This Week in The News
This week, columnists and pundits opined on what they perceive as Sen. Barak Obama's careful move to the political center in the wake of his clear victory as the Democratic presidential nominee. Ahh the political center, where campaigns go to die among the corpses of the lowest common denominator and the withering mediocrity of "non controversial" policies. Not everyone was unhappy though. Vince T. Ankles of Gloucester, MA told us " Thank god he is moving to the middle. I mean if he stuck by his progressive guns I would have to make hard decisions. And I can't do that. I have been in the middle all my life. I just can't decide what I think is right or wrong or what is smart or stupid, so I am always looking for a candidate who gives me some watered down policies that seem to make everyone happy. I can remain essentially empty headed and amoral. Its like Surf and Turf. Thanks Senator Obama."
This week, Congress began debating a billion dollar aid plan aimed at helping Mexico control its drug gangs which are in a vicious battle to control trade with the biggest consumer of narcotics, the USA. After a nearly forty year War on Drugs that has yielded little or no results, many Americans asked whether a further commitment to a militarized drug policy is worth the cost. We posed this question to Harold N. Kumar in the federal Office of Drug Policy. He responded, "Absolutely. This really isn't about Drug Policy its about protecting our home grown -- pardon the phrase-- industry. I mean we cannot have an America where people are taking controlled substances just to feel better or have a good time. We already promised that market to the liquor and pharmaceutical industry. They will be none to happy if we allow increased competition. So we look at the aid pacakage a more like a tariff on imported goods. A tariff with guns, but a tariff non the less. "
This week, five major oil companies announced they will sign no bid contracts with the Iraqi government to service Iraqi oil fields. The companies had been cut out of the market since the 1970s when Saddam Hussein nationalized Iraq's oil industry. In other news, a Senate Committee determined that the Bush Administration tacitly endorsed a deal by the Hunt Oil Company with the Kurdish government in Northern Iraq in September 2007, despite the fact that the deal violated stated US policy and angered Iraq's government. Hunt Oil and its executives were allies of President Bush in both his presidential runs. Dismissing any wiff of scandal or impropriety, the State Department issued a press release stating that, "This week's news signals Iraq's re-entry into the community of nations. Nothing says democracy quite like highly profitable no bid deal for allies of the Bush family." The Press Release also contained a bold letter reminder that, "The Iraq War Was Not About the Control of Iraq's Oil Reserves. Promise."
This week, Congress began debating a billion dollar aid plan aimed at helping Mexico control its drug gangs which are in a vicious battle to control trade with the biggest consumer of narcotics, the USA. After a nearly forty year War on Drugs that has yielded little or no results, many Americans asked whether a further commitment to a militarized drug policy is worth the cost. We posed this question to Harold N. Kumar in the federal Office of Drug Policy. He responded, "Absolutely. This really isn't about Drug Policy its about protecting our home grown -- pardon the phrase-- industry. I mean we cannot have an America where people are taking controlled substances just to feel better or have a good time. We already promised that market to the liquor and pharmaceutical industry. They will be none to happy if we allow increased competition. So we look at the aid pacakage a more like a tariff on imported goods. A tariff with guns, but a tariff non the less. "
This week, five major oil companies announced they will sign no bid contracts with the Iraqi government to service Iraqi oil fields. The companies had been cut out of the market since the 1970s when Saddam Hussein nationalized Iraq's oil industry. In other news, a Senate Committee determined that the Bush Administration tacitly endorsed a deal by the Hunt Oil Company with the Kurdish government in Northern Iraq in September 2007, despite the fact that the deal violated stated US policy and angered Iraq's government. Hunt Oil and its executives were allies of President Bush in both his presidential runs. Dismissing any wiff of scandal or impropriety, the State Department issued a press release stating that, "This week's news signals Iraq's re-entry into the community of nations. Nothing says democracy quite like highly profitable no bid deal for allies of the Bush family." The Press Release also contained a bold letter reminder that, "The Iraq War Was Not About the Control of Iraq's Oil Reserves. Promise."
posted by Jack Reed at 10:27 AM
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