Profiteers and Pedophiles

The Republican Congressional leadership may crumble under this weeks revelation that Mark Foley (R. Florida) was a serial pedophile. It’s going to be difficult for the family values party to hold up under the scrutiny from  inside and outside their own party. Sex gets people’s attention. Gay sex is even more provocative. Particularly when it involves a closeted gay Republican who was in charge of a committee to prevent exploitation of children by pedophiles using the internet. Congressman Foley was doing just that, querying Congressional pages via email and instant messaging about their masturbation habits. (More emails and details are certain to come out now that the FBI is investigating). War profiteering doesn’t seem to be a crime that is as sexy but is much more devastating in the long run. In his new documentary Iraq for Sale Robert Greenwald details how the American taxpayer is being ripped off by a handful of well-connected corporations (Haliburton, Blackwell, CACI, Titan, etc.) These companies paid their way with campaign contributions and lobbyist into no bid contracts and are taking forty cents on every dollar spent in Iraq. They form mercenary armies and work side by side with American GI’s making a sixth or less. They take over jobs that soldiers are trained to do. With cost plus contracts they get paid for hauling empty loads and if a truck is damaged the army comes out and destroys it with Haliburton, or whoever, putting in a claim for a new truck. Greenwald who is responsible for several expose type documentaries uses former employees of these contractors to tell their stories. Translators and truck drivers, little people who went off to Iraq to make some big money and came back maimed, disillusioned or both. Their testimony is moving and convincing. Greenwald also uses family members of contractors who were killed, often because of the callous disregard for the safety of the contractors employees. The Iraq pageant, staged by the current administration, has turned out to be a bad show with revelation upon revelation indicating misinformation, lack of planning and a deteriorating situation. But the the executives of Haliburton, Blackwell, CACI, Titan, etc. are doing well and laughing their way to the bank. The failure of Congress to provide oversight on this process is a great crime. They deserve recrimination and punishment. Ironically, a pedophile Congressman’s emails and their lack of action knowing about it may be the final straw. Iraq for Sale is available here for $12.95
UPDATE In this video clip  you may witness the tremendous hypocracy of Mark Foley as he discusses “sickos” with John Walsh—the America’s Most Wanted guy.

Comments

[Richard Forman]

Just found your blog while looking up old high school friends-namely Sanford Wirght. I appreciated finding out about his career and avocation-amazing! My brothers took tap dance from his mother and we lived near him in the Scott Paper Company house in Edgewater and my older brother George was a classmate of his.

Thanks for the update.

R. Forman