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by getting caught trying to spread bribes around Washington?
If it is morally wrong for the United States to engage in defense contracts with European companies than it should be equally wrong for US defense contractors to compete for contracts in Europe. Goose meet gander.
I can't stand this Lou Dobbs kick-foreigners-in-the-ball nationalism.
detroitist - chronicling the life and times of the city that God intended.
by Woodwards Friend on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 07:47:56 AM PDT
But the deck was stacked the other way this time around. McCain was determined to undercut Boieng's bid, regardless of the merts. He knew tehy couldn't compete on price due to European subsidies, and also knoew about the WTO complaint the US filed over them.
by Hesiod on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 07:53:15 AM PDT
[ Parent ]
"lease" deal and seen in the context of 6 or 8 years reveals the FUBAR nature of government procurement and the role of K Street.
If Barack Obama drew a line in the sand and Harry Reid stepped across it, then what?
by Bill White on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 08:03:09 AM PDT
they can't compete because of the "military subsidies" (billions of dollars) Boeing and co receive from the US government and that they're just levelling the playing field...
Gore-Warner in 08!
by Frederik on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 08:22:14 AM PDT
by Hesiod on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 09:38:16 AM PDT
subsidizing a company through overfunding their military research which give a cash boost to the entire company (also its civilian departments). It's a hiden capital injection.
by Frederik on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 10:33:20 AM PDT
and Afghanistan...and hunger..etc., etc., etc. Their word doesn't seem to mean a whole helluva lot!!!
by serrano on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 08:12:08 AM PDT
is already the largest funder in the world with regards to developping aid and the like. As to Afghanistan... many European countries don't see why they should clean up the mess the US made of it... and you can't deny there's some truth in that. We badly bungled Afghanistan because Bush wanted to go after Saddam...
by Frederik on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 08:24:22 AM PDT
but the Europeans have consistently not met their pledges. Their hypocrisy on judging American vs. European companies is unreal!!! ...and they continue strongly protectionist policies as regards their Agricultural Industry, as does Japan...
by serrano on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 08:33:37 AM PDT
as if US agriculture isn't heavilyy subsidized... the EU's main beef with US agriculture is that they don't like genetically enhanced products...
by Frederik on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 10:29:15 AM PDT
on AIDS and Poverty....just ask Bono!!!!!
by serrano on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 08:39:05 AM PDT
but we Americans are not the ones with the right to lecture Europe about these things because our efforts in that area pale in comparison to theirs.
by Frederik on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 10:30:18 AM PDT
The USA is consistently among the least generous of the G7 nations in terms of the percentage of Gross National Income it donates. Of the EU15 countries, only Italy has as bad a record.
The usual excuse that there are private donations does not hold water as the response to the Asian Tsunami showed. Neither is the aid provided by the USA the best quality. The AIDS program is severely hampered by the Bush insistence on money going to groups teaching abstaining. It also directly links food aid with the provision of the goods rather than money and this has long been seen as a method of dumping farm surpluses.
Neither is EADS subsidized by the member governments. The only aid it gets nowadays are loans which have to be repaid. Boeing gets considerable aid in the form of subsidizing development and research for the military.
Does Magna Carta mean nothing to you? Did she die in vain?
by Lib Dem FoP on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 09:12:33 AM PDT
wide narrow
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