Scraping the Bottom
There’s an interesting news article at Michael Bérubé’s place.
The President’s mother, Barbara Bush, pointed out that no-wage contracts can be extremely popular for people devastated by Hurricane Katrina: “What I’m hearing, which is sort of scary,” she remarked on National Public Radio, “is that some of them are singing with happiness. And many of them were idle anyway, so this could work out very well for them.”
President Bush did not say which industries would be eligible for the contracts, but one White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, remarked that the affected areas were ideal for growing cotton, and “cotton is a really great fabric in all kinds of weather—light, comfortable, versatile. I think we’ll need a lot of it in the next few years, particularly in the regions most vulnerable to hurricanes.”
Tom DeLay (R- Tx.) agreed, quickly rounding up a group of evacuees for emergency planting. With the help of law enforcement officials from Gretna, Louisiana, who surrounded the evacuees and began to march them to the fields at gunpoint, DeLay pulled aside three of them and asked, “Now tell me the truth boys, is this kind of fun?”
I thought the whole article was a surrealistic joke, until I looked at the first link and realized it was to an actual news story. Uhhhh – wait. What was all that bullshit on Thursday then? That had conservative commentators in such a panic that Bush might actually decide gross inequality is not such a good idea? Was that all just camouflage? Well what a fucking stupid question – of course it damn well was.
That miserable loathsome overpaid his entire talentless privileged cronyist life bastard. There’s just no low too low, is there.
By the way, one of the companies that will benefit handsomely from the new no-wage reconstruction & recovery contracts is the Shaw Group, run by Joseph Allbaugh. Name sound familiar? Allbaugh’s the first guy Dubya appointed to FEMA in order to dismantle it, the guy who recommended his spectacularly competent buddy Michael Brown as his replacement. Anyway, the Shaw Group is scheduled to receive over $200M in government contracts. Small government conservatism indeed.
Yeah, I know damn well who Allbaugh is – he was Bush’s first crony appointment to head Fema.
Unfuckingbelievable.
Really. These guys just never cease to amaze.
Not only small gummint conservatism, but also compassionate conservatism. Ha! Bloody ha! Cutting workers’ wages – and suspending federal law to do it! – in order to make his rich cronies even richers than they already are. Oh yes, that’s compassion all right, to say nothing of disinterested and uncorrupt.
Hey now, Ophelia. Just because he appointed one of his campaign managers head of FEMA and later rewarded him with a big fat juicy $200M government contract and removed all wage requirements doesn’t mean Bush isn’t disinterested and uncorrupt. Maybe Allbaugh really deserved all that largesse with no strings attached. Maybe this is all in everyone’s best interest. Don’t go jumping to conclusions. You of all people should consider his side, have faith, and refrain from any harsh judgment.
The Economist also notes that one of the first major reconstruction contracts has been awarded without competition to — Halliburton.
Pause for shocked gasps? Well, well, there aren’t any.
Just so; I’ve been thinking furious thoughts about Gate Gourmet ever since posting this. Public rhetoric about ending poverty coupled with private and government cutting of wages. Perfect. Pious bullshit for the audience coupled with ruthless immiseration for the workers (and handout for rich friends).
Lying bastards.