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New BBC: Weasels begin to pay the price.
[link|http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3305501.stm|Seems a proportional response.]

Excerpt:

Companies from countries opposed to the conflict in Iraq will be barred from bidding for new rebuilding contracts worth $18.6bn, the Pentagon has said.

US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said the policy was necessary to protect America's "essential security interests".

The 26 prime contracts cover areas such as oil, power, communications, water, housing and public works centres.

The ban would exclude firms from countries such as France and Germany.

I say:

The BBC tries hard to spin this into America being a big meany, starting with a very misleading headline. We're not confining it to allies. We're just shutting out the weasels.

The fact is, France, Russia and Germany supported Saddam because they hoped to gain economically from it. It wasn't all about the oil. They had [link|http://www.command-post.org/archives/002978.html|substantial weapons deals too (yes, the US had a tiny smidgen)]. Also, France was in it for reasons of chauvinism. In order for France to look good, America has to look bad. That's the only way they can live down the humiliation of us having to rescue them from Hitler.

When we invited them to help in the postwar reconstruction, did they take the hint? No, far from it. They chose to interpret that as an admission of failure on our part. Missed the point entirely, because it suited their egos to do so. Me, I thought it was a mistake to extend them that last bit of graciousness. But I'm glad to see that's over.

Now they pay the price for having lost the war. Yes, lost. Because they were fighting - in their own weaselly "diplomatic" way - for Saddam. And it turns out that was the losing side.

Enemy is as enemy does. And pays a price for it later.

Yes, I realize this sort of thing may hasten the day when democracy falls in France. But that democracy is pretty much doomed, anyway. They simply haven't got what it takes to make one republic last more than two centuries. And there's the possibility that this could wise them up. In which case, it could actually prevent the fall of French democracy.

Given a radical enough shift of mindset, the French could even become worthy of freedom. I call that a win-win.
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DEAL WITH IT.
"If I may be candid for a moment, and let's see you try to stop me..." - Jay Conrad Levinson
Compromise is for suckers. Seeking a middle ground is what led to 9/11.
"I do not want to be admired by scumbags and liars and wife beaters. I want to be admired by good and decent, intelligent and just people, and in order to achieve this I need to do things that make me despised by their opposites." - Bill Whittle
Never mind all the mass graves. Where's the nerve gas?
[link|http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/marlowe/index.html|http://www.angelfire...arlowe/index.html]
New Yepperz...and they're pissed.
Especially the [link|http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1071057620405_15/?hub=TopStories|Canadians.]

Paul Martin says he can't understand why the U.S. has decided to deny Iraq reconstruction contracts to firms from countries that did not join the Iraq war.

"I find it very difficult to fathom," the prime minister designate told a news conference Wednesday, with new party member Scott Brison beside him.


It does on to note that Canada has troops in Afghanistan and that they're among the biggest supports of Iraq reconstruction.

My take: Canada will probably move to redraw it's troops in Afghanistan and drop it's $300 million in aid to Iraq. The US will counter offer to allow Canadians in on a token project or two.

But just remember, it's not about oil...it's about Weapons of Mass Destruction.
New Disagree wrt Canadian actions
I saw the press conference this morning. Actually, the main thrust of the conference was about the defection of Scott Brison, a gay former candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives, from the new Conservative Party of Canada (merger between the PCs and the Alliance party) to the Liberal Party of Canada. This is in a context of [link|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=129377|remarks ] made last week by the Alliance family critic. Brison is known as a policy wonk and an idea man, and his defection represents a major coup for the Liberals in Atlantic Canada and a major setback for the new CPC, both in the Maritimes and as trying to represent itself as more than the party of rural rednecks.

At any rate, here's what you can expect to see from Martin. He was responding specifically to comments by Wolfowitz wrt the bidding process for contracts in Iraq.

He will NOT move to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan. In fact, I think you can expect to see more money for our military, and an eventual ramping up of our presence there over the course of the next couple of years. For better or for worse, Afghanistan is going to be the Canadian front on the War on Terror, but it won't be done via the same means that the US are taking to it. What you can expect to see happening in Afghanistan is the armed forces there doing more to engage the various factions in dialogue, in an attempt to demonstrate that there are other ways to settle tribal and religious disputes than via muerta. I've heard rumours that officers have been making solo trips into the hills to talk with people, working on the cultural tradition of hospitality (once you're a guest, you are part of the tribe until you leave).

I don't think you'll see a withdrawal of CDN money from Iraq either. As Martin put it in the conference (paraphrasing), "whatever may be the case with contracts, it is crucially important that we contribute to the rebuildin of Iraq to the greatest extent that we can; there is a lot of suffering over there and we need to do what we can to ameliorate it as quickly as possible, and to help Iraq become a self-directed state as soon as possible". In other words, he's willing to take the hit on the contracting because he sees the crucial importance of making sure that Iraq doesn't become a failed state.

What you CAN expect to see is a new intransigence wrt things like the softwood lumber dispute; last week Canada basically rolled over on the issue of tariffs and import quotas, despite the fact that the WTO and the NAFTA panel both think the US is full of shit on it. I wouldn't be surprised to see a NAFTA challenge on the IRaq contract decision as well; Mexico would be a willing partner on that issue.

One effect of your terrible administration has been the driving together of Mexican and Canadian interests wrt trade with the US. You can expect to see more cooperation between these two in the future.

