On the Cheap & Follow the Money

September 10, 2007

Have you noticed how the Iraq Battle has been war on the cheap? There were shortages of flak jackets and other military accessories which the soldiers or families or friends put up money for. The humvee was not too suitable for urban warfare or roadside bombs. Makeshift repairs were needed. It has been years before appropriate vehicles have appeared. Few spoke Arabic and few do now (and don’t ask me how one fights when one cannot communicate). Bush drew upon the National Guard who often did not have adequate training or equipment. The administrative integration with the regular Army was inadequate. Many went without pay for months. Home with injuries Military care was often not available. National Guard armories are now without adequate equipment and it is not being replaced. Wounded piled up at Walter Reed while private contractors did not get the job done and Army overseers looked the other way. Care was inadequate. When Mr. Bush visited he was only shown the happy façade. When generals recommended more troops for the invasion of Iraq they were told more troops were unnecessary and the recommending generals were demeaned and many retired. Soldier's stays in Iraq are extended. They are quickly returned again and again. Violence takes a toll. This is all war on the cheap. (I have not addressed the cheap manner in which research was done to justify the war: Instead of footwork, the sellers merely echoed the opinions of each other.) The bill for this war on the cheap is now above one trillion dollars. It is going to be much higher.

(Consider: What if we had not invaded Iraq and had initiated an energy self sufficient crash program and had spent 250 billion a year for five years. Would we be ahead of where we are now? More secure? In Iraq? At home?)

(Consider: If we really invaded Iraq for their oil, to keep it for ourselves, and scare the Middle East, what does this say about capitalism and market economics? And what does it tell the rest of the world about the addiction the United States has to oil and the fear it has about having its supply cut off?)

On the other hand, private security firms in Iraq may have no bid contracts, are paid very well indeed, seem to have no oversight, may kill at will and may over bill. One accusation includes selling weapons on the black market. What about those private interrogators that would come to Abu Garib prison and seemed to outrank all the soldiers there? Mr. Brenner misplaced 9 billion dollars during the short stay he had in Iraq. Other billions have disappeared since. Our present general in Iraq has talked about the many weapons, U.S. weapons, which fell into insurgent hands during his first tour of duty there. Halliburton, who performs logistics for the U.S. military in Iraq, also has big contracts that were no-bid, has been accused of over billing, poor service, etc. Is it true that they have contracts with the government that hold them blameless in the event of seeming criminal conduct, etc.? For the past several years their stock has been a shinning light on Wall Street. They are considering moving their corporate headquarters outside the continental limits of the United States. All quite lavish.

Or shall we talk about lobbyists and Congressional corruption. Also lavish.

I have just skimmed the surface. Now, folks, for you this all may be business as usual. But for us old folks this is corruption on a scale beyond belief. It is corruption on a scale that is not only unpatriotic but may well be considered sabotage of the effort of the war on terror.

As noted above, all recipients of the above American largess (that is, billions of dollars) are not equal. Some get more than others. Some less. Some are more accountable. Some hardly accountable at all. It is as if the Pentagon has preferred persons to give lots of money too, and the CIA, and the White House, and different Congressmen and women. It is your right to know, and mine. All those people there in Washington D.C. are supposed to be there to help us. Where are our patriotic Congressmen and women now? We need some investigating. A man said years ago in another smaller scandal, Follow the money. I suggest we should do no less now.