Halliburton Unit Gets a Positive Review From Pentagon

[Rose Siding]

After months of criticism from Democrats in Congress and government auditors for allegedly misspending and overcharging, Halliburton Co. got some good news yesterday.

The giant oil services company announced that a Pentagon review found that its purchasing-system practices "are effective and efficient and provide adequate protection of the Government's interest."

The news came in a letter from the Defense Contract Management Agency to Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root Inc., which has received about $4.5 billion for providing fuel, housing and other troop support in Iraq and Kuwait. "KBR has repeatedly said that its purchasing system provide the flexibility and responsiveness necessary to meet the needs of its customers in a war zone," the company's statement said.

"While expected, this is clearly good news," Andrew R. Lane, president and chief executive officer of KBR, said in a news release.......

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9654-2004Sep9.html?nav=rss_politics

[PATRICK]

1. While this is good news

it of course was expected.

I think they reversed the quote. The ordinary soldiers know better, but outlaw corporations are pleased as punch that pencil pushers are happy.

As with so many issues in America the blinding problem is not discussed, not thought, not imagined. Namely that private contracting of vital services is an extremely flawed model. In this case it is putting the lifeblood supplies of our nation's soldiers in the hands of people not expected to die for their country, with a profit motive heavily mixed into life/death service situations. ordinary government requisitions was bad enough! Yet just because the hen house roof is leaking you don't send foxes in to place drip pans under the leaks.

The larger plans to diminish citizen involvement and control in the armed services sent out for corporate interests in the first place are still all completely subsidized by involuntary payments from the citizenry being heartily disserved and put at risk. Profit motive might be controlled for the benefit of service, but in the tyrannical context of today, to hand them control over energy, health care, air, water, food and defense is beyond suicidal. The worst, most selfish elements allowed so to dominate basic human needs strangles true progress and creates a black hole of extinction.

If we allowed that we truly deserve to blink out of the universe. However, merely reasserting human control of its own destiny merely puts us back to the starting line of facing several globally threatening crises with reason and compassion. It just would be nice for a change, since the vast majority knows and desires it despite their crummy leadership trolls, to face the future with our best and with hope, not despicable liars and short term profiteers.

[iam]

2. Good assay

of our rotting culture Patrick.