Iraq: In January, things are going to get MUCH uglier

[charlie]

In the midst of an article about occupation efforts to obliterate all remnants of Saddam from Iraqi life, are these two paragraphs:

A more substantial assault on Saddam's legacy is under way in the Republican Palace, where the occupation authority is making preparations to dismantle the food distribution system which gave free rations of flour, rice, cooking oil and other staples to every Iraqi.

Described by the UN as the world's most efficient food network, the system still keeps Iraqis from going hungry. But the US civilian administrator of Iraq, Paul Bremer, views it as a dangerous socialist anachronism. The coalition provisional authority (CPA) is planning to abolish it in January, despite warnings from its own technical experts that this could lead to hunger and riots.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1058867,00.html

Why the fargin' rush? Do they think starvation is going to compel an overnight embrace of free markets? Is there no one in this administration who doesn't try to warp reality to fit ideology?

[Caution]

1. yeh real dangerous

feeding people! what'll them pesky liberals want next? Pure air? (oh wait they do want that). Affordable health care for everyone? (damn). A vote? (shit).

[Ilsa]

4. Health care? oh, we'll give that for free. Just no food.

Does anything about Iraq make sense any more?

Malloy was right last night when he said we were living in some sort of alternate universe or freaky Disnyland or something like that.

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. The Policy of Starvation has worked so well in Palestine!

In just a few years, child malnutrition rates are already at the same level as Congo, where the policy has been in effect for decades!

And Palestine had a much lower level when US and Israel began the operation than in Iraq, where 12 years of sanctions brought about some really impressive results, and a VERY respectable potential enemy reduction ratio!

Reducing the population in Iraq will go a long way toward reducing the number of troops necessary to secure US business interests - no wonder the administration is so optimistic and upbeat!

[Padraig18]

3. Are these people on CRACK?

:wtf:

[proud patriot]

9. I believe they must be high on arrogance

Good Grief ....

[NashVegas]

5. Hey! It's Our Colony!

And we're going to Americanize it by introducing the idea that people are meant to see everyone around them as a competitor and rival.

[loudnclear]

6. We are trying to re-write Iraqi history...Saddam was a part of it

And everything Saddam did was not bad for Iraqis, contrary to the propaganda that the coalition wants the world to believe. The destruction and neglect of the Iraqi infrastructure was a direct result of US sanctions and bombings over 12 years. Next thing the US will do is to take credit for the glorious past of the Iraqis and their contributions to modern civilization. Do we think that the Iraqis had someone else to build their country with its magnificant palaces, educational system, health system? Before we our first invasion in 1991, Iraq was a thriving country throughout, with literacy rates higher than our own.

[jab105]

13. They did this exact thing with Clinton's policies...

Anything CLinton did, the Bush administration wanted to do the opposite, because clearly, anything CLinton did was wrong, so doing the opposite would be right...

And just look where THAT has gotten us...nuff said!

[Alpharetta]

7. Better to be starving than to have any hint of socialism, I guess. n/t

[CheshireCat]

10. Yeh, I caught that one, too.

Doesn't matter if the program works and saves lives. If it resembles socialism, to hell with it!

[DemBones DemBones]

8. Why are these people so unwilling to listen to

their own experts?

Why are thes people so unwilling to listen to reason or common sense?

[ameriphile]

11. After the UN is out

Bushco can award a no-bid food distribution contract to a food service subsidiary of Halliburton!

[patdem]

12. One thing I noticed to the 'run up of the war' was traffic cops,not lights

I thought that was an attempt at full employment of the people. Iraq could have no problem at all to install traffic lights as all intersections, but it would put PEOPLE out of work.

A woman on C-Span this morning talked about her brother dying because of lack of health care...is that LESS brutal than tourting someone to death if her brother died painfully of a disease that could have been cured or arrested if he had health care? One is brutality of commission the other is brutality of ommission. Both equally brutal and painful death ensues?