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Originally Posted by irateplatypus
what gets me is that some posters have such venom for even the appearance of impropriety concerning GE and Haliburton (which is, i think, well placed if the charges are true)... but play it low when foreign countries are caught in the same boat. if one instance is bad... surely an equivalent one should be condemned just as harshly. it's intellectually dishonest to condemn one, yet give another a pass on the grounds that it is just like the first.
a clear double standard.
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I disagree.. the two cases are different.
Haliburton are accused of profiteering and being given government contracts because the vice president of America is on their board - this is an allegation of corruption.
The arms dealers are accused of selling arms to a country that the UN forbids arm sales too.... we might add that America has gone against the UN many times, as have many other states... in fact, disobeying the UN seems to be actually very popular with the American right.
As for arms dealers... as far as I can see, you either sell arms or you dont, there isnt much room for morality... everything you sell is going to be used to try and kill someone or threaten it. UK companies also tried to sell arms to Iraq while this was outlawed by the UN, and they were allegedly helped by three middle ranking ministers of the Conservative government (see the Scott Report), so you can add the UK to that list
As for the arms dealers... it is an allegation of being arms dealers, the logic of arms dealership... selling something where it is banned is a different offence to using government power for the furtherment of the interests of a favoured corporation though.