RANT - who are the benefactors of the Iraq War?

[Rex]

I think it is time to pull all 'government' soldiers out of Iraq and stop making the American taxpayer pay for an obvious corporate war. I would submit that KBR, Halliburton, Bechtel and so many others are the main benefactors of Iraqi misery. Mercenary forces make 6 digit numbers, they can fight for these rogue corporations. Make the companies pay for private armies (since that is what they want to do) and then run all the mess halls and laundry services. Like now, expect they are not making money off of my tax dollar - that should go to important things like health care and emergency services.

Also, a benefit to us, would be returning home our military and only getting them involved in wars that can be validated and justified.

Thanks.

[KG]

1. war profiteers. they are always the only benefactors, of any war.

one day, poor boys will refuse to fight rich mens wars. then there will be peace.

[Rex]

2. I can't wait for that day.

It's to bad piracy is still an accepted business practice.

[pocoloco]

3. Got to cash in your bonds about every 30 years

I mean bombs and build new ones. Gonna bomb the infrastructure and then get paid to rebuild it.
Bases, prisons, lots of money for construction. Big additional plus this time is the oil!

[MADem]

4. Corporate America. Everyone from Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Wendy's, Pizza Hut

(you think I'm kidding? They're on military installations around the world, serving a captive audience) to the more obvious GM, GE,General Dynamics, and so forth. Then, there's the goods and services bunch, the Proctor+Gambles, Staples, AT+T, NEXTEL, SPRINT and so on...and then, there are the "tail" providers (as in "tooth to tail") who provide logistics support--the Halliburtons, the Blackwaters, and so on.

Corporate America, that shovels money at corporate media, and demands that media dance to their tune, benefits massively from this war. That's why you don't hear any credible antiwar voices on TVk and if you do, they're FIRED as quickly as can be managed...they only let you hear the cranks and the flakes, not the regular people who can make a compelling argument. And even the cranks and flakes get silenced if they start to develop any kind of following.

[Solly Mack]

5. By early April 2003, Burger King and Subway were serving in Iraq.

Just to highlight your point

[MADem]

6. Yep. And it's a real bargain all around--here's how it works...

It's easier for the Service to contract it out, and the contracting agency gets all sorts of perks and rake offs for going to the trouble of setting up. Once they get rolling, they get RICH. Imagine having a shop where it's "rush hour" most of the day, where you're working to capacity most of the day:

http://www.mwr.navy.mil/mwrprgms/branpro.htm

[Rex]

7. One day we will be having wars between BK and McDs!

Or Coke vs Pepsi. :(