Are we not a nation of "Christian soldiers" who favor torture? Yes! We are a nation which is willing to ignore violation of anti-torture laws because it was done against non-Christians in the name of national defense. Don't all laws have flaws, and are only intended to be rules for fools? Yes! They only apply to the little people! So why should we be persecuting a small business man for profiting off the Pentagon even through he was violating weapons procurement regulations? His "illegal" act was also performed in the name of national defense, after all! Christ, you KNOW it ain't easy! You know how hard it can be to convince Christians to leave their churches praying for victory and go to war to actually fight! Oh, the morality!
But this slimedog Miami millionaire making beaucoup warbucks off of endangering our soldiers in the field maybe wouldn't even have stood trial if he were, for example, Boeing. Boeing has a long history of using bribery as a sales tactic. In addition, Boeing has been investigated for shady business dealings in regard to military contracts as far back as 1918, yet they remain a very profitable business. About all that usually happened to Boeing is that they have paid huge fines for retribution. But since they operate under cost-plus contracts, they always find ways to recoup that temporary loss. Where's the punishment? Oh, yeah! They have to torture the procurement rules in order to recoup the fine! What an enormous effort that torture entails! What a lot of money must be lavished upon our elected representatives to protect their corporate interests! Oh, the humanity!
Boeing currently insists that fixed-price contracts aren't going to bring weapons prices down. What this means in "real American talk" is that they aren't willing to slash profits or become more efficient, not even to support our troops in the field. Boeing "earned" $61 billion in 2008, of which about 52 percent came from military programs. Boeing's 2008 net income (from information provided in the company's own Form 10K) was almost $2.7 billion, yet Boeing is included in BusinessWeek's list of American corporations which paid the least in taxes. And WHO benefits the most from US soldiers in the field? I don't have any property in a region threatened by "insurgents". Do you?
And so it goes. Boeing's Q1 profit for 2009 was $610 million and they see their economic future as being "solid". That isn't stopping them from throwing their workers out the hatch, as Boeing is "only" halfway through a planned 10,000 reduction in employment. Only about 20 of these layoffs will involve white-collar engineers as these engineers will be needed to to take the blame should Boeing repeat qualifying for a place in The Top Supply Chain Disasters of All Time. By showing such a poor performance, shouldn't Boeing execs have to go first? Don't be ridiculous! How many generals have become casualties since the Civil War demonstrated that it isn't wise for them to lead the charge? Not very many. Why should it be any different in the Theater of the Corporate Equivalent to War?
Article comments
1 - m a r k
This article belongs 'above the fold'. Good work.
2 - Doug Hunter
For someone who obviously 'cares' so much, I look forward to your complimentary article 'Who remembers the greatest genocides in history, 100 million dead, and a Gulag for your thoughts?(The deadly and violent history of oppression from the left and the douchebags who ignorantly still support it)'
3 - ma r k
'Complimentary'? I think you mean 'non-sequiturial' or some such.
4 - Doug Hunter
|/ /- |? |<
I think it would make a great companion piece.
5 - Doug Hunter
Screw escaping mechanisms.
6 - roger nowosielski
What are you bitching about, Doug?
7 - Doug Hunter
Life is too easy and I have nothing better to do. Also, I made a nice rendition of mark's name rife with special characters that wasn't able to make it through legibly.
8 - Dave Nalle
Some of this article actually makes a great deal of sense, but why is it so long and why does it cover so many topics? Seriously, it would be far more effective broken down into 3 or more clear and succinct topical articles.
Dave
9 - roger nowosielski
Whatever. As long as it doesn't deteriorate to a dragged-out fight of the kind we had yesterday on Glenn's thread. The contestants were virtually at each other's throat.
10 - roger nowosielski
Well, Dave - shouldn't the editor take a lead role here?
11 - Bliffle
Good article. Well written, entertaining and captivating.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with Realist you have to admit he made his points forcefully and backed them up with solid citations.
One can only hope that the comments will be as literate.
12 - Baronius
Wow, if General Butler is telling the truth, then Realist broke the story that the Spanish-American War was corrupt!
13 - Dave Nalle
Baronius, I'm pretty sure the Rickover commission covered that ground thoroughly back in 1974.
Dave
14 - Ruvy
So long as you guys remember your war dead by grilling hotdogs instead of visiting soldiers' graves, being porked and spitted like hotdogs by the corporate pigs grilling you will be what you deserve.
I couldn't quite follow this particular rant (I just got up), but if you guys are buying bullets from Israel, you can't be doing too bad. I just hope your currency holds up long enough to pay for them!