In keeping with the volatile subject matter of the Palestinian state, there's a story today about Yasir Arafat's widow... Libya's leader takes responsibility for Arafat's widow and daughter expelled from Tunisia two months ago; the two set to move into 1 million euro luxury home purchased by Gaddafi in Maltese capital
Maybe kofi anonymous and anon. would like to explain how, if the Palestinian people are so desperate and in need, did Suha Arafat inherit over a billion dollars by some estimates from her late husband Yasir? The world showered the Palestinian Authority (that would be the same as Yasir himself by any measure) with fabulous cash and prizes worth over $5.5billion since 1994. Where did all that money go? Certainly some of it went to replace all the Katyusha rockets that land in Israel every week. But the rest pretty much went to enrich Yasir and his family. At the time of his death a couple of years ago, some say from AIDS, his personal worth was conservatively estimated to be in the very nice neighborhood of $1.3billion...conveniently squirreled away in French and Swiss bank accounts. Yasir Arafat, like all dictators, used the Palestinian people to enrich himself. He perpetuated the strife between the Palestinians and Israelis for this purpose alone...in my belief. The funny thing is that Suha Arafat is probably worth more money that Gaddafi and he's buying her a fancy hideaway.
News flash-politicians are corrupt and make a profit.
ReplyDeleteCough, ahem Haliburton ahem Whitewater, cough cough wars for oil.
No argument here. It's just that when you are the head of State, and your people are toiling in poverty, misery, and violence, to steal from them is unconcionable.
ReplyDeleteSure Halliburton and other defense contractors get rich from every administration. It's always been that way for the friends of Presidents. The difference is that no Americans are suffering because of Halliburton getting fat contracts.
No Americans are suffering? What about all the dead and maimed soldiers who shouldnt be over there. Not to mention all of that money wasted that could have funded the current child insurance bill.
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ReplyDeleteI just knew you would invoke the soldiers, their families, and as always the children. None of these peoples' suffering is being caused by Halliburton getting a contract to rebuild Iraq. By Bush administration policy? Perhaps....we can debate that point.
ReplyDeleteConversely, lots of Palestinian children suffered as a direct result of Arafat's self-enrichment.
haliburton gets that contract becuase we went to war to help some rich people get richer. There was no evidence of WMD's, BLTs or the fact that the secular dictator was allied with the religious nutjobs.
ReplyDeleteThe dictator was a religious nutjob! I have put the stats on here before so I won't do it again, but the number casualties in this war doesn't even compare to past wars, and we have accomplished much more in this war than in previous wars. The soldiers that are there fighting, guess what?! They signed up for it! Those men and women couldn't be more proud of what they are doing. And what rich people are benefiting from this war? Please explain that.
ReplyDeleteSadaam Hussein was a secularist. His baath party was completely secular.
ReplyDeletePlease do not speak for all of the men and women of the armed forces. To say that they are all proud of what they are doing is ridiculous at best. I am sure some are proud but not all my friend.
What rich people are benefitting from the war? Are you serious? Let's see, besides all of the defense contractors with their hands up the asses of the Republican party, the oil companies, private security firms. What I do not get is how the Republicans have managed to pull the wool over the eyes of so many blue collar and middle class individuals. They are the party of the obscenely rich.
Ok then, lets let someone who was in the military speak for them. Ed, David, would you say that you and your fellow soldiers are proud of the time you served?
ReplyDeleteAlso, the defense contractors will always be in service, because there are always people going to war. So they aren't getting any richer because of this war, they are just serving America for the time being. And Saddam being a secularist doesn't get him a pass at being a nutjob.
What I said was that Sadaam Hussein was not allied with the religious extremists of al qaeda.
ReplyDeleteNo one in the military can speak for all soldiers. Come on now, you know what I was getting at.
Actually, you said he wasn't allied with religious nutjobs. My question to you is how do you know that?
ReplyDeleteanon, are you seriously taking the position that Bush started a war with Iraq to enrich Dick Cheney's former employer?
ReplyDeleteLook, we can debate the validity of the reasons for invading Iraq all week, but the fact remains, we're there now and how do we get out?
How do we get out, slowly. The pullout generally leaves someone pregnant. how we get out is the big question.
ReplyDeleteWe can't just pull out right now, it will embolden too many of the extremists much like mogadishu. Somehow the country needs to be split in three for the Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites
Any reason why you cared to quote Shogun Assassin?
ReplyDeleteSome anon posted some rap lyrics for no apparent reason last night in the comments. If there's one thing I won't tolerate it's rap lyrics on my blog. If you haven't anything more intelligent to offer besides rap lyrics for heaven's sake, you probably should take your own life.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning were actually the opening lines for Shogun Assassin, next time I come home, ill bring it so you can watch it, pretty good as far as foreign films go.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning were actually the opening lines for Shogun Assassin
ReplyDeleteRelevancy?
There isnt any, I was just pointing out that it isnt rap lyrics
ReplyDeleteNo, I meant the relevancy of THOSE lyrics to THIS blog-post.
ReplyDeleteI don't get it.
Well, the Shogun Assassin was betrayed by his ruler. That is kind of related to the way Yasir treated his citizens, but there isn't really any relevancy. You are correct in not understanding it.
ReplyDeleteWow, fat old white Ed doesn't appreciate Rap. Shocking
ReplyDeleteHey anon, I resent that....I'm not old.
ReplyDeleteI think the only people who actually appreciate rap music are thugs, gangsters, and pimps, none of which actually give back to society.
ReplyDeleteAn echo of what parents said in the 50's, Kev - the dangerous enemy was rock'n'roll.
ReplyDeleteI've heard this red-herring argument before, that rap is the rock-and-roll of the new generation. Maybe, but R&R didn't advocate cop-killing, beating up women, criminal drug use, gang-violence, calling women whores and bitches as a matter of routine reference, etc...
ReplyDeleteC'mon capt., that's a weak defense....even for you.
The problem with rap is that it appeals to the younger generation, but like Ed said, it sends the message that drugs and violence and intolerance are ok. Rock and Roll may make drug references, but it doesn't advocate hitting women, or pimpin' women, or poppin a cap in someones ass. Not only that, R&R actually takes talent and dedication. Rap is simply talking really fast. It doesn't even make good music.
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