New twist on Iraq aid: U.S. seeks donations

[sabra]

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/politics/12679449.htm

New twist on Iraq aid: U.S. seeks donations

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - From the Indian Ocean tsunami to the church around the corner, Americans have shown time and again they are willing to open their pocketbooks for charity, for a total of about $250 billion last year alone.

But now, amid pleas for aid after Hurricane Katrina, the Bush administration has launched an unusual effort to raise charitable contributions for another cause: the government's attempt to rebuild Iraq.

Although more than $30 billion in taxpayer funds have been appropriated for Iraqi reconstruction, the administration earlier this month launched an Internet-based fundraising effort that it says is aimed at giving Americans "a further stake in building a free and prosperous Iraq."

Contributors have no way of knowing who's getting the money or precisely where it's headed, because the government says it must keep the details secret for security reasons.

[teryang]

1. Starve the beast

It's a secret where your money is going.

[Massachusetts]

2. government says it must keep the details secret for security reasons.

"Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble."

-William Shakespeare

[rodeodance]

3. not knowing where your money is going in Iraq should be a deterance.

.....Contributors have no way of knowing who's getting the money or precisely where it's headed, because the government says it must keep the details secret for security reasons.

[rodeodance]

4. nominated

[54anickel]

5. Have you checked out the website?

http://www.iraqpartnership.org/cb/iraq/index.html

From Learn more:

Donor information is retained by GlobalGiving and is not disclosed to USAID. No donor will receive preferential treatment in its dealings with USAID, nor will any party face discriminatory treatment if they decline to donate


From Links:

About USAID USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. The agency works in agriculture, democracy and governance, economic growth, the environment, education, health, global partnerships, and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries to provide a better future for all.

[tanyev]

6. Those donations will buy a lot of Ferragamo shoes!

[phusion]

22. That's such bullshit

They left out the fact that USAID gives military assistance to foreign countries, including Israel. This is a fact noted in their yearly appropriations documents.

[bigbrother05]

7. Yeah I'll donate

When Pigs fly out of your MONKEY ASS.

[Pharlo]

16. I don't think I'd use that particular analogy...

Chimp is an ass with the heart of a pig. If his outer skin ever peels, you don't know what will come flying out...

And there you'd be - pledged to make a donation. Simply because Poppy and the Quaker Oats Man were too intent upon their golf game to verify their offspring was human, not some demonic beast in need of an exocism.

Just sayin'....

[Eugene]

8. Again with the secrecy.

The USAID charity money is funding the same projects as
as the taxpayer money. With the billions of dollars
already wasted, diverted, and stolen in Iraq,
hiding the books is an invitation for further misconduct.

The government should leave charity to NGO's.

[susu369]

9. Just when I think bu$h* gang cannot get any worse -

they come up with something this notably stupid.

"Contributors have no way of knowing who's getting the money or precisely where it's headed, because the government says it must keep the details secret for security reasons."

Ah, the "trust me" meme. Let's not fall other each other rushing to donate.

[FloridaPat]

10. Wow a faith based planet. Great idea Bush. Fund wars based on charity.

About time. Spend money on the people that pay the taxes and wage wars on the money sent to fight them. I like that. So bring the troops home now until he gets enough money.

[ugarte]

11. "Moolah for Mullahs"?

It probably all goes to Pat Robertson anyway.

[struggle4progress]

29. "Sponsor a death squad for Mr N" eom

[jmowreader]

12. Now, now, this is a perfect way to contribute

Okay, consider this: you've got millions of people in this country who love this war. They're driving Chevy Suburbans even though they're single and carry nothing. They paste "W The President" and "Freedom Isn't Free" stickers all over the back of their cars. They go to Sheehan protests and tell Cindy that the pResident is too busy to see her because...well, the fish are biting, there are bicycles to be ridden and guitars to be badly played, and the pResident has to get on with his life.

But none of them are signing up for the military. There are many reasons for that...back problems (specifically, a mysterious six-inch-wide yellow stripe running right up the middle) seem to be primary. That, and the fact that their asses are nine ax handles wide.

