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Where is the Defund Blackwater Act?
Democrats joined Republicans in voting to “Defund ACORN,” yet have done nothing to stop Blackwater’s ongoing taxpayer funded crusade in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Republican Congressional leaders are continuing their witch-hunt against ACORN, the grassroots community group dedicated to helping poor and working class people. This campaign now unfortunately has gained bi-partisan legislative support in the form of the Defund ACORN Act of 2009 which has now passed the House and Senate. As Ryan Grim at Huffington Post has pointed out, the legislation "could plausibly defund the entire military-industrial complex:"
The congressional legislation intended to defund ACORN, passed with broad bipartisan support, is written so broadly that it applies to "any organization" that has been charged with breaking federal or state election laws, lobbying disclosure laws, campaign finance laws or filing fraudulent paperwork with any federal or state agency. It also applies to any of the employees, contractors or other folks affiliated with a group charged with any of those things.
According to the Project on Oversight and Government Reform, this legislation could potentially eliminate a virtual Who's Who of war contractors including Lockheed Martin, Boeing and KBR to other corporations such as AT&T, FedEx and Dell.
Perhaps one of the most jarring comparisons here is the fact that ACORN is now being attacked while the Obama administration continues to contract with Blackwater, the favorite mercenary company of the Bush administration, which is headed by Erik Prince, who was a major donor to Republican causes and campaigns, including those of some of the Defund ACORN bill's sponsors, including Indiana Republican Mike Pence, one of the key figures in hunting down Van Jones. Prince, of course, was recently described by a former employee as a man who "views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe," and that Prince's companies "encouraged and rewarded the destruction of Iraqi life."
At present Blackwater has a $217 million security contract through the State Department in Iraq which was just extended by the Obama administration indefinitely. It holds a $210 million State Department "security" contract in Afghanistan that runs through 2011 and another multi-million dollar contract with the Defense Department for "training" in Kabul. All of this is on top of Blackwater's clandestine work for the CIA, including continued work on the drone bombing campaign in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This also does not take into account Blackwater's lucrative domestic work training law enforcement and military forces inside the US at the company's compounds in North Carolina, California and Illinois, nor the private "security" work it does for entities like the International Republican Institute, nor the work it does in training "Faith Based Organizations." It also does not include the contracts doled out to Erik Prince's private CIA called Total Intelligence Solutions, which works for foreign governments and Fortune 500 corporations.
Then there is this fact: Blackwater was paid over $73 million for its federally-funded, no bid-security contracts with the Department of Homeland Security in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, billing taxpayers $950 per man per day, a spending decision the Bush administration called "the best value to the government." ACORN, meanwhile, only helped poor people who were suffering as a result of the government's total and complete failure to respond to Katrina.
Meanwhile, a recent federal audit of Blackwater, compiled by the State Department and the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, suggests the company may have to repay some $55 million to the government for allegedly failing to meet the terms of just one federal contract in Iraq, which, it is important to note, is $2 million more than the total money allotted by the federal government to ACORN over the past 15 years. (The company also cannot account for one federally funded "deep fat fryer" in Iraq, according to the audit).
Overall, Blackwater has raked in well over $1 billion since 2003 in security contracts alone-all of which were kicked off by a fat no-bid contract to guard L Paul Bremer. Let's also remember that Blackwater was estimated in Congressional hearings in 2007 to earn some 90% of its revenue from the federal government and Prince refused to disclose his salary, but said it was over $1 million. Blackwater has been or is being investigated by the US Congress, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the Justice Department and the IRS, among other agencies, for a range of issues from arms smuggling to manslaughter to tax evasion. One of its operatives pleaded guilty to killing an innocent, unarmed Iraqi civilian, while five others have been indicted on manslaughter and other charges over the 2007 Nisour Square massacre during which 17 Iraqi civilians were gunned down. The company is also facing a slew of civil lawsuits alleging war crimes and extrajudicial killings in Iraq.
Here is a question for those Democratic lawmakers that voted in support of the Defund ACORN Act: How do you justify making this a major league legislative priority while Blackwater continues to be armed and dangerous across the globe on the US government payroll? Where is the Defund Blackwater Act?
- Posted in
19 Comments so far
Show AllDefund conservative Democrats.
They're getting my unvote...
In the House:
Voting yes were 172 Democrats and 173 Rethuglicans.
Voting no were 75 Democrats and 0 Rethuglicans.
In the Senate:
Voting yes were 49 Democrats and 33 Rethuglicans.
Voting no were 7 Democrats and 0 Rethuglicans.
.........
More Democrats (house and Senate combined) voted for this pathetic legislative knee-jerk than Rethuglicans.
Yet you seem to imply that there is a difference between the two right-wing parties? If your party is controlled by conservatives, then why do you continue to support it in any form?
