Empire Gone Amok

From last August the plans for Iraq were to downsize troop levels from 130,000 to 50,000. The cost of maintaining our huge embassy in Iraq was $1.5 billion in 2009 and estimated to cost $1.8 billion each for years 2010 and 2011. Most of the cost has to do with security along with logistics (fuel, food, transport, etc.).

Today we find that the State Department is basically asking for their own contracted army (a blackwater mercenary type of force if you will) to provide security for the billion dollar embassy we constructed in Baghdad.

The process is ironic if you think about it for a minute or two. The State Department is for the most part a very left-leaning bureaucracy that traditionally emphasizes diplomacy and process over military action. The White House made big promises of leaving Iraq. Technically, the army is leaving Iraq, but in fact the Pentagon will continue and in fact increase expenditures there as soldiers are replaced with higher paid contracted personnel which will be supplied with all the high tech gadgetry and equipment currently employed. If "liberals" labeled the previous arrangement as an occupation, how is this any different? Technically, the military is leaving, but it will be replaced with contracted personnel that is even less accountable.

The plan for Iraq that was sold to the American public was to provide stability so that a freely elected, functioning government would take over and the region become less volatile. While that was certainly an objective, the fact that we constructed a billion dollar embassy (the largest in the world), and plan to maintain a presence there at $1.8 billion/year into perpetuity, indicates there was a much larger plan in store.

Iraq is projected to surpass Saudi Arabia in oil exports in about a decade. Bush and Cheney were aware of this for sure, and the left never fails to point this out. However, Obama is following through on the template, but attempting to give the public the perception that America is leaving. The hypocrisy is great. Does the main stream media provide analysis and discussion that would educate the public? Ha.

While my mind is on the unbelievable transition from a governed Republic into an empire/police state, you might want to check out Charles Hugh Smith's Thursday Blog. Homeland Security has morphed into an untenable monstrosity.