"I feel so sorry for the defense contractors now."

[Bouncy Ball]

I was talking to a fellow mom today, someone I know only casually. I had no idea of her party affiliation before today. We got on to the topic of the election and she perked up and said "Oh! Did the guy in Virginia lose?"

I said, "Which guy? The REPUBLICAN lost!"

She looked crestfallen and I knew right then which side she buttered her bread on.

I continued, "Yeah, now Democrats control Congress."

She twisted up her whole face and said "I feel so sorry for the defense contractors now."

Seriously, literally y'all, my jaw DROPPED. DEFENSE CONTRACTORS? THAT is who she feels sorry for? SERIOUSLY?

I just looked at her and finally asked why. She said that they won't get as much business now and their companies will suffer. I think I blinked at her a couple of times and said "Never in my life has it ever occurred to me to feel sorry for companies who make money off of war. I've felt sorry for people who can't afford to take their kids to the doctors, I've felt sorry for people with terminal illnesses, I've felt sorry for abused and neglected children, the elderly poor, the people left to die in New Orleans, stray dogs and cats, but never, never in my life have I ever felt sorry for any corporation."

She looked at me and said "I take it you were happy with this election?"

Instead of using words, I smiled, closed my eyes, shot both arms straight up in the air and did those heavy metal horn signs with my hands. She laughed and said "I'll take that as a yes."

"Yes," I said, "on behalf of poor people, working people, sick people and forgotten people all over the country, yes."

She rolled her eyes so hard I thought she was going to sprain them. I didn't care.

[Stephanie]

1. that can't be true

seriously? is she insane? you should make sure her children are safe from harm.

[Bouncy Ball]

She has four boys.

Tenth grade, eighth grade, sixth grade, and fourth grade. I don't know, I thought she seemed fairly sane. (Before she said that.)

[fudge stripe cookays]

2. Girlie, I have MISSED you desperately!

And those STORIES! Where the hell have you been! How's school?

:hi:
fsc

[Bouncy Ball]

5. Thanks, hon!

School is school. It's now a drudgery I just want to get done. August, baby, August. Thank the Lord. How are you???

[Digit]

3. I can picture that

Thanks for the visual. It gave me quite a chuckle.
It reminds me of Dick Army on CNN talking about the politicians who would be without jobs.
I was screaming at the TV..."what about all of the American people without jobs!"

I have got to quit screaming at my TV....really I do.

[Nozebro]

4. Defense contractors will probably do even BETTER now.

BOTH parties are owned by the defense industry & the industry lobbyists will make the case that more $ is needed to "complete the job and bring the troops home safely".

[Bouncy Ball]

14. I'm going to be sure to mention that to her, thanks.

Put her poor mind at ease.

[Bozita]

30. Much of the hardware is badly worn - iirc, repair/replace estimate is $40-60 BILLION

Her contractors will be just fine.

[Theduckno2]

31. Yes, there will be plenty of contracts for reequipping the U.S. military.

I might add though, in listening to Gov. Howard Dean's radio address today, I heard that the Dems are pushing the "pay-as-you-go" concept in Congress. This may tend to curtail some of the fanciful spending on dubious high-tech weapons systems and some contractors may see some trimming of their cash cows.

Feeling sorry for defense contractors? Oh, that's rich. :eyes:

[steve2470]

6. That is a HORRIBLE thing she said. OMG.

Gut reaction. At least if she had said something about abortion, I could have had some respect for her.

on edit: ok, not horrible. Just strange.

[Kerrytravelers]

10. Huh?

I don't get it. :shrug:

[steve2470]

15. At least with abortion, she's talking about "saving life"

which is BS, I know. But defense contractors ? Since when do they save life ? Peace is not good for business, really.

[Kerrytravelers]

7. I'm not sure I'd want to know someone like that even casually.

I can't imagine what I would have said if someone had rolled their eyes like that at me. You are much better than I am.

[Bouncy Ball]

9. I think I've reached a point where I just laugh.

I mean, what else are you going to do? Go crazy? So I just laugh. She looked really small and sad to me today.

