An unpublished, 513-page federal history of the U.S.-led reconstruction of Iraq depicts an effort crippled before the invasion by Pentagon planners who were hostile to the idea of rebuilding a foreign country.
The reconstruction effort is being hampered by fake numbers, mismanaged funds, ill-thought out plans, technical ineptness, poor organizational structure, political turf wars, personal greed, and a ‘cover-your-ass’ mentality. Our economic leadership has been guilty of the same short-comings. This is yet another legacy that Bush cannot hide from.
The only ‘success’ that has come out of the rebuilding effort thus far can be claimed by the CEOs of the construction companies and building-materials suppliers that were given contracts by a corrupted bidding system. Contractors working in Iraq know they are being paid for slip-shod work and they are well aware of the mismanagement of funds and lack of over-sight. Yet their conscience will be placated by the overly exaggerated paychecks they receive. Paychecks funded in part by their fellow Americans’ tax dollars.
These ‘leaders of industry’, these so-called ‘professionals’ were given the task of rebuilding Iraq and the single most driving force to ‘win’ the contract was not in producing quality workmanship, but in how to make the most money for themselves. How to set up companies and an infrastructure that would funnel the most money into their own pockets.
The only ‘success’ to come out of the banking system bailout goes to the CEO’s who received outrageous bonuses and to mortgage brokers who made money from taking advantage of the ‘dream of home ownership’ of families they knew would not be able to payoff the loans. They were all aware of the failings of the system but sloughed off their responsibility and took their paychecks and walked away from it.
These leaders of the banking and home mortgage industry who kept a close watch on the pulse of our economy knew how to make the most money from the unwary and under-informed consumer and manipulated the system to funnel the most money into their own pockets.
We Americans have collectively been bilked out of billions of dollars over the course of our history by conniving, thieving individuals who greased the palms of corrupted political office holders in order to have money diverted from more deserving projects to fall under their control. Cost overruns are nothing new to construction projects and the manipulation of the contract bidding process has become an art for those who know how to do it. Especially when you have politicians pushing and pulling for you on the inside.
If we take a leap of faith, and conclude that politicians are being taken advantage of by contractors in regards to how contracts are awarded and money is managed and spent, then it is time for our government to put in place strict controls over how contracts are awarded and how money is used. We also need to have stricter over-sight on how the process is overseen. Corruption that has become inherent in this capitalist society has made this type of bureaucracy management an unfortunate necessity.
Capitalism has taken too great a hold on this country for us to ever get anything done without the expectation of every individual involved to arrive with their hand out.
Before Iraq reconstruction plans were put to paper the planning was disjointed and botched due to jostling of position of who was going to get the biggest cut. American homes and office buildings are constructed in record time in the U.S. There is no reason why these buildings cannot go up just as quickly and just as cheaply in Iraq unless delaying the process meant more money for project managers and workers. The construction field is filled with areas where a master of manipulating costs can exaggerate building time and increase building materials costs because of a lack of honest oversight.
We are a nation that is supposed to work together for a common cause. We have flag-waving politicians who tirelessly spout off about how we Americans stick together against outside forces bent on our destruction, yet behind closed doors they plan and scheme on how to take the American tax payer for even more money to bail out a banking system that they themselves refuse to regulate. Anytime any politician slings his/her line of crap under the banner of patriotism and not have to gargle to rid themselves of the resulting foul taste is a crooked politician corrupted beyond redemption. They cannot possibly believe their own rhetoric. We sure as hell don’t.
Money for construction projects are divided up by a spoils system controlled by neighborhood politicians and tribal chiefs. "Our district council chairman has become the Tony Soprano of Rasheed, in terms of controlling resources," said a U.S. Embassy official working in a dangerous Baghdad neighborhood, referring to the popular TV mob boss. “You will use my contractor or the work will not get done.”
Pentagon officials should be held to account for mismanagement and the inflated numbers (lies) it gave the public and the administration to show progress being made in Iraq. These officials are more concerned with covering their own asses when reality doesn’t look as rosy as their expectations or when things go wrong than they are in working to improve the situation.
The reconstruction effort has failed because no single agency in the U.S. government has responsibility for the job.
This can also be said for the current collapsing economy we Americans are being forced to endure.
Showing posts with label George W. Bush. Show all posts
Showing posts with label George W. Bush. Show all posts
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Musharraf and Bush: puppets and war profiteers
Musharraf would go for the U.S. brand of democracy if he would only understand what it means for all politicians. Politicians could tax the hell out of the working force to pay for their rich lifestyle, their parties, their opportunities for ‘money under the table’ in backrooms where deals are made to pass bills and laws that help make themselves and their buddies richer. To pay for their own retirement benefits and their own health insurance while not having to share anything with the very people who put them in power. But Musharraf doesn't want to share with all politicians. He wants to ensure that only he and his buddies get to ride the gravy train and since he is in a position to prevent all opposition to his rule and is acting on that position to his benefit, this has made him George W. Bush’s hero.
