Getting back in the swing of political rants...
It's really amazing what doesn't get reported by mainstream media. Given how big a story gas prices are these days, you'd think the fact that this quarter ExxonMobil posted the most profitable quarter a single company has ever had ever ($10 bn) would be as well. Does that compute?
Or how about the fact that Operation Blessing, Pat Robertson's charity which was listed by FEMA as one of the top three charities you should donate to (along with Red Cross and Operation Second Harvest) not only gives most of its money to the Christian Broadcasting Network, but also, during the Rwandan genocide, held massive fundraisers through the 700 Club to buy planes to send supplies to the victims that were in actuallity used to send mining supplies into Africa to help a for-profit company, the African Development Corp, who's CEO and sole shareholder just happens to be Pat Roberston? And, of course, let's not forget that CBN was the vehichle through which Robertson called for the assasination of Hugo Chavez. So, basically, donating to this charity, which FEMA gave as much credability as the Red Cross, goes to support right-wing extremist politics, the establishment of an American theocracy and African diamond cartels (and through the cartels, slavery, murder and all sorts of lovely things like that).
Of course, it's been reported, but still not widely or vocally enough that Haliburton got a $12 million contract in the Gulf Coast. Need I say more?
In Iraq, the United States is once again supporting death squads sent out by a government we installed after an illegal invasion. This is occuring even as we give up all together the pretense of trying to rebuild their infrastructure, even getting them potable drinking water, saying 'We're out of money.'
Even Republicans have started to lash out at the Bush administration for not accepting aid from Cuba in the form of over 1500 doctors and copious amounts of medical supplies. Keep in mind that Cuba has one of the finest health care systems in the world, despite our best efforts to destroy it, and this gesture is an astonishing act of goodwill that we are pointedly refusing.
Meanwhile, given Bush's obvious dislike for social programs and poor people, it should come as no surprise that he has waived laws that require contractors working in affected areas to pay their workers prevailing wages in the area. Now they can legally be paid less than minimum wage for doing difficult, necessary work.
And finally, am I the only one who finds it slightly suspicious that Homeland Security is claiming that there are far less dead in New Orleans than anyone had predicted, but no media of any kind, not even reporters with pads of paper and pencils are allowed along?
Or how about the fact that Operation Blessing, Pat Robertson's charity which was listed by FEMA as one of the top three charities you should donate to (along with Red Cross and Operation Second Harvest) not only gives most of its money to the Christian Broadcasting Network, but also, during the Rwandan genocide, held massive fundraisers through the 700 Club to buy planes to send supplies to the victims that were in actuallity used to send mining supplies into Africa to help a for-profit company, the African Development Corp, who's CEO and sole shareholder just happens to be Pat Roberston? And, of course, let's not forget that CBN was the vehichle through which Robertson called for the assasination of Hugo Chavez. So, basically, donating to this charity, which FEMA gave as much credability as the Red Cross, goes to support right-wing extremist politics, the establishment of an American theocracy and African diamond cartels (and through the cartels, slavery, murder and all sorts of lovely things like that).
Of course, it's been reported, but still not widely or vocally enough that Haliburton got a $12 million contract in the Gulf Coast. Need I say more?
In Iraq, the United States is once again supporting death squads sent out by a government we installed after an illegal invasion. This is occuring even as we give up all together the pretense of trying to rebuild their infrastructure, even getting them potable drinking water, saying 'We're out of money.'
Even Republicans have started to lash out at the Bush administration for not accepting aid from Cuba in the form of over 1500 doctors and copious amounts of medical supplies. Keep in mind that Cuba has one of the finest health care systems in the world, despite our best efforts to destroy it, and this gesture is an astonishing act of goodwill that we are pointedly refusing.
Meanwhile, given Bush's obvious dislike for social programs and poor people, it should come as no surprise that he has waived laws that require contractors working in affected areas to pay their workers prevailing wages in the area. Now they can legally be paid less than minimum wage for doing difficult, necessary work.
And finally, am I the only one who finds it slightly suspicious that Homeland Security is claiming that there are far less dead in New Orleans than anyone had predicted, but no media of any kind, not even reporters with pads of paper and pencils are allowed along?