Blackwater is a harbinger of the future Corporatacracy. In a few decades, the last vestiges of the charade that this country is still a representative democracy will have been given up, and we will be a fully functional, in-plain-view Corporate State (which Mussolini called "fascism"), ruled by the Elite captains of industry and the largest corporations. (we already are, but they still maintain the fiction that they do not). Blackwater and other security firms like them will be their armies, protecting corporate assets and leaders, "supplementing" the official US military no more, but becoming a merger of the two til no distinguishing lines exist between "private contractor" and "US Military" forces.
It's already about 75% of the way there. Just a little further...
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross."
Sinclair Lewis, "It Cant Happen Here", 1935
MY thought too.
Blackwater mercenaries are in Iraq training for the day they come back en mass to the US of A to be the SS troops for whoever the hell it is that is running the big show. I understand the pay is good and there are no rules to play by. What else would they do when Iraq is done anyway? Also why are the still there? We never hear what they do unless it's shoot up a few innocent Iraqis.
I feel this may be far fetched but what hasn't been lately. So when is when?
Doucheland Uber alles!!! Dont you the $$ troops?
"As Ryan Grim at Huffington Post has pointed out, the legislation "could plausibly defund the entire military-industrial complex:"
I hope he's right!
difference between acorn and blackwater: the hookers and pimps already work for the latter
Brilliant piece.
My comparison was with Congress or the military. Duke Cunningham convicted of bribery.. defund Congress act... soldiers rape Iraqi girl, defund military act.. List is long.
In a world where unlimited funding for wars and pouring gravy bailouts for the megarich and "too big too fail" corpies is the "norm", the Defund Blackwater Act is in the twilight zone !
As always, Jeremy Scahill is on the case. Asking a very reasonable question. But he will never get an answer. Nobody will ever get an answer. Blackwater will go on committing crimes with impunity while getting rich.
In case you haven't noticed, they aren't listening to us. They aren't concerned with the nation or the American people. Except for a handful of members, they are all so throughly entrenched in bribery and corruption, they're never going back. There's no reason to. They've become a lawless worldwide syndicate and nobody can stop them. It's gotta run it's natural course and eventually implode.
For the rest of us, just forget about them. They aren't going to do right by us anymore. It's done, over, finito.
Obama is so shamlessley bought off, all it takes is the possibility that someone may not go along with him and he caves. This isn't weakness. It's a game. He didn't get to be president of the US by being a pussy. He doesn't even pretend to care so it's gonna be a real free for all in the beltway.
Todays developments are:
Obama's new banking regulations will retain the "too big to fail" system, therefore there might be a need for additional bank bailouts.
I kid you not. They're gonna strip us down to the studs.
And what about the little bone they were thinking of tossing us called the Public Option.
President Rahm Emmanuel says in so many words, forget it. Not enough votes.
No surprise here because Obama didn't give a shit.
What will pass is a mandated health insurance purchase without any cap on premuims.
Just moving more money from the middle classe to the top 1%.
Want more of today's developments? How about this from the trusty Dems.
Three Dem Senators, Carper, Menendez, and Lincoln, voted with Repubs against closing the donut hole for seniors with Medicare part D. The final vote 10-13. Carper, 139K from Big Pharma, Menendez 178K.
And my personal favorite of the day.
Obama's Consumer Protection something or other caused a few rumblings with some business groups. The results: real estate brokers, cable companies, lawyers, car dealers, and a batch more will NOT have to answer to this agency. They'll still be able to freely prey on unsuspecting consumers till their hearts content. I wonder how many more are gonna jump on this bandwagon?
If the Obama administration wasn't so in your face insulting and abusive, I'd be laughing at the absurdity of it all.
Got to accept reality. They're gone.
Take care of yourself, save your money, and lay low. If you're able, sell everything and get out the country.
The 236 year old experiment of America has run it's course.
Be sure to shut the lights off on the way out.
>>Here is a question for those Democratic lawmakers that voted in support of the Defund ACORN Act: How do you justify making this a major league legislative priority while Blackwater continues to be armed and dangerous across the globe on the US government payroll?
Maybe because Blackwater has guns and they might shoot people who get in the way of business?
The Plutocratic Oligarchy could only be 'forced' to 'defund' Blackwater and the only way to do that would be for the 'people' to make the move to separate the 'PO' from the government. Considering the political/religious views of the leadership of Blackwater, and that it is very closely aligned with the 'far religious right' it is a very distinct possibility that Mr. Prince could be just that "The Prince"(see Machiavelli). In fact it is not impossible that by keeping the bulk of the US Military deployed 'out of country', Blackwater and the Religious Right would have little or few to resist them taking the USA over completely. After all, how many members of the 'left' are as 'well armed as those of the right'? Or are willing to 'die for God and American values'---even if its at 'home'.