Now there's a perfect way for these people to contribute to the war they love so much. Freepers, just forward your bank account and routing numbers to the government's new Wack-a-Racky Foundation! With all of your money, the Bush Family Evil Empire can fight its illegal, unjustified war for...oh, two or three seconds longer.

And monetary contributions aren't the only way you can Wack-a-Racky! We accept donations of cars, houses, plate steel, firstborn children (must be between 18 and 35), secondborn children, nineteenthborn children, gallons of diesel--anything! We especially like Scotch. Mmm, Scotch. Scotch is good.

[MindPilot]

17. Good idea; if you can't enlist...

because of that painful yellow patch on your back or "other priorities" then you can donate to your favorite war.

Hey! It's just like paying taxes except you are certain that none of your hard-earned cash will be wasted on Americans!!

We should all commit the website to memory as a follow-up the the ever popular "why don't you enlist?" question.

Too busy fighting the "war of ideas" here at home? Can't enlist because your job as an energy trader is too important? Then donate!!

[Jawja]

13. Oh? They've run out of

U.S. taxpayers' money to loot, so now they are after contributions to steal?


:eyes:

[splat@14]

14. Haliburton has got to be in there somewhere. n/t

[IndyJones]

28. Yeah, I'd love to know how large their contribution was.

[MindPilot]

15. Sorry, I alread gave at the gas pump.

I told them not to blow it up; they did it anyway. Fuck 'em...I ain't helping to pay to fix it.

Kicked and nominated.

[Barrett808]

18. Must be a response to the news that reconstruction money has run out

Money runs out on U.S. projects in Iraq
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002479659_contracts08.html?syndication=rss&source=seattletimes.xml&items=146

[moondust]

19. Great!

Get the gov't out of nation building! Let free markets and compassionate conservatives work their magic! Dig deep, chickenhawks!

[libodem]

20. you gotta be kidding?

this is unreal...I'm incredulous...they have wasted 'billions' already...they flat don't care about the Iraqi people, their infrastructure, homes, schools....there has to be a special place in hell for this administration....I hope it looks like a bombed out Iraqi town with no water, raw sewage running down the streets, no electricity, no food, and plenty of depleted uranium, to finish off the job that starvation and disease haven't. Where can I sign up to send some cash...as above I sure am glad it's not tax dollars going to any undeserving poor in the USA.

[jasmeel]

21. Damn! NOw the repubs can give without having to serve in the

military!

[IndyJones]

23. I'm still waiting for all of their oil money to pay for the rebuilding...

anyone else remember that promise?

[bigbrother05]

25. I'm waiting to

checked at www.worldbank.org, they said they are down in their production only 1.2 to 1.4 million barrels a day, what is the price of oil today. You do the math. Also read when i googled Who owns Irag oil, French do. Maybe that is why we are going into the nuclear business with France.

[daleo]

24. Instead of "Give, to help the orphans and widows"

It's, "Give, to help create the orphans and widows".

[bigbrother05]

26. Sounds like money laundering to me

Even the Red Cross site tells private donors that the money is not tax deductible. Now look at the corporate link to the RC, their donations can be written off. Well, with that precedent, what do you think are the chances that major, tax deductible contributions will flow from the BFEE's friends to the super secret, triple locked Iraq Reconstruction fund. With the past as a guide, we can expect to get glowing accounts of the billions given and spent to rebuild, but we can't tell you how it was spent or show you what was done. Probably will be administered by Jeff Skilling, should make Enron look like the model of transparency.

Have always thought that if we ever got an honest accounting of the US money spent in Iraq, it would make the UN food-for-oil scandal look like shoplifting a package of M&Ms.

[damntexdem]

27. Gotta stay the course of corruption. It's hard work, ...

raising enough money to feed Halliburton.

[oxbow]

30. Chickenhawks take notice! Put your money where your yellow asses won't go!

[Javaman]

31. Huh, this kind of scares the living shit out of me...

When our tax dollars aren't enough to pay for their fuck ups, now they have to pass the hat. What does that say for the current state of the US economy?

colossal racist failure*.