In the News

If the folks in Iraq are our friends, I would surely hate to meet our enemies!

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
News Release

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 1416-07
December 18, 2007

Mrap Vehicle Orders Top 11,900

The Department of Defense today announced a contract award for an additional 3,126 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles to be manufactured and completed by end of July 2008. Four manufacturers received the delivery orders totaling just under $2.66 billion.

MRAPs, with more than 1,200 in theater, have proven their value by saving the lives of warfighters by mitigating blast effects through the uniquely designed V-shaped hull and raised chassis. This contract award by the MRAP Vehicle Joint Program Office continues the rapid procurement and acquisition process for these life-saving vehicles with the release of four delivery orders resulting in a total of 11,941 vehicles in the life-saving fleet by mid-summer. The total approved acquisition objective for all services is 15,374 which includes vehicles produced for training and testing purposes.

That comes out to $850,927.70 per vehicle used to transport and protect soldiers who receive wages as low as $1301.40 a month for their services.

In 2005, Daniel C. Ustian, President, CEO and Chairman of Navistar International and the major manufacturer of MRAP's, received $7,657,500 in compensation for his services.

I cannot but help remember what it was that a younger Robert Zimmerman wrote about another war:

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead

Even though it doesn't rhyme at all, just changed "mud" to "sand" and it's pretty much the same today.

Maybe we should just cut our losses short by declaring victory in the Iraq War, donating the MRAP's to the Iraqis and leaving the country. After all, we managed to survive Vietnam, the Soviet Union collapsed and we now have an annual $1.5T (as in trillion) trade deficit with China.

Oh, dummy me.

Vietnam doesn't have any C-R-U-D-E  O-I-L, does it?