Not to mention, they believe they would have "God on their side"---which for most of them, is all the justification they need.
There are probably more Blackwater operatives in the 'states' than there are 'over there'---while the bulk of the military is spread out all over the globe.
And 'think of it' America, you might bring more down upon yourself than you have brought down upon others these past 8 years, and then long before that as well.
Americans seem to 'like shedding American blood' more than anyone else 'likes to shed American blood'; they certainly proved that in the 'Civil War'.
"If the USA were another nation the USA would invade the USA to keep the world safe; and they would be justified."
NativeSon, your brief hiatus from CD illuminated how much you are loved by this family and are a part of it's soul. with humility, yeah, weird joe. (alph-males will do the antler thing. we just do, it don't always mean we are not good. As women nurture, we are hard-wired in our mind's cores too. But not in our Hearts. Blessings.)
And though called on it, I still say We Are All One; not oppressor and oppressed of course. But all tribes colors peoples, Asian, Latino, Black, Sioux, Arab & Jew, Blackfoot. Lonely and broken with no one. The biggest tribe.
Thanks 'azjoe',
My people would say, the water that runs in our body is the same water of our grandmother the earth. We are all 'pink on the inside'.
Thanks,
This thing should 'defund' not only Blackwater but also the entire offence industry as well as Wall Street.
Corporations are required by their charters to maximize shareholder value. They take bids for their services. If China, Iran, N Korea, or a non-state actor bids more than, for example, the State Dept...their services could change direction with just a phone call...
Arms dealers sell arms to both (all) sides, why not Blackwater?
Why not Milo Minderbinder??
Hey, how about a fund to hire Wackenhut thugs to hit Prince's thugs? It's all just business.
Jeremey Scahill's intrepid reporting has succeeded in positioning the dark, unconscionable nightmare that is Blackwater to a position of moral centrality in American politics. It's existence is an ethical black hole, a silent succubus and a malignant vortex which resonates through the entire American culture. This radiates far beyond the specifically political. It becomes like a "summary judgement" of all things American, Blackwater is now a holistic 'concept' or a derivative agglomeration of America's very being
Scahill has correctly made Blackwater a kind of litmus test for looking at America. The USA has become a synthesized summation inculcated in Blackwater. The continuance and funding of an organization like Blackwater says everything one needs to know about what kind of country America really is at the symbolic or meta level. It is a totalizing concept, from which truthful generalities about the entire culture may be derived and extrapolated.
The existence and intractable persistence of Blackwater now stands as a metaphor or beacon for the moral essence of all American life. One understands America as a totality through Blackwater; one also understands Blackwater as a distillation of America. It is a symbolic apotheosis of what America is. It modifies, influences, overrides or even expunges all that is contrary to it.
All mitigating heterogeneity seems to fall by the way side. The existence of Blackwater mandates a totalization; the destruction and prosecution of Blackwater would go far to define and constitute a moral alternative to totalized fascism. The either / or, 'one way or the other' conundrum is a yardstick from which all else is defined.
Scahill's dogged work has elevated the word 'Blackwater" to a metaphoric level .Blackwater becomes a constellation or a nexus, a synthesis of everything American: Torture, murder, dread, psychosis, barbarism, maximal militarism, and techno- death.The word is now more than a word, but a conceptualization.
It's existence clarifies the choices which must be made in a future that must define itself, either with Blackwater or without it. Blackwater is no longer an aberration and a creature of extenuating circumstances. It is becoming constituted almost organically as something that is no longer separate from, but grafted on to the main American body, similar to the CIA. People all over the world now define America by substituting the word CIA; Blackwater now resonates as a stand in definition of 'America.'
With Blackwater there is no 'splitting the difference.' The existence of Blackwater is not an occasion for ambiguity. Similar to the way 'torture' comes to constitute the entire culture and seeps into everything, Blackwater is a kind of event horizon of the end or the beginning.
–(Jill Bains)
The EXTREME double standard, of the government's attitude toward ACORN and Blackwater, shows just how twisted and screwed up our national mentality is.
(Much of our country's citizens also agree with the illogical actions of the government on this subject.)
Why is Blackwater being treated better than a terrible criminal enterprise which also fleeces taxpayers?
Because much of America is literally cowardly and loves to bully. These "types" like to spend our money toward military and bullying.
Why is ACORN being treated so badly when, in reality, they are more law-abiding than most organizations which get government money?
Because most Americans, in power and not, are STUPID (literally) regarding facts, and in place of learning the truth, find it easy to think that those who shout the loudest (The Right Wing) are the most believable.
Yes, America is really "off its rocker", nuts, anymore.
And because of this we are really in trouble.