Amen to that. You said so much, that I will pick one part to talk about.
On the issue of foreign aid - just "throwing" money at foreign countries is often times a waste. Many times the governments in power get rich, while the people still starve. It might make liberals feel good that we send so much "aid", but they don't bother to see that the money is well spent, or even if it is spent at all on the people who need it. And there are all kinds of impediments to providing aid. For example, we sent shipments of Aids medications (very expensive medications) and the ruling government refused it, accusing us of tainting the medicine to poison the people. One country refused shipments of wheat because it was genetically modified. Our own people consume that wheat, yet we were accused (yet again) of trying to poison their people. Oh, and don't get me started on the aid we send to the PLO.
Have you visited the Iraq Investment and Reconstruction Task Force website?
As for the reconstruction in Iraq, one of my co-workers was there from March thru May, helping the Iraqi Treasury Department. He said that only 1 out of 10 people there had ever used a computer, that all of their records were on paper. He was told by some of the workers that SH had sent some of the employees outside of the country for computer training and they just never returned.
It was an almost impossible task. They had to start from scratch to set up a computer system, train the employees, input historical data, etc. It was amazing how that country had managed to run its governmental agencies using outdated methods.
Tom,
You make a great point about the relative cost of reconstruction. This Iraq reconstruction money isn't really foreign aid, in my opinion. It's actually a forward based defense strategy. Help make Iraq a success and consequently reduce the risks Americans face at home. The faster Iraq is up and running as a free society, the sooner the war on terror will be won.
Also, John Kerry has some 'splaining to do when he gripes about how "we are paying for most of this."
Kerry voted against Gulf War I in 1991, a war in which our allies picked up a good share of the cost, but voted for the 2003 Iraq war in which the cost was shouldered primarily by the United States.
Is this another case of "I was actually for Gulf War I before I was against it?"
Most of our money that has been spent on Iraq has been on the military. I remembered reading an article about how we've only spent about 2 percent of the money alloted for reconstruction. Here is the article - U.S. Funds for Iraq Are Largely Unspent
July 3, 2004
"The U.S. government has spent 2 percent of an $18.4 billion aid package that Congress approved in October last year after the Bush administration called for a quick infusion of cash into Iraq to finance reconstruction, according to figures released Friday by the White House."
Don't mean to interrupt the discussion, but have you guys seen this story - "CBS OPENS INTERNAL INVESTIGATION INTO BUSH PAPERS".
"Rather, who anchored the segment presenting new information on the president's military service, will personally correct the record on-air, if need be, the source explained from New York."
Sorry, I just had to tell somebody. Maybe this will put an end to the Bush Nat Guard b-s once and for all. (I can hope, can't I?)
The Drudge story links to the latest ABC News report -
From the widow of the man who supposedly wrote the memo:
"I know for a fact that this young man … was an excellent aviator, an excellent person to be in the Guard, and he was very happy to have him become a member of the 111th."
And they end the story with this:
"Many Democrats are worried that if they are found to be forgeries, it will be a setback for Sen. John Kerry's campaign to defeat Bush in November."
Sort of an understatement, don't you think?
Jamie,
I read the Drudge story. This is a big deal, one of the largest news networks losing what remains of their credibility.....
Tom,
I think John Kerry's rhetoric regarding America's role in Iraq reveals a lot. Kerry complains about the United States shouldering all of the burden. True. But is whining about the cost of a war any way to communicate resolve in the face of adversity to one's enemies (not to mention one's friends)? What happended to the rhetoric of the "other" JFK?
"We will pay any price, bear any burden, ....... to assure the success of liberty."
If only we could get France, Germany and Russia to donate the money they made off the Oil for Food debacle to help with reconstruction. This whole "I coulda, woulda, he shoulda" garbage is getting very, very old. "We have a plan" is also grating on my nerves.
Oh, but its a SECRET plan. Very hush, hush, so it must be a good one.
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