This is why King George refuses to stop supporting the little dictator, they are brothers. Bush is simply spreading the wealth garnered from his illegal, propaganda-inflamed ‘war-against-terrorism’ scheme. If Bush allows Musharraf to be put out of office then all of Bush’s oil company buddies and his war machine cronies would take a direct hit in their fiscal bottom line. In Bush’s world of ‘steal from the poor and give to the rich’ such a mistake would be devastating. His ego would not be able to withstand such a let down to his club brothers.
Musharraf is dispensable if democracy is what Bush truly wants in Pakistan. In fact, it is necessary that Musharraf be relieved of power as soon as possible if democracy stands a chance of taking hold in Pakistan. Bush’s actions clearly show that democracy is not what Bush is after here. Bhutto wants democracy. Musharraf has clearly shown he only wants democracy if democracy wants him. Bush and Musharraf are too much alike to allow Musharraf to remain in power. He will destroy Pakistan just as Bush is destroying the U.S.
Wake up America, Musharraf still has ties with the Taliban. The Taliban propped him up as leader of Pakistan and he faked allegiance with America in order to slow America’s war against the Taliban. When Musharraf signed a peace deal with Islamic militants while claiming to fight alongside America to ferret out all militants proves he is just a scared puppy dog trying to hang on to power by promising to follow everybody’s direction. Now that he is faced with not being in power he arrests all lawmakers in an attempt to keep himself in power. This makes Musharraf a very untrustworthy and therefore very dangerous man.
Musharraf and Bush have both made it clear that democracy can take a back seat so they can stay in power and continue to profit from this illegal, immoral war at the expense of innocent lives.
This is why King George refuses to stop supporting the little dictator, they are brothers. Bush is simply spreading the wealth garnered from his illegal, propaganda-inflamed ‘war-against-terrorism’ scheme. If Bush allows Musharraf to be put out of office then all of Bush’s oil company buddies and his war machine cronies would take a direct hit in their fiscal bottom line. In Bush’s world of ‘steal from the poor and give to the rich’ such a mistake would be devastating. His ego would not be able to withstand such a let down to his club brothers.
Musharraf is dispensable if democracy is what Bush truly wants in Pakistan. In fact, it is necessary that Musharraf be relieved of power as soon as possible if democracy stands a chance of taking hold in Pakistan. Bush’s actions clearly show that democracy is not what Bush is after here. Bhutto wants democracy. Musharraf has clearly shown he only wants democracy if democracy wants him. Bush and Musharraf are too much alike to allow Musharraf to remain in power. He will destroy Pakistan just as Bush is destroying the U.S.
Wake up America, Musharraf still has ties with the Taliban. The Taliban propped him up as leader of Pakistan and he faked allegiance with America in order to slow America’s war against the Taliban. When Musharraf signed a peace deal with Islamic militants while claiming to fight alongside America to ferret out all militants proves he is just a scared puppy dog trying to hang on to power by promising to follow everybody’s direction. Now that he is faced with not being in power he arrests all lawmakers in an attempt to keep himself in power. This makes Musharraf a very untrustworthy and therefore very dangerous man.
Musharraf and Bush have both made it clear that democracy can take a back seat so they can stay in power and continue to profit from this illegal, immoral war at the expense of innocent lives.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Bush is destroying ties with allies
Great. Now King George has pissed off Russia.
How many more nations are going to turn their backs on us before we get rid of this buffoon? This war-mongering fool! Is there no end to how far this puppet of the military industrial complex will push us down this road to ruin?
Every time Bush speaks he tells us not to worry, that things are great. How long are we going to accept his lies?
He needs to be impeached now and every single one of his inept, under-qualified cronies needs to be replaced as well.
President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, on Saturday signed a decree suspending Russia's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty due to "extraordinary circumstances ... which affect the security of the Russian Federation and require immediate measures," the Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin has accused the United States and its NATO partners of undermining regional stability with U.S. plans for a missile defense system in former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe.
This move on Russia’s part is directly due to our weak diplomatic stance against Iran’s recent refusal to back down from the threats they have received from the West for not halting their nuclear program. The U.S. thinks, wrongly, that simply flexing its military muscle, nation's will cower in servitude. And now since our over-burdened military is deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan it is even more laughable that the U.S. will continue to use this tired tactic.
