Thursday, October 07, 2004

It's not about the money: Cheney wants power over you and me

I always thought that the goal of Halliburton's no-bid contracts was to amass vast amounts of wealth for Dick Cheney.

I was wrong.

It's not about the money.

After watching Cheney on TV the other night, I had a big epiphany. "That guy could care less about money. Or even Iraq. Or even -- gulp -- oil." No, Dick Cheney is playing a larger game. He wants power! You could see it in his face.

Halliburton has been systematically fleecing Americans for a reason and it's not to defeat Iraq. "Iraq is a money pit," I suddenly realized, "and every cent that goes there weakens the United States; weakens you and me."

As he debated John Edwards on the future of our country, I could almost read Dick Cheney's mind. He seemed to be thinking, "Forget about those poor stupid Iraqis. Forget about the North Koreans, the Iranians, those stupid cats-paw cannon-fodder Israelis and even Osama what's-his-name. They are merely a means to an end." Dick Cheney's real goal is power. Power over who? (Whom?) Power over the people who REALLY count. Power over you and me.

Why us? Why Americans? Not a clue. Perhaps because it was Americans -- not Iraqis or Afghanis or Palestinians or Sudanese or even Al Qaeda -- who didn't elect Cheney prom king in high school.

Through a combination of George Bush, cult Christians, Republican ostriches, corporate welfare queens, Fox news, outsourcing, the Patriot Act, Diebold and the military, our Dick has finally found the perfect vehicle -- the aces-wild winning hand -- to finally get what he wants:

Power over you and me.

****
Sources:

From Roberto Bellachaio in Paris, France (with Cheney photo!):
http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=3645

Cheney cartoon from Roger:
http://www.uclick.com/client/wpc/po/

From CLG News: Halliburton at work:
Dear Mike, Iraq sucks Michael Moore received a flood of letters and emails from disillusioned and angry American soldiers serving in Iraq. [excerpt] "A Blackwater contractor makes $15,000 [£8,400] a month for doing the same job as my pals and me. I make about $4,000 a month over here. What's up with that? ...Man, there is a huge f*cking scam going on here! There are civilian contractors crawling all over this country. Blackwater, Kellogg Brown & Root, Halliburton, on and on. These contractors are doing everything you can think of from security to catering lunch! We are spending money out the ass for this sh*t, and very few of the projects are going to the Iraqi people. Someone's back is getting scratched here, and it ain't the Iraqis'!"

In TruthOut, William Rivers Pitt describes Cheney's plan:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article1665.htm (PS: Cheney's pride and joy, The Project for the New American Century, does NOT include us.)

From the Pulitzer Prize winning author of "Maus":
http://www.salon.com/books/review/2004/09/10/spiegelman/index_np.html

"In the Shadow of No Towers" by Art SpiegelmanThis dark, troubling and sometimes hilarious 9/11 comic, created in a jumpy city uneasily balanced between Bush and Osama, may be the finest and most personal work of art to emerge from the tragedy.