Losing hearts and minds and the money to buy them
From the controversy over Bush's exploitative use of the Iraki and Afghani soccer teams in point-scoring political campaign adverts (without their consent) arises a very simple question with profound implications: "If a stranger invades America and the people resist, does that mean they are terrorists?"
Questions are also being asked about a missing $8.8 Billion US dollars in funding given for Iraki reconstruction - although this is almost not surprising given the already-exposed overcharging practises by US companies, the preferential treatment for companies allied with the Bush Administration, etc. It's even less surprising when one of the main benefactors of the "missing" Irak funds turns out to be Texas-based firm Halliburton - the same corporation held responsible for overcharging. It seems likely that eventually the Irak campaign will be seen as a textbook case of the Military-Industrial Complex corruptly lining it's own pockets at the expense of taxpayers, and even if not openly fostering a climate of conflict for profiteering, then certainly failing to create peace and stability. And these are the type of corporations that a Free Trade Agreement brings to Australia's shores - Halliburton already has gained a large share of Australian Government-backed infrastructure projects, such as the Darwin-Adelaide railway construction. Sooner or later, in the light of the mafia-like conduct of US companies, surely we ask whether the current Federal Government's motivation for the FTA was not political glory and economic stimuli, but whether there is in reality a suspicion of basic, old-fashioned corruption. The Iraki soccer team are not the only unwilling participants in America's politico-economic charades....
Item posted by AutoEditor at 2:38 pm ::
