Quote:
Originally posted by hobo
Canada may have *only* offered 300 million, but the EU offered only like 230-280 million and it is made up of a heck of a lot of countries.
In my opinion, Canada has done more for the US than it will acknowledge. Canada has to shoulder the burden of Afganistan because the US moved all its troops to Iraq. Why should Palau, Micronesia, Tonga, Rwanda, the Solomon Islands, and Angola and other tiny countries get to bid on contracts because they supported the war? Do you think that offering use of airspace nowhere near Iraq really helps more then $300 million?
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Well, apparently we didn't shut out Canada. But I disagree that small countries shouldn't get to bid on contracts -- why not? Why should only big countries get to bid on contracts? It is something palpable that will help a small country's economy, and purely subjectively, I find that small countries do quite a good job at what they promise.
Do I think offering use of airspace helps more than $300 million? No. But those small countries supported us and gave us what they could. $300 million to a rich country like Canada is peanuts. Why should contracts be based on dollar amounts, anyway? Money shouldn't be the only influence on the reconstruction, and thankfully so far this hasn't been the case.
I've attached this URL,
http://slate.msn.com/id/2090636/, which actually lists the top 10 campaign contributors and the top 10 US contractors in Iraq. There are only 3 overlaps, contributors #5, #6, and #7 (Fluor, Bechtel, Halliburton). GE contributed more money then they received in reconstruction contracts -- not exactly a winning strategy, I would say. I don't see much of a correlation between campaign contributions and the awarding of reconstruction contracts, and my mathematician friends tell me that the 0.192 correlation over all 70 of the companies covered by the report isn't much of one either. There is no evidence that the Bush administration "kicks back" contracts based on donations.
Just because Canada gives us money doesn't mean squat. But truth be told, in my purely subjective opinion, Canada seems to genuinely want to help. But, again in my purely subjective opinion, to me Canada is that friendly aunt who sincerely wants to help everyone. France and Germany opposed us every step of the way, and show no signs of genuinely being interested in a rebuilt, democratic Iraq. I don't trust them to deliver, plain and simple. They would like nothing more than to see the reconstruction going poorly, slowly, anything to try to hoist the United States on its own petard, anything to try to justify their completely revolting anti-war position. If that means wrapping up their companies in red tape, or whatever, no thanks.
It's sickening to me to see them rail against us and attack us but jump for the cash as greedily as anyone. I've had enough. Give those contracts to Palau, or to the Solomon Islands, or whatever. They could use the money, and their economy will grow. Maybe those contratcs will grow the economy big enough to even kick the sweatshops out. After all, I can hope, can't I?
-- Alvin