With all the problems facing the World's economy, we hear almost nothing about the war in Iraq anymore. Perhaps it is that steady drip of $10 billion a month that is the real root cause of it all.
Yesterday, I attended a speech given by a 50 something insurance man who is a lt. colonel in the army reserve. He was called up to Iraq about a year ago and had just returned. His slide presentation included shots taken inside the so-called Green Zone. There was the newly constructed U. S. Embassy which appeared to be about the size of the U. C. Berkeley campus (ka-ching). There is a heavily fortified dining facility that accomodates about 4500 people per meal. Our presenter especially liked Friday evening meals that consisted of steak, lobster and shrimp prepared by KBR (ka-ching).
He had a photo of himself with two arabic interpreters. One was a native Iraqi woman. We were told that she never "went outside the wire" unless she was completely shrouded. If her identity was revealed she and her family faced assassination. She is paid $12000 per year. The other interpreter (also female) was a bi-lingual, bi-cultural sub-contrator from Texas. She is paid $200,000 per year (ka-ching).
We were shown an endless parade of armored vehicles made to withstand a variety of explosive devices. Many imported from South Africa (ka-ching). These were juxtiposed with the junkyard of demolished humvees that went on for several acres (ka-ching). There was a scenic view of a small city of trailer like residences that differed from the post-Katrina images only by the concrete fortification built around each trailer (ka-ching). Even though we aren't hearing or seeing it on the news, there is a war still going on and we are bleeding money. (ka-ching)