Bush/Cary

[jdhill 0]

We stayed out of WWII (in a direct sense) for 4 years, and did not enter the war until attacked... I'd call that pretty isolationist.

J

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke

[PhillyKev 0]

Quote

We stayed out of WWII (in a direct sense) for 4 years, and did not enter the war until attacked... I'd call that pretty isolationist.

We were selling arms to England. We were firing on German subs and ships that were trying to sink our merchant vessels. We had pilots in China fighting the Japanese. All well before we were attacked. That's not isolationist by any stretch of the imagination.

[kallend 2,146]

Quote

Quote

Good, lets move on. Halliburton is a capable contractor. No-one objects if Halliburton is awarded government contracts in a manner seen to be fair and legal. The problem is when it gets no-bid contracts from an administration with clear ties to the company (Cheney). To the best of my knowledge, no one in the Clinton administration had ties to Halliburton whren it was awarded contracts in Serbia. The "article" misses the point entirely.

So it's okay to give that no-bid to Halliburton, as long as Bush wasn't in office? I don't suppose giving the job to the best people matters. It always has been silly about the outrage over the Halliburton stuff.

Re-read what I wrote.

It's the suggestion of an insider deal that stinks, not who the contractor is.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

It's the suggestion of an insider deal that stinks.

Gotta agree that the appearance of impropriety is important. It's clearly wrong, but still matters to some, especially when they have other axes to grind it's a nice straw to grab.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[PhillyKev 0]

Quote

So it's okay to give that no-bid to Halliburton, as long as Bush wasn't in office? I don't suppose giving the job to the best people matters.

You can have the most honest, well respected judge in the world preside over a murder trial and that's perfectly fine. But when the defendent is his brother (or to use a real world example, someone he goes on hunting vacations with), there's a problem.

[jdhill 0]

Lend Lease was a way to keep the economy moving... Protecting our merchant vessles is what we are supposed to do with the Navy... The Flying Tigers and Eagle squadrons were volenteers... we were not going to enter the war as a nation, that is until PH happened... our head was in the sand, and we liked it that way... we'll send you guns, but no troops... war in Europe, not our problem. War in China, not our problem... Isolationism.

J

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke

[Trent 0]

Quote

Re-read what I wrote.

It's the suggestion of an insider deal that stinks, not who the contractor is.

Yeah, I got that part. I don't think it stinks. Keep reading.

and

Quote

You can have the most honest, well respected judge in the world preside over a murder trial and that's perfectly fine. But when the defendent is his brother (or to use a real world example, someone he goes on hunting vacations with), there's a problem.

So definitely we shouldn't be giving work to the most qualified... right? Especially if we're friends with the most qualified people. Let's give it to people who are less capable and who we don't like so we don't make anyone mad.

Oh, hello again!

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

So definitely we shouldn't be giving work to the most qualified... right? Especially if we're friends with the most qualified people. Let's give it to people who are less capable and who we don't like so we don't make anyone mad.

Exactly, It's wrong, but people are shallow, so we live it.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[PhillyKev 0]

Quote

Quote

Re-read what I wrote.

It's the suggestion of an insider deal that stinks, not who the contractor is.

Yeah, I got that part. I don't think it stinks. Keep reading.

and

Quote

You can have the most honest, well respected judge in the world preside over a murder trial and that's perfectly fine. But when the defendent is his brother (or to use a real world example, someone he goes on hunting vacations with), there's a problem.

So definitely we shouldn't be giving work to the most qualified... right? Especially if we're friends with the most qualified people. Let's give it to people who are less capable and who we don't like so we don't make anyone mad.

It means give other companies an opportunity to show their qualifications. As someone else pointed out, what makes Halliburton so uniquely qualified to build shitters?

[Trent 0]

I never realized that Halliburton was only good at building shitters! Maybe NacMac can expand on their unique qualifications to contract in Iraq.

Interesting side note... saw a documentary on TLC about toilets. Apparently "crap" comes from the name of a brit who made a certain kind of toilet. His name was John Crapper. Hence, "I need to go to the crapper". I thought that was funny.

Oh, hello again!

[PhillyKev 0]

Quote

I never realized that Halliburton was only good at building shitters!

Well, they were the only company allowed to get that contract so I'm guessing it's their specialty. They weren't just given the oil related jobs (which they've done a shitty job at, by the way). They were given all of the construction and troop logistical support contracts.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

Quote

So definitely we shouldn't be giving work to the most qualified... right? Especially if we're friends with the most qualified people. Let's give it to people who are less capable and who we don't like so we don't make anyone mad.

You obviously have never been in a situation where you had to acquire contractors in a tender and or bidding process.

But in such a situation you make it extra clear that all due process was followed and that the best contractor got the bid. It really isn't that hard, which makes one wonder even more why it was done this way.

If Haliburton truly is the best contractor for all the contracts they currently have, why not let a bidding process show that. Specially when your VP is on their payroll.

Unless off course you are quite arrogant and don't really care what other people think of the situation.

[Zennie 0]

Late in on this one...

I really wish that people would realize that not ALL of us who oppose Bush are:

1. Democrats (or to use the popular dismissive perjorative as of late "liberals"); and/or
2. Have a double-standard.

Clinton awards Halliburton no-bid contract in Yugoslavia - bad... Bush awards Halliburton no-bid contract in Iraq - bad.

Clinton spends 77 billion on war in Serbia - bad...Bush spends 87 billion in Iraq - bad.

Clinton imposes regime change in Serbia - bad... Bush imposes regime change in Iraq - bad.

Clinton bombs Christian Serbs on behalf of Muslim Albanian terrorists - bad... Bush liberates 25 million from a genocidal dictator - bad (though the phrasing here suggests those who opposed the wars enjoyed the fact that the people of Iraq & Serbia were oppressed).

Clinton bombs Chinese embassy - bad (man I forgot about that one... how colossally stupid... though some think that the embassy contained the stolen Los Alamos hard drives)... Bush bombs terrorist camps - good.

Clinton commits felonies while in office - impeachable (to wit... perjury)... Bush lands on aircraft carrier in jumpsuit - no biggie, kinda cool actually.

Stock market crashes in 2000 under Clinton - bad (c'mon, nobody said that the recession was good)... Recession under Bush - bad.

Clinton refuses to take custody of Bin Laden - bad (REFUSES? again, c'mon, failed to act, sure)... World Trade Centers fall under Bush - Bad.

Clinton calls for regime change in Iraq - good (but he didn't call for an INVASION, big difference)... Bush imposes regime change in Iraq - bad.

Clinton denounces terrorist training in Afghanistan - good... Bush destroys training camps in Afghanistan - good.

No mass graves found in Serbia - bad (though actually, I believe mass graves were found)... No WMD found Iraq - bad.

Milosevic not yet convicted - bad (though he will be)... Saddam in custody - good (now that the damage has been done).

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon