Monday, August 27, 2007

Cost-plus

Back to school, kiddies.

And it’s time for a little homework. Read this article from Rolling Stone magazine:

The Great Iraq Swindle

“But it’s TOO LONG, Hedy! And I’m BUSY!”

U.S. soldiers in Iraq would love to trade places with the likes of you, sitting safely at your computer sipping a hot mug of something without sand in your shorts.

Cowboy up and read the fucking story. Now.
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Done? Good.

But before you go slapping a shiny little star on your forehead, it’s quiz time.

Question #1: What’s a cost-plus government contract?

It’s a government contract that guarantees a profit of three percent of the total cost of the deal.

Which means there’s no incentive for government contractors in Iraq to do a job well – they are paid and more importantly, they profit – regardless of what they deliver.

And the more they spend on a project, the more they’re paid.
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Question #2: What’s missing from this story?

C’mon. You know.

3732.

That’s the number of American military casualties in Iraq.

Cost-plus. Yep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: Quiet office noises
I am reading: This article again
And I am: There just isn’t a word to describe this kind of anger + sadness

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Holy f**k!?! How in the hell are we EVER going to extract ourselves from this nightmare ... it just keeps getting worse and worse.

And I'd love to know who the author of this piece is ... just stunning and shocking the barrage of truthful brutality there.

Shocking.

Hedy said...

That's the other thing that is missing from this story - who wrote it. For some reason I don't doubt these stories though. Do you? They're too real to be anything but true. Who would ever make up something like this? Who ever could? And I think all of those sad parents who've lost kids in this fucking mess. It's disgusting.

Dave said...

We are going to hear and read more.

Not-with-standing the current disenchantment with the war, GOP or Dem elected President next year with our Congress will keep our kids over there for awhile. At the point where our national anger outweighs our politicians "pride," think Vietnam, we will develop the latest incarnation of "peace with honor."

Dave said...

I went and read maybe half. Can't do no more. Michael Vick is looking good to me. I'm kidding, but, less than I'm comfortable with.

Posol'stvo the Medved said...

All the same, if I can't win the PowerBall, it would be nice to get me some of that CostPlus...

I promise not to make any poop encrusted schools.