! Lovely instrument!
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