May 1, 2006
Lazy Media Still Only Reporting The Negative On Iraq
Because reality has a well-known bias.
Take this story of fraud, costing American taxpayers billions of wasted dollars:
Billions wasted in Iraq, says US audit
While progress has been made in the construction of schools and police stations, many Iraqis still have no access to clean water, and electricity supplies in Baghdad are still below pre-invasion levels. The inspectors say that economic recovery is being hampered by the failure to restore Iraq’s oil production to levels before 2003.The report says that corruption in the oil and gas sector is a continuing problem that could have “devastating effects” on reconstruction in Iraq. […]
Congress has approved $21bn for reconstruction since the invasion, of which 67% has been allocated. Precisely how much has been squandered is not known but the congressional team has been carrying out investigations and publishes quarterly reports. In the latest, it highlights the case of a US company which was given a contract to build 150 health centres in Iraq. Only six have been built, all in Baghdad, in spite of 75% of its allocated $186m having been spent. The report says the contractor will only complete a further 14. Last year the congressional team reported that almost $9bn in Iraqi oil revenues disbursed to ministries had gone missing.
Wrap your brain around that for a second. $21 billion to reconstruction. $14 billion of that has been allocated and (if this is at all representative) what the Iraqi people are getting for the American people’s money is an attempt to build 150 health centers using up 75% of nearly two hundred million and only building six of them. So, when someone tells you about the media not reporting how great it is that we built a hospital somewhere, keep in mind how that fits in with the story that the finances tell.
I won’t even ask you to wrap your brain around $9 billion completely unaccounted for. Because I can’t fathom it. And try not to think about what other uses that “gone missing” money could have been put to. Like education. Or health care. Over here.
You thought the Big Dig was bad?
(PS. Name that movie.)
Posted by James at May 1, 2006 9:33 AMThe Money Pit.
Posted by: Julie at May 1, 2006 10:51 AMJoe and Diane Vs. the Inverted Volcano
Posted by: Mike L. at May 1, 2006 10:55 AMI just Googled "'U.S. builds' school Iraq" and the answer was: "Your search - 'U.S builds' school Iraq - did not match any documents" while "children dead Iraq" nets 26,300,000.
If every Dubyapologist radio or TV or newspaper/magazine blabberer gets a certain fee each time he or she blames "The Media" for US troubles, I see where the $9B went. (Of course, none of them is a member of "The Media." ) ("Money Pit," Tom Hanks' only good movie, besides "Bachelor Party." And "Splash." But that was John Candy all the way.)
I checked IMDB - can't believe that "Splash" was the same year as "Bachelor Party!" The memorable year 1984 that brought us so much culture, from Spinal Tap to Ghostbusters. '84 was the 80's.
In any case... hatin' on Tom Hanks? Isn't that un-American! Better look out for Attorney General Alberto. I can't let that go without my nods to personal favorites: "Toy Story," and "Apollo 13."
You can argue effectively that Hanks was the driving force in neither of those films, but I still thought they ought to be mentioned.
Yes - the movie pictured is "The Money Pit."
From here oun out, whenever I mention The Money Pit, I am going to link the phrase to the Wiki page on the Iraq war. My own feeble attempt to Googlebomb. Feel free to do likewise.
Posted by: James at May 1, 2006 12:55 PM