Why can’t the world leaders see that when you don’t follow-up on a threat you lose all credibility. The answer is not to simply follow through with your threats, it is to not make threats in the first place. Stop using the military might as a tool of diplomacy. The U.S. needs to start showing respect and stop stomping on everyone who does something that we don’t like. We have become schoolyard bullies and we deserve to have our collective, arrogant butts kicked and humility needs to be forced down our throats.
Now Russia won’t even allow inspections and verifications of its military sites by NATO countries, and they will no longer limit the number of its conventional weapons. Everyone knows NATO is just a puppet of U.S. policy.
Withdrawal from the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty would allow Moscow to build up forces near its borders. And since they feel a threat they have a right to do so. If the U.S. was in Russia’s position, don’t think for a moment that the U.S. would not do exactly the same thing and expect the offending nation or nations to back down.
Of course Russian military analysts have said the possibility of suspending participation in the treaty was a symbolic rising of ante in the missile shield showdown more than a sign of impending military escalation.
I don’t believe that Russia has any intentions of attacking any of its neighbors. But how can they sit back and allow an aggressive world power to build missile sites within range of its territories without raising objections to it?
If Russia did the same thing in Mexico or Canada and used the excuse that the missiles would only be deployed against some third nation, the U.S. would raise hell against Russia. So, why the double standard? Please don’t tell me that it is because it is traditional that the U.S. adopt ‘double-standard’ policies. I already know they do. It must stop in order for there to be true peaceful co-existence.
This represents yet another unfriendly move on America’s part and will serve only to spoil relations with Russia.
Somebody needs to stop this maniac George Walker Bush. When are you people in government (our representative, indeed) going to do something?
How many more nations are going to turn their backs on us before we get rid of this buffoon? This war-mongering fool! Is there no end to how far this puppet of the military industrial complex will push us down this road to ruin?
Every time Bush speaks he tells us not to worry, that things are great. How long are we going to accept his lies?
He needs to be impeached now and every single one of his inept, under-qualified cronies needs to be replaced as well.
President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, on Saturday signed a decree suspending Russia's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty due to "extraordinary circumstances ... which affect the security of the Russian Federation and require immediate measures," the Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin has accused the United States and its NATO partners of undermining regional stability with U.S. plans for a missile defense system in former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe.
This move on Russia’s part is directly due to our weak diplomatic stance against Iran’s recent refusal to back down from the threats they have received from the West for not halting their nuclear program. The U.S. thinks, wrongly, that simply flexing its military muscle, nation's will cower in servitude. And now since our over-burdened military is deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan it is even more laughable that the U.S. will continue to use this tired tactic.
Why can’t the world leaders see that when you don’t follow-up on a threat you lose all credibility. The answer is not to simply follow through with your threats, it is to not make threats in the first place. Stop using the military might as a tool of diplomacy. The U.S. needs to start showing respect and stop stomping on everyone who does something that we don’t like. We have become schoolyard bullies and we deserve to have our collective, arrogant butts kicked and humility needs to be forced down our throats.
Now Russia won’t even allow inspections and verifications of its military sites by NATO countries, and they will no longer limit the number of its conventional weapons. Everyone knows NATO is just a puppet of U.S. policy.
Withdrawal from the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty would allow Moscow to build up forces near its borders. And since they feel a threat they have a right to do so. If the U.S. was in Russia’s position, don’t think for a moment that the U.S. would not do exactly the same thing and expect the offending nation or nations to back down.
Of course Russian military analysts have said the possibility of suspending participation in the treaty was a symbolic rising of ante in the missile shield showdown more than a sign of impending military escalation.
I don’t believe that Russia has any intentions of attacking any of its neighbors. But how can they sit back and allow an aggressive world power to build missile sites within range of its territories without raising objections to it?
If Russia did the same thing in Mexico or Canada and used the excuse that the missiles would only be deployed against some third nation, the U.S. would raise hell against Russia. So, why the double standard? Please don’t tell me that it is because it is traditional that the U.S. adopt ‘double-standard’ policies. I already know they do. It must stop in order for there to be true peaceful co-existence.
This represents yet another unfriendly move on America’s part and will serve only to spoil relations with Russia.
Somebody needs to stop this maniac George Walker Bush. When are you people in government (our representative, indeed) going to do something?
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Business as usual at the White House
So, once again our illustrious leader has the foresight to rescue one of his cronies from the jaws of a misguided justice system. Why just look at this man, this ‘Scooter’ Libby, how can anyone think he could obstruct justice and lie to a federal court. The court must surely be mistaken! Sure, that’s it, they have the wrong guy! President Bush knows it and certainly VP Cheney knows it. And if the federal justice system would not try to stand behind the laws they are sworn to uphold and would only take the time to relax and ‘play ball’ the way King George the Lesser plays ball then they would see the mistake they have made.