[Warpy]

8. You should have offered to cry her a river

so she could jump into it and drown.

The DEFENSE CONTRACTORS????

[Bouncy Ball]

11. Yeah, have you EVER?

That's something that's never even occurred to me. Ever. Not in a million. I literally was knocked speechless for a few moments when she said that, just trying to process it.

[CharmCity]

12. Hey, there's still work for contractors in Iraq!!

Maybe she can get a job there driving a truck or something, while she still can!

[Bouncy Ball]

17. Oooo yeah, lotsa money.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

13. Mindless Republican Drone spotted in greater Dallas area: Nation SHOCKED

In other news, dog bites man!

Hey Bouncy, glad you are still out there.

[Bouncy Ball]

16. Hey, glad to still be here.

(I moved, though! Greater HOUSTON area!)

[fudge stripe cookays]

20. WHAT??!!

:cry:

I miss you already!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

22. Good luck to you, BB. I hope the move works out for you and your family.

I'm sorry my wife never got to meet you.

[Coexist]

18. tell her that their record profits should tide them over during their downturn

not to fear.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

19. In the '60s my father was a president of a Co. in SoCal that relied heavily on defense

contracts. It went bust--he was adverse to corruption. He went back to college and received his PhD. in 2 years. Hired by a University in the NW upon graduating. Loved his work and was there for 40 years, albeit, they called him a pot-smoking hippy at first because he was full of 'progressive' ideas. In other words, he CARED for his students and taught them to think for themselves. It is all about integrity... y'all have it. I know because you are here!

[melody]

21. that's awfully odd

I know two people who've worked high up at a defense contractor and both of them are Democrats.

There's a difference between the military industrial complex and military industry.

I mean, aside from the simple, human insanity of her remarks. lol

[kiahzero]

23. You're painting with an awfully broad brush there.

A lot of Virginians in the tech sector are "defense contractors." Hell, I'm sure my Dad's classified as a "defense contractor," and his job is maintaining database servers for the Pentagon. I guess my family is just a big bunch of war profiteers, though. :eyes:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

24. Read the original post and tell us what bad thing the OP said about defense contractors.

With what brush did she paint them?

The "worst" thing she said was she did not feel pity for companies that make money off war. By definition defense contracting companies do that. She did not say anything pejorative about the individuals who work there, only the idiots who would reserve their pity for only the defense companies and their employees.

[bloom]

25. wow. nt

[haele]

26. If contracting cleans up, the Defense Industry will actually do better...

Think of the opportunities for new technology and other actual work that the honest companies (and the occasional honest divisions of the Carlysle coterie) will now be required to participate in if they want to stay competitive.

I actually see more investment being made for real work, which means more decent paying, skilled jobs for Americans. Instead of money being funneled to the top for "administrative" and think tank work.

There are a lot more people in the Defense industry that actually want to work hard and do a good job supporting America, the troops and their families than want to siphon money off of taxpayers and go to government/corporate schmooze parties.

Haele

[gollygee]

27. DEFENSE CONTRACTORS????

Oh My God.

So war is good if defense contractors are making money off it?

She doesn't feel bad for soldiers who have died, or their families?

She doesn't feel bad for Iraqi civilians who have died?

At least not as bad as she feels for the defense contractors, apparently.

Do you perhaps know if she considers herself to be "pro-life"?

[Seabiscuit]

28. "fellow mom"??? Well just FUCK her and her fascist beliefs.

Sorry for defense contractors? Go to prison with them all, I say!

[moc]

29. Truth is surely stranger than fiction.

You can't make this shit up.

[treestar]

32. She must know people who work for them

I used to hear Rash Limpballs show while a passenger in someone else's car, and once heard one of his callers complain of the Clinton defense budget cuts of the time - because of how it would put her husband out of work - towns near military bases being closed saw it as an economic problem for themselves - so that the taxpayers could, as far as they were concerned, pay for this stuff whether it was really needed or not, so they could keep their jobs - these people obviously think only of themselves.