Finally, from his personal demeanour while making the comments, I think it's safe to say that while Martin was sympathetic to the US administration in certain ways, he has come to realise that the current US admin's goals can be most accurately described as looter economics, and that they are simply not people to be trusted.
--\n-------------------------------------------------------------------\n* Jack Troughton                            jake at consultron.ca *\n* [link|http://consultron.ca|http://consultron.ca]                   [link|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca] *\n* Kingston Ontario Canada               [link|news://news.consultron.ca|news://news.consultron.ca] *\n-------------------------------------------------------------------
New if it is US taxpayer money then dam right we get to choose
"We must face the fact that there is not a single country in the world that measures up to the lofty moral and social standards that are the hallmark of the U.S.A.: even Canada is delinquent and deserves a whiff of grape. There is not a single country in the world which, like the U.S., reeks of democracy and "human rights," and is free of crime and murder and hate thoughts and undemocratic deeds\ufffd. And so, since no other countries shape up to U.S. standards, \ufffd I make a Modest Proposal for the only possible consistent and coherent foreign policy: the U.S. must, very soon, Invade the Entire World!" Murray N. Rothbard

questions, help? [link|mailto:pappas@catholic.org|email pappas at catholic.org]
New Well then, choose wisely!
(Where the term "wise" has yet to appear any any description of the "administration's" policies, even by its apologistssupporters.)

Pissing off your allies != wise
Pissing off your allies before asking them for your support != wise
Pissing off your allies before asking them for money != wise
Pissing off your allies before asking them for money == butt stoopud

These three countries together have something like 90% of the experience in dealing with constructing anything useful in that region (which is 90% more than the US has)

If I'm going to be forced to spend my "taxpayer money" on rebuilding a country that we had no business destroying in the first place, then I'd rather my "taxpayer money" go to a company that has a track record of success building things out there. (Hint: that doesn't include Halliburton!) If that company happens to be German, or French, or even Russian (gasp!), then so be it; it'll end up costing me less than subsidizing the corruption and incompetence that is guaranteed to accompany any corporate welfare recipientselected contractor from these shores by our oh-so-honest-and-competent "administration"!
jb4
"There are two ways for you to have lower Prescription-drug costs. One is you could hire Rush Limbaugh's housekeeper ... or you can elect me President."
John Kerry
New any contract over there is 75% froth
at least let our bottom feeders glorp first. As far as experience in building in that area the Brits have the most experience, followed by the Russians and the Americans have as much experience in harsh climate building as anyone else.
thanx,
bill
"We must face the fact that there is not a single country in the world that measures up to the lofty moral and social standards that are the hallmark of the U.S.A.: even Canada is delinquent and deserves a whiff of grape. There is not a single country in the world which, like the U.S., reeks of democracy and "human rights," and is free of crime and murder and hate thoughts and undemocratic deeds\ufffd. And so, since no other countries shape up to U.S. standards, \ufffd I make a Modest Proposal for the only possible consistent and coherent foreign policy: the U.S. must, very soon, Invade the Entire World!" Murray N. Rothbard

questions, help? [link|mailto:pappas@catholic.org|email pappas at catholic.org]
New Why should I feed Halliburton? Or Bechtel?
Or any other corrupt no-bid brown-nosing corporate scumsucker that just happens to have his hand on Duh's or Dick' or Rummy's (which is to say, Wolfowitz's) crank? At least, if we're going to have furriners bid on contracts, there will be a bid on the contracts!
jb4
"There are two ways for you to have lower Prescription-drug costs. One is you could hire Rush Limbaugh's housekeeper ... or you can elect me President."
John Kerry
New P*****g off our what now?
France is no ally. Not of the US, not of the [link|http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2003/n12112003_200312115.html|common people in Iraq]. An ally of Saddam, yes. And by extension, therefore, of terrorism and repression.

We should probably cut parts of Canada some slack. That cretin Chretien may not speak for anglophone Canada. But this geopolitical fiction of Canada as a nation mucks things up something awful.

Now if Upper Canada would just ditch Quebec, a lot of things would become much simpler. A great many vexing problems would simply vanish.
----------------------------------------------------------------
DEAL WITH IT.
"If I may be candid for a moment, and let's see you try to stop me..." - Jay Conrad Levinson
Compromise is for suckers. Seeking a middle ground is what led to 9/11.
"I do not want to be admired by scumbags and liars and wife beaters. I want to be admired by good and decent, intelligent and just people, and in order to achieve this I need to do things that make me despised by their opposites." - Bill Whittle
Never mind all the mass graves. Where's the nerve gas?
[link|http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/marlowe/index.html|http://www.angelfire...arlowe/index.html]
New Does the list of opposing countries include Iraq?
Because I think there are likely plenty of Iraqi companies with lots of expertise in reconstruction still around from the 91 Gulf war.

Seems like they ought to get first dibs - they can likely do it for much less than US companies.



"I believe that many of the systems we build today in Java would be better built in Smalltalk and Gemstone."

     -- Martin Fowler, JAOO 2003
     BBC: Weasels begin to pay the price. - (marlowe) - (8)
         Yepperz...and they're pissed. - (Simon_Jester) - (1)
             Disagree wrt Canadian actions - (jake123)
         if it is US taxpayer money then dam right we get to choose -NT - (boxley) - (4)
             Well then, choose wisely! - (jb4) - (3)
                 any contract over there is 75% froth - (boxley) - (1)
                     Why should I feed Halliburton? Or Bechtel? - (jb4)
                 P*****g off our what now? - (marlowe)
         Does the list of opposing countries include Iraq? - (tuberculosis)

Oh, for the love of cheese.
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