US bans Europe from bidding on Iraq reconstruction

[Guest MikeSC]

If you get the same benefit opposing us as you do supporting us --- why would ANYBODY support us?

If your position is so weak that you have to resort to blackmail in order to garner support then I'm going to guess that maybe something might be awry.

 

They're supposed to support you because they agree with your ideals, not because they get something out of it financially.

Hate to tell you, but MOST "diplomacy" looks A LOT like "bribery".

-=Mike

[Guest Cerebus]

Turns out Bush is not going to reverse the decision...sigh.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

It's not really blackmail when they actively tried ruining our international image in the UN by cockblocking us. I'd argue it's getting what was coming to them.

Ruining OUR international image? Watching Colin Powell try to use theories and possibilities to justify the war ruined it enough.

[Justice 0]

It's not really blackmail when they actively tried ruining our international image in the UN by cockblocking us. I'd argue it's getting what was coming to them.

Ruining OUR international image? Watching Colin Powell try to use theories and possibilities to justify the war ruined it enough.

Of course, France vetoing any sort of timeline or table even before the Iraqis had a chance to speak out against it gave us so many options...

[Guest Olympic Slam]

Our war, our rules. And that is that

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Hey, even O'Reilly agrees with me on Canada and Germany, though not France & Russia.

 

 

EDIT: Oh fuck, he just said on the new episode airing right now that France can't "pay their debts" like the DOD told them to when barred from reconstruction, called the DOD memo stupid, and he's even complaining about how Newsweek can find Osama but the CIA can't. He's still a populist whore, but I'm just blown away to see the Bush administration CRITICIZED on Fox News.

Edited December 12, 2003 by Jobber of the Week

[Vyce 0]

Bush criticized on Fox?

 

OMG FAIR & BALANCED~!

[Guest Cerebus]

A certain cable news channel AND a certain political magazine criticizing Bush...we're not in Kansas anymore.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

AND Mister No-Spin.

 

Dear god. I guess I have to call Sean Hannity's radio program tomorrow to get his view on this. If he disagrees with it, too, then we're all doomed.

[Guest Cerebus]

What's next? NY Times editorial endorsing Kucinich? The Nation calling for regime change in Iran? WHERE DOES IT END?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I see some people haven't been taking their weekly dosage of White House Kool-Aid.

 

Shame, shame, shame...

[LaParkaMarka 0]

Apparently Canada is bankrupt, according to Fox. News to me, since we've had six straight years of budget surplus.

 

I agree about our lack of a military though.

[tommytomlin 0]

Of course, in Australia's case, we're a member of the Coalition of the willing and STILL get screwed over, albeit less than Canada. The administration in Iraq decided to give a $50 million mobile phone reconstruction contract to the near-bankrupt MCI-Worldcom, a company embroiled in accounting scandals on a massive scale, and which has never built a mobile network (let alone a GSM mobile network which America does not use). Australian companies have complained of being shut out of negotiations, and no face-to-face talks have been held between the administration and Australian companies. Our contribution may have been small, but in supporting the U.S we alienated ourselves from our region, and angered every dude with a bomb in South-East Asia. I know we have a very nice free trade deal in the works with the U.S, but I can just see it being put on hold come election time in 2004.

 

Ok I think I've bitched enough about America for now. Boy those French sure do suck.

[DARRYLXWF 0]

Australia hasn't alienated itself from the region. Only this year has it gained free trade agreements from Taiwan and China.

[Guest Cerebus]

Taiwan & China ain't the ones packing suicide bombers my friend...

[DARRYLXWF 0]

That's not the point. They're in the Asia Pacific region that Australia is a part of, and therefore there is no alienation from the nations that count the most.

[Vern Gagne 0]

I can see at least Canada being allowed to bid on smaller contracts. The new PM has said he wants to improve relations with the U.S., and alot of times President Bush gives in a little in situations like these.