<p>It is so convenient to portray critics of the current administration as fringe hate groups. As though no criticism could be valid or sober or fact-based.</p>
<p>This film interviews people who SERVED our country in Iraq and who, while there, witnessed hideous abuses. They have first hand knowledge. </p>
<p>It is very convincing-- as, frankly, they seem to be 100% red-staters & career military people who went to serve, to be heroes. They love their country and were sickened by what they witnessed. </p>
<p>They are convincing because they had your rosy view of our government PRIOR to serving and came back wiser.</p>
<p>Dear god. I take plenty of interest in them, but my interest doesn’t involve protesting the job the are trying to do. And how is money waste/profiteering something that affects the safety of troops?</p>
<p>That’s why you should watch the film! Because you can ask a question like that. If you had seen the film you would know. </p>
<p>Or even if you had read the thread with an open mind. At least one example has been given…contractors increasing their profit margin by serving at only 3meal times a day, instead of having “shifts”. This causes more people to congregate in the mess tents at a time, making them a more attractive target for terrorists and mortars, and increasing the body count when an attack succeeds.</p>
<p>I’m going to lay this to rest now–I’ll look into the movie. I need to lay myself to rest, 9am class does not bode well. I hope nobody got too upset over our discussion.</p>
<p>Calmom, I’ve read through your sites and I am still not impressed. Are you suggesting that this war is somehow worse than any other? All wars have problems, as I’ve tried to explain.</p>
<p>If anything, the war in Iraq is less complex than previous conflicts because it is fairly small.</p>
<p>1) It isn’t about the war, it’s about the cheating and the cost.
2) In all other wars we had a military draft and little need to outsource military functions to private corporations. The film also had a segment exploring how the outsourcing of interrogation to private corporations contributed to the Abu Ghraib scandal because of lack of training and no chain of command for civilian personnel involved in interrogation.</p>
<p>I saw the movie and I was totally disgusted by the profiteering. ( Which is against the law). Maybe the one thing that people who don’t want to see it should remember, we are spending millions each day over there and it is OUR TAX DOLLARS going for fraud and waste. How could any good conservative admire that? The fact is that the wash costs $100/ tub and CAME BACK SLIMY. One service man wanted to hand wash it himself and was forced to send it out.
The water that was supplied to our serviceman was polluted and toxic. Is that supporting our troops?
The torture that was done at Abu Graib was done and supervised by "administrative " staff brought over from an outsourcing company. They didn’t even know the rules. Only Serviceman were prosecuted for the torture, not the firm brought over to supervise and run the prisons. The outsourced companies are totally protected, while our own soldiers (far less well paid than their consultant co-workers) pay the price. Is this fair? Is this right? Is this moral? Who’s hands in Washington are getting money for this??? Which lobbyists are making money, while we bleed cash for the non-existent and shameful "reconstruction.
If a truck has a flat tire it was destroyed, because they would do better supplying a new VERY EXPENSIVE truck, rather than fixing it. Is that what a true conservative would support??? I don’t think so.
You supposed conservatives who refuse to admit the deceit are only afraid that you might have to admit you were sooooooo gullible and fell for the all the lies handed to you. You would have to admit that you were naive and bought the stories concocted by this admin and their cronies, including Cheney’s friends at Halliburton and all the other weasels who’s names we will one day know and who will one day,in my dreams and their nightmares, be prosecuted for crimes and misdemeanors and war profiteering,although I doubt we’ll get our money back.</p>
<p>I don’t dispute that fraud and error occurs in war. If anything, there is more accountability now than ever before. Further, I don’t defend those who commit crimes. Nail 'em and jail 'em.</p>
<p>I do dispute that Democrats have some sort of grand solution or magic bullet, if you will, that will make all this better. They don’t. They have no better solutions - other than socialistic techniques that have been tried and failed.</p>
<p>I was once a Democrat. They left me. They have nothing better now to offer - except weakness when we need strength. No government is perfect - even when Democrats controlled all government stuff still was a mess. </p>
<p>Why do you think in 1994 the Democrats were dumped? They are worse now than they were then. Take Senator Reid (D - NV) he’s now revealed two additional land deals he failed to disclose to the public. Democrats have nothing on Republicans. They are just more of the same - except less sure about protecting the United States.</p>
<p>It’s one thing to say you don’t like Democrats. It’s quite another to contend that people shouldn’t learn the truth about what’s going on because it might cost your party votes if people knew what they were up to. No American should be expected to have blind “faith” in a particular party the way you suggest. This country was founded on the principal of accountability to the voters. If the Founding Fathers wanted the US ruled by blind allegiance and divine right, they would have made themselves kings instead of presidents. </p>
<p>It amazes me that anyone would argue that it’s OK for our government to waste billions and to allow contractor greed to result in extra casualties–imply because that’s how (you claim) it’s always been done in the past. </p>
<p>Kids make this kind of excuse all the time. (Oh dad, people have always cheated on tests, I didn’t invent it; I haven’t done anything worse than what kids have been doing for decades). If you wouldn’t accept it from your children, why should you accept it from your government?</p>
<h1>74. Mini’s an optimist. If the opposition party wins the Congress, the win will not be by much. Pelosi or Ried will not alienate the opposition party because she/he will need some of their votes, some of the time. Likewise, the loosing party’s membership can not DO a 180% change of their view of this War.</h1>
<p>Does anyone think that the James Baker Commission will give any new ideas to either this Administration or to Congress?</p>
<p>Let me see if I have this correct? No one is going to investigate this because the new minority would oppose finding the waste and prosecuting? If the Republicans, after their upcoming loss, want to even have have the chance to win the Houses or the Presidency anytime soon is it really a good idea to just stay the course and not make changes. Why do you think they’re about to lose, Itstoomuch)? Are they so thick they won’t try to improve things so they even have a fighting chance in the near future. That is soooo cynical, that they would Stand By Their Man (King) even when that will give them an even bigger loss in two years? The change may start here, but the remaining leaders should wake up and realize they need to change direction and clean house if they even want to have a chance in the future! The masses have awoken and they will have their say. Ignore them, if you dare.</p>
<h1>79. Neither parties will lose/win by much. Both have a lot of baggage that cannot be jettison without substantial loss of credibility. Neither parties have been good winners or losers, and the current party-in-power have not been good at compromise. Cynical perhaps but maybe more realistic.</h1>