Economy & $87 billion to Iraq

They say the U.S. economy grew the last quarter faster than anytime since 1984. It missed a lot of folks if it did. We are now sitting on nearly a $500 billion deficit and about to send another $87 billion to Iraq. Try doing that as a consumer and see how fast you end up on (1) bankruptcy court or (2) jail. However, Bush still refused to back off the tax cut to the top 1% which would pay for the $87 billion. So its back to voodoo economics.

Over $20 billion of the $87B is for reconstruction - and it appears that the taxpayers are getting ripped.  Halliburton is charging $1.56 gallon for gas that can be purchased for 98 cents (apparently its resold to consumers in Iraq for 4 cents, yes, as in FOUR cents). Most of the companies getting contracts are also big contributors to the Bush admin-and leaving out a lot of Iraqi contractors that could do the same work a lot cheaper, so we are teaching Iraqi's that (1) they don't count and (2) it takes payoffs to run a democracy.  Some example we are setting. 

Whatever happened to corruption-free government? If Iraqis look at our judicial system they see that (1) millions of nonviolent drug offenders, mainly minority, who are POOR go to JAIL and (2) RICH drug offenders, mainly white, go to treatment facilities (e.g. Rush Limbaugh). Lesson? Our legal system treats rich different from poor, and color counts. Yet no politicians rail about the unfairness, nor do the radio talk shows.

Saddam killed a lot of people but our own system is finding people on death row who are cleared by DNA tests - how many innocents have we killed? Even after testing negative, the people have to fight like hell to get released. Is that a model system?

Bottom line: Saddam was a snake, but we have a lot of changes we need to make to our own system to make it a global model. If treatment is OK for rich, it should be OK for poor. If a jailed person is cleared by DNA, let them out (i.e. you caught the wrong person). Business corruption (buying contracts through "donations") is wrong in the 3rd world, and is wrong in America. Let's make America a real global model for humane treatment, justice and fairness.