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Heh... I didn't know that Finland does not qualify as a contractor...
Bush is a silly bastard...
Bush is a silly bastard...
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I'm not a complete idiot: some parts are still missing. -
is that what they're singing?CSPAComment
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What a creative name to get a mercenary contract with licence to kill !Custer Battles, the
security company that employs him, has a big contract to man roadblocks
and guard facilities such as the Iraqi Airports.
Statistical anomaly.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.Comment
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This must be the exception that proves the rule - for once I agree with the US administration over Iraq. If particular governments won't participate in the security and reconstruction why should they get the economic benefits of companies that will pay taxes to them being awarded contracts.
As for Iraq's debts, I expect that to be quietly sorted out by an Iraqi government once one is established. There will be some sort of deal to restructure and write off part of the debt. After all, there are a lot of countries who claim money who would not want it made public what the money actually got spent on, nor would it look good for them to be cast as impeding the development of the new, improved Iraq.Never give an AI an even break.Comment
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Yeah...right.“The U.S. decision is gratuitous and extremely unhelpful,” European Union External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten said on Thursday. “We should be seeking to bring people together, not divide them.”"I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you're not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration." - Hillary Clinton, 2003Comment
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This one deserves to live on in an unlocked thread!Fables are more than stories for children.
Fair-Weather Friends: A Fable
12:01 AM CST on Thursday, December 11, 2003
By ROD DREHER / The Dallas Morning News
The Pentagon has barred French, German and Russian companies from competing for $18.6 billion in contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq, saying it was acting to protect "the essential security interests of the United States."
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Once upon a time, four friends shared the forest. When an evil dictator threatened the peace and security of them all, one of the friends concluded that the bad man had to be driven out of the forest.
"Who will help me disarm and depose this dictator?" asked the American Eagle.
"Not I!" said the French Rooster.
"Not I!" said German Boar.
"Not I!" said Russian Bear.
So the Eagle moved its soldiers to the dictator's doorstep on her own.
All the animals gathered in a clearing to try to talk the dictator into doing the right thing before it was too late.
"We've given the dictator 12 years of warnings, and he has done nothing but lie to us, and evade his promises. We all have solid reasons to believe he has poison weapons, and will use them against us one day if he's not stopped," the Eagle said. "Who will help me hold him to account?"
The animals thought for a minute, and, agreeing with Little Bunny Foo-Foo, the secretary-general of the forest, they decided to give the evil dictator "just one more chance." They responded to the Eagle thus:
"Not I!" said the Rooster.
"Not I!" said the Boar.
"Not I!" said the Bear.
So the Eagle mustered the English bulldog and other helpers, waged war on the evil dictator and threw him out.
After the war, the Eagle and her friends then faced a difficult and dangerous job cleaning up the mess the dictator had made.
"Who will help me put this poor country back together again?" the Eagle said.
"Not I!" said the Rooster.
"Not I!" said the Boar.
"Not I!" said the Bear.
So the Eagle and her friends undertook to rebuild the poor country and help its people on their own. It cost them substantially in the lives of their children and the gold in their treasuries. The Eagle opened her money pouch and began looking to hire plumbers, carpenters and the like to assist the people of this unfortunate nation.
"Who will accept my gold to aid in rebuilding this nation?" said the Eagle.
"I will!" said the Rooster.
"I will!" said the Boar.
"I will!" said the Bear.
"Fuggedaboutit!" said the Eagle. "What kind of chump do you think I am?
"When I asked you to risk your blood and treasure to fight the evil dictator who threatened us all, you would not," the Eagle said. "When I asked you to send your own children and gold to help the dictator's nation recover from his misrule, you would not.
"When I most needed you, you weren't there for me. Go whine somewhere else."
And so, the French Rooster, the German Boar and the Russian Bear were left to ponder a most excellent lesson on the principle of risk and reward. And they learned that day that their friend the American Eagle, when her forest allies act like Chickens and Ostriches, is not afraid to be a hard Ass.
Thanks Sloww!!"I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you're not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration." - Hillary Clinton, 2003Comment
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Yes, Sloww's fable is very good and to the point!
Comment
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Here, you thread-closing bastard.
Fables are more than stories for children.
Fair-Weather Friends: A Fable
12:01 AM CST on Thursday, December 11, 2003
By ROD DREHER / The Dallas Morning News
The Pentagon has barred French, German and Russian companies from competing for $18.6 billion in contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq, saying it was acting to protect "the essential security interests of the United States."
