[Grovenet] Productivity?

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Agreed! How about any group who is given special privileges so long as they
produce the results we want? 

One such group are those American guys who are not soldiers and so are not
subject to the US Military Code of Justice nor are they subject to Iraqi law
who do things like this:

"...It started out as a family errand: Ahmed Haithem Ahmed was driving his
mother, Mohassin, to pick up his father from the hospital where he worked as
a pathologist. As they approached Nisour Square at midday on Sept. 16, they
did not know that a bomb had gone off nearby or that a convoy of four
armored vehicles carrying Blackwater guards armed with automatic rifles was
approaching.

"Moments later a bullet tore through Mr. Ahmed's head, he slumped, and the
car rolled forward. Then Blackwater guards responded with a barrage of
gunfire and explosive weapons, leaving 17 dead and 24 wounded..."

>From the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/world/middleeast/03firefight.html?_r=1&th&
emc=th&oref=slogin

These are guys hired so we don't have to send so many soldiers in to the
battle to, as you put it so well, "...perform less-than-desirable work from
time-to-time". Highly paid, answerable only to a select few, what does it
say about us citizens if we accept their "protection"? 

How about the ostensibly less-violent groups who openly manage public
opinion to achieve the desired results at any price? I'm thinking of the
major political campaign organizations. I am saddened and disappointed that
we measure the viability of a campaign not on the issues brought before the
voters, not on the character or qualifications of the candidate, but on the
amount of money that candidate can gather together. Another headline today
announces that Clinton has taken the "lead" over Obama - measured in funds
raised! 

Those funds go to the spin doctors who will manage public opinion to put
that person in office after the election. That's how we got President G. W.
Bush, and now the American people are lining up to do it all over again.
Does it really matter if it's a Democrat instead of a Republican this time?
If the winner happens to be someone with reasonable character and
qualifications for the job, does that justify accepting the political
machine that put him or her in office? 

Ron D'Eau Claire  





-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of Allen Warren
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 3:08 PM
To: Forest Grove local interests list
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Productivity?


Agreed they should be behind bars and not enough of them get there.  

Hmmm . . . starting to see similarities between Government and a particular
group of "businessmen" historically comprised of individuals hailing from
Italy/Sicily.  You can be a "Made Man" in both groups . . . get special
priviledges . . . never have to really worry about money . . . may have to
perform less-than-desirable work from time-to-time.  Biggest difference is
being in one group is considered illegal.  Other than that, similarities are
frightfully close!
 
Allen Warren