Bechtel Group

Discussion in 'Free Speech Alley' started by JD, Apr 17, 2003.

  1. JD

    JD Founding Member

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    gets the immense government contract to rebuild Iraq. What a surprise. What a bunch of slimeballs - the government contractor class. Hands in the pocket of the taxpayers
    Pay cash to a politician - get a contract. The neo-confederacy in action.
    The Bechtel Group has been a bunch of vultures for years - several of their people were prominent in the Reagan administration, while the group was sponging off of taxpayers. They are completely incapable of making a dollar unless they take it from the taxpayers
    The government contractor class - close to the lowest scum on earth.
     
  2. Bengal B

    Bengal B Founding Member

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    So who should get those contracts? The French? If it wasn't American companies with political influence getting the contracts it would be French, German and other big companies in those countries with pull with their govenments. At least with American companies rebuilding Iraq it will provide a lot of jobs for Americans
     
  3. JD

    JD Founding Member

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    Iraquis would be my first choice; the french my last choice.
    How about a full and complete sealed bid process, for starters. How about a group independent of those that made the decision to go to war?

    How about this - treat defense (which this is) contractors the same way our government treats, say, people with IRS problems or even the way the government treats hospitals and doctors when paying for medicare. Tell them exactly how much the government will pay for a procedure (cost or less) and they can take it or leave it. And if any "t" is uncrossed in the paperwork, forget about payment and expect a knock on the door from the ennforcement division of he inspector general. that might stop the grotesque profiteering.
     
  4. Bengal B

    Bengal B Founding Member

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    First of all I doubt that any Iraqi contractor exists that is capable of rebuilding the country and its infastructure. Any of the big players in the Iraqi construction industry would have had to be closely allied with the Saddam regime. If the rebuilding of Iraq is to be done it will have to be done by companies with the experience and expertise to do it right. Sure, there are contractors in France, Germany and and other developed industrialized nations capable of doing this. There are also contactors in the USA, The UK, Austrailia and other countries that stood by us who are also competent to do the job. What is your beef with defense contractors? Sure they made tons of bucks but they came through magnificently in this war by producing and manufacturing the high tech weapons that made the war as bloodless as was posible.

    No matter who does the job profits will be made by the already superrich. And the expenses will be paid for by Iraqi oil. If contractors from the "Coalition of the willing" countries do the job many citizens of those countries will benefit from the employment opportunities and the trickle down of the multiplicity of subcontracting work that will be necessary. There will also be increased economic opportunities for Iraqi citizens. In the interest of creating a more harmonius relationship with those nations who opposed us France, Germany and Russia will also be allowed a role in rebuilding Iraq. It won't be as large a role as they would like but those are the breaks. They should have thought about that before they threatened to veto our resolutions.
     
  5. JD

    JD Founding Member

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    My beef is that they do it for about 10 times the price that it would be if it it were a pure arms-length transaction in the private sector. AND their weapons often don't work. Do you remember the HOWL from most congress people when Republican Grassley DARED to question, absolutely DARED, the $500 toilet seat? Some people consider applying audits and examinations to military spending completely out of bounds

    The American servicemen won this war - the same way WWI and II were won.
    It was not won by some lowlife contractor who, for 10 billion, could actually build a weapon that works (WOW!). While we're on the subject, how many non-combat Chopper fatalities did we experience? Too damn many.

    Finally, what is wrong with sealed bids? You want to restrict the bidders to UK and US firms? Fine - I tend to agree. Now base the contract on capabilities and price, not on who greases Dick Cheney, the king of no bid contracts, the best.
     
  6. SabanFan

    SabanFan The voice of reason

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    Here's a novel idea. Give the contracts to those who supported your opponents. Let's see. Bush is president and he ignores those large contributors who helped to get him elected. Yeah that makes a lot of sense. Join the real world JD. Republicans, Democrats, left, right...they are all just like lawyers. Never met a dollar they didn't think was rightfully theirs.
     
  7. Bengal B

    Bengal B Founding Member

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    You're right, the American servicemen won the war. Do you want them to try to do it with weapons designed and manufactured by the lowest bidder or don't you believe they deserve better? I have a pretty good idea about how much a toilet seat should cost. The cruise missles that worked so well cost about 1.4 million each. I have no idea how much a cruise missle should cost. Do you? How about a JDAM, a GPS guidance system or a Stealth bomber? An aircraft carrier? All of these things worked pretty damn well.
     

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