Saturday, December 09, 2006
Thieves 'r' Us
The New York Times is carrying a story about some major expensive SNAFUs in the Coast Guard (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/09/us/09ship.html?ex=1323320400&en=d715d64a44376dd6&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss).
Billions, in the last four years, have gone down the rat-hole. From the taxpayers to the corporate bosses.
One ship, new, at a pricetag of over $500,000,000 (yes, one, count it, one fucking ship), is reported to have such serious structural problems that it’s un-sea-worthy. Sort of the sea-going equivalent of un-armored Humvees. Interestingly enough, both the new Coast Guard ship and the death-trap Humvees have appeared under the regime of George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donny Rumsfeld. Avatars of unbridled capitalism, each and every one. Businesses rule—and get to write the rules.
It’s like we turned all the banks over to the Dillinger Gang. The last six years this country has been robbed as brazenly as any junta in some banana republic could do. We have become the moral equivalent of a Third World nation.
Billions, in the last four years, have gone down the rat-hole. From the taxpayers to the corporate bosses.
One ship, new, at a pricetag of over $500,000,000 (yes, one, count it, one fucking ship), is reported to have such serious structural problems that it’s un-sea-worthy. Sort of the sea-going equivalent of un-armored Humvees. Interestingly enough, both the new Coast Guard ship and the death-trap Humvees have appeared under the regime of George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donny Rumsfeld. Avatars of unbridled capitalism, each and every one. Businesses rule—and get to write the rules.
It’s like we turned all the banks over to the Dillinger Gang. The last six years this country has been robbed as brazenly as any junta in some banana republic could do. We have become the moral equivalent of a Third World nation.
