In part, the lack of accountability stems from an unhealthy symbiosis between our government and the contractors it employs. Inside the Beltway, those who achieve a prominent position in government can easily find employment with a firm that does business with the parent agency. In some cases, especially among political appointees, there’s a revolving door as they enter and reenter the public and private sectors.
None can call it bribery when a government official resigns to work for a company he or she previously regulated. And as the officer corps migrates to defense contractors, and congressional staff members head for a K Street lobbying firm, and political appointees alternately sit on corporate boards, there will be the equivalent of insider trading in our capitol. But as Major General Smedley Butler, two-time winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, wrote in his treatise War is a Racket, there’s no time for making money as when the bullets are flying.
There’s no doubt that Robert Greenwald is an accomplished director and a muckraker to boot. He takes on the task of sorting through the muck known as the Iraq War and points out the slimy details of outsourcing our military and making a profit while doing so. Of course, like most muckrakers, he has a political agenda as well. Make no mistake about the timing of this release, or the underlying message that we’d be better off with the Democrats running both houses of Congress. The filmmakers encourage sharing the DVD with friends and neighbors. In fact, the DVD offers a highlighted version specifically edited for organizing.
Iraq For Sale merits four out of five stars, and is worth the money. The idea is to share it with friends and neighbors, and whether they’re liberal or conservative, there’s food for thought for everyone who cares about America, its future, and our troops abroad.
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