***********
Once upon a time, four friends shared the forest. When an evil dictator threatened the peace and security of them all, one of the friends concluded that the bad man had to be driven out of the forest.
"Who will help me disarm and depose this dictator?" asked the American Eagle.
"Not I!" said the French Rooster.
"Not I!" said German Boar.
"Not I!" said Russian Bear.
So the Eagle moved its soldiers to the dictator's doorstep on her own.
All the animals gathered in a clearing to try to talk the dictator into doing the right thing before it was too late.
"We've given the dictator 12 years of warnings, and he has done nothing but lie to us, and evade his promises. We all have solid reasons to believe he has poison weapons, and will use them against us one day if he's not stopped," the Eagle said. "Who will help me hold him to account?"
The animals thought for a minute, and, agreeing with Little Bunny Foo-Foo, the secretary-general of the forest, they decided to give the evil dictator "just one more chance." They responded to the Eagle thus:
"Not I!" said the Rooster.
"Not I!" said the Boar.
"Not I!" said the Bear.
So the Eagle mustered the English bulldog and other helpers, waged war on the evil dictator and threw him out.
After the war, the Eagle and her friends then faced a difficult and dangerous job cleaning up the mess the dictator had made.
"Who will help me put this poor country back together again?" the Eagle said.
"Not I!" said the Rooster.
"Not I!" said the Boar.
"Not I!" said the Bear.
So the Eagle and her friends undertook to rebuild the poor country and help its people on their own. It cost them substantially in the lives of their children and the gold in their treasuries. The Eagle opened her money pouch and began looking to hire plumbers, carpenters and the like to assist the people of this unfortunate nation.
"Who will accept my gold to aid in rebuilding this nation?" said the Eagle.
"I will!" said the Rooster.
"I will!" said the Boar.
"I will!" said the Bear.
"Fuggedaboutit!" said the Eagle. "What kind of chump do you think I am?
"When I asked you to risk your blood and treasure to fight the evil dictator who threatened us all, you would not," the Eagle said. "When I asked you to send your own children and gold to help the dictator's nation recover from his misrule, you would not.
"When I most needed you, you weren't there for me. Go whine somewhere else."
And so, the French Rooster, the German Boar and the Russian Bear were left to ponder a most excellent lesson on the principle of risk and reward. And they learned that day that their friend the American Eagle, when her forest allies act like Chickens and Ostriches, is not afraid to be a hard Ass.Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
"Hating America is something best left to Mobius. He is an expert Yank hater.
He also hates Texans and Australians, he does diversify." ~ BraindeadComment
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the story was nice, but not nice enough to warrant an encore presentation.B♭3Comment
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So... the American Eagle spent 80 billion+ to win potential contracts (which it'll share with others) worth 18 billlion?
It's economic genius!!!Jon Miller: MikeH speaks the truth
Jon Miller: MikeH is a shockingly revolting dolt and a masturbatory urine-reeking sideshow freak whose word is as valuable as an aging cow paddy.
We've got both kindsComment
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Slowwhand, can I sell you some stocks? They cost $10,000 but you have the chance to get $2,000 back!!! WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY!!! DON'T MISS IT!!!Jon Miller: MikeH speaks the truth
Jon Miller: MikeH is a shockingly revolting dolt and a masturbatory urine-reeking sideshow freak whose word is as valuable as an aging cow paddy.
We've got both kindsComment
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Funny how rummy still expects the international community to "take it's responsiblilties" (i.e. pay up).
You brake it, you pay it, so the contracts go to your companies... AS LONG AS THE CONTRACTS ARE ISSUED BY YOUR GOVERNEMENT AND PAID BY YOUR TAXMONEY.
But are you willing to deny the iraqi's their freedom when they want another country to rebuild theirs ?"Ceterum censeo Ben esse expellendum."Comment
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English bulldog??
Whatever happened to the English lion??A lot of Republicans are not racist, but a lot of racists are Republican.Comment
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yet another example of superb diplomacy:
President Bush found himself in the awkward position on Wednesday of calling the leaders of France, Germany and Russia to ask them to forgive Iraq's debts, just a day after the Pentagon said it was excluding those countries and others from $18 billion in American-financed Iraqi reconstruction projects.
(...)
justice is mightComment
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the bush administration could work on their delivery a bit. you ask them to forgive it first, then you hit them with the bad news.B♭3Comment
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