This, “Scooter” Libby person, is the first sitting White House official to be indicted in 130 years, can you imagine going that long without convicting a White House official? He is the highest-ranking White House official convicted in a government scandal since National Security Adviser John Poindexter in the Iran-Contra affair in 1990. Let’s see, a republican was president at that time too. Hmmmm. My distrust grows deeper every day.
Before being indicted by this ‘misguided justice system’, Libby was a licensed corporate lawyer and a member of the bar of the D.C. Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He was disbarred on grounds of “moral turpitude”. Boy, now that is really something when a lawyer gets disbarred for “moral turpitude”. That’s like a bunch of skunks blackballing a skunk for stinking too badly.
But I don’t think anyone should worry about the future of poor ole “Scooter” Libby because after the dust settles and he is ‘old news’ he will get his license back and his membership will be reinstated and all will be well again in the slimy world of lawyers.
What this man was indicted for is morally wrong, as it is morally wrong that the other men involved in this scandal will not be brought to task for their part in it. But this is just business as usual for this administration so it comes as no surprise that King Bush got his man off. It is also no surprise that none of these men will apologize to Valerie Wilson for their part in disclosing her classified CIA status.
This or any other president should not have the power to override a judicial sentencing. This president overrode one of the checks and balances that use to make this government accountable for its members actions. This president, who has shown so many times that he does not know what is in the best interest of this country, once again acted in what he considers to be the best interest of this country. King George knows best regardless of what a jury decides in a federal court matter. God help us all.
This trial was nothing but whitewash because we have a president who decided that since this fine upstanding American ‘Scooter’ Libby was willing to take the fall for VP Dick Cheney then by God he should be allowed to walk without being subjected to any further disgrace.
Every individual who works for this president, either directly or indirectly, has a get out of jail free card. Some are foolish enough to get caught doing something illegal or agreeing to cover-up for someone who did something illegal and will then have to use that card. Good ole boy Scooter never sweated any of these charges against him knowing he would never serve any time.
I have said it before and I’ll say it again, this is the most corrupt and contemptible administration we have ever had the misfortune to suffer through. And this latest ‘pardon’ (make no mistake, it will be a full pardon) further illustrates it. It is an embarrassment for any true American that this group of men is in the White House.
This, “Scooter” Libby person, is the first sitting White House official to be indicted in 130 years, can you imagine going that long without convicting a White House official? He is the highest-ranking White House official convicted in a government scandal since National Security Adviser John Poindexter in the Iran-Contra affair in 1990. Let’s see, a republican was president at that time too. Hmmmm. My distrust grows deeper every day.
Before being indicted by this ‘misguided justice system’, Libby was a licensed corporate lawyer and a member of the bar of the D.C. Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He was disbarred on grounds of “moral turpitude”. Boy, now that is really something when a lawyer gets disbarred for “moral turpitude”. That’s like a bunch of skunks blackballing a skunk for stinking too badly.
But I don’t think anyone should worry about the future of poor ole “Scooter” Libby because after the dust settles and he is ‘old news’ he will get his license back and his membership will be reinstated and all will be well again in the slimy world of lawyers.
What this man was indicted for is morally wrong, as it is morally wrong that the other men involved in this scandal will not be brought to task for their part in it. But this is just business as usual for this administration so it comes as no surprise that King Bush got his man off. It is also no surprise that none of these men will apologize to Valerie Wilson for their part in disclosing her classified CIA status.
This or any other president should not have the power to override a judicial sentencing. This president overrode one of the checks and balances that use to make this government accountable for its members actions. This president, who has shown so many times that he does not know what is in the best interest of this country, once again acted in what he considers to be the best interest of this country. King George knows best regardless of what a jury decides in a federal court matter. God help us all.
This trial was nothing but whitewash because we have a president who decided that since this fine upstanding American ‘Scooter’ Libby was willing to take the fall for VP Dick Cheney then by God he should be allowed to walk without being subjected to any further disgrace.
Every individual who works for this president, either directly or indirectly, has a get out of jail free card. Some are foolish enough to get caught doing something illegal or agreeing to cover-up for someone who did something illegal and will then have to use that card. Good ole boy Scooter never sweated any of these charges against him knowing he would never serve any time.
I have said it before and I’ll say it again, this is the most corrupt and contemptible administration we have ever had the misfortune to suffer through. And this latest ‘pardon’ (make no mistake, it will be a full pardon) further illustrates it. It is an embarrassment for any true American that this group of men is in the White House.
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