Comments on: The real Oil-for-Food scandal http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sun, 27 May 2012 00:15:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: abb1 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150798 abb1 Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:10:02 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150798 It's not power without responsibility. It's government becoming an agent of corporate power; advancing corporate interests becomes their responsibility. It’s not power without responsibility. It’s government becoming an agent of corporate power; advancing corporate interests becomes their responsibility.

]]> By: Tim Worstall http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150797 Tim Worstall Thu, 06 Apr 2006 11:56:37 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150797 Why Google it? Should be imprinted on everyone’s minds. Power without responsibility isn’t it? (One S. Baldwin if memory serves.) Why Google it? Should be imprinted on everyone’s minds. Power without responsibility isn’t it?

(One S. Baldwin if memory serves.)

]]> By: John Quiggin http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150794 John Quiggin Thu, 06 Apr 2006 10:56:58 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150794 Best of all, Tim, is a quango (in the original quasi-NGO sense) - a private interest exercising state power, as with AWB. There's a quote about the prerogative of the harlot but I'll leave someone else to Google it. Best of all, Tim, is a quango (in the original quasi-NGO sense) – a private interest exercising state power, as with AWB.

There’s a quote about the prerogative of the harlot but I’ll leave someone else to Google it.

]]> By: Tim Worstall http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150788 Tim Worstall Thu, 06 Apr 2006 08:39:11 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150788 To get really decent amounts of corruption you have to involve governments. The private sector just can’t quite cut it. To get really decent amounts of corruption you have to involve governments. The private sector just can’t quite cut it.

]]> By: John Quiggin http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150785 John Quiggin Thu, 06 Apr 2006 07:23:45 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150785 "That’s old news." Just shows you haven't been following it. Most of the evidence on the Oz government's role has only emerged in the past six weeks. Alternatively, you may have meant that the government's complicity was predictable from first principles, in which case it was indeed old news. “That’s old news.”

Just shows you haven’t been following it. Most of the evidence on the Oz government’s role has only emerged in the past six weeks.

Alternatively, you may have meant that the government’s complicity was predictable from first principles, in which case it was indeed old news.

]]> By: Ian Whitchurch http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150784 Ian Whitchurch Thu, 06 Apr 2006 07:23:02 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150784 There is a second, related, corruption scandal relating to BHP's actions regarding Tigris Petroleum , a $5m wheat shipment and Iraqi oil fields (google "BHP Tigris" for the details). This Bloomberg headline sums it up really "BHP's Former CEO Prescott Denies Iraq Wheat Shipment Was Bribe" There is a second, related, corruption scandal relating to BHP’s actions regarding Tigris Petroleum , a $5m wheat shipment and Iraqi oil fields (google “BHP Tigris” for the details).

This Bloomberg headline sums it up really

“BHP’s Former CEO Prescott Denies Iraq Wheat Shipment Was Bribe”

]]> By: Kenny Easwaran http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150776 Kenny Easwaran Thu, 06 Apr 2006 04:17:49 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150776 <i>the government knew all about the payoffs, except in the special sense of “know” that is considered relevant in such matters.</i> Oh no! Contextualist epistemology is being abused! the government knew all about the payoffs, except in the special sense of “know” that is considered relevant in such matters.

Oh no! Contextualist epistemology is being abused!

]]> By: roger http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150762 roger Thu, 06 Apr 2006 00:34:47 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150762 It apparently took Saddam Hussein almost a decade to steal the same amount of money the CPA and their cohorts were able to abscond with in a year and a half. The latter disappeared 8.8 billion dollars. Who said the Americans aren't effecient? and apparently there is somewhere in the range of 20 billion from Iraq's own funds, impounded by the American imperialist, which found a very murky destiny. And of course the Pentagon's agency in charge of investigating abuse and fraud left a year and a half ago, since their job was to look the other way, and sometimes you run into mafia like fraud among the sleaze that ran Iraq for the Bushies even when you were trying hard not to. To bad that money isn't around now. Too bad Iraqi soldiers go out underprotected, underpaid, and underarmed, while U.S. contractors have benefited from Bush's record tax cuts on dividends and such to truly enjoy pigs' lives. Such is life, though. Meanwhile, we just keep helpin' the Iraqis, anyway we can. It apparently took Saddam Hussein almost a decade to steal the same amount of money the CPA and their cohorts were able to abscond with in a year and a half. The latter disappeared 8.8 billion dollars. Who said the Americans aren’t effecient? and apparently there is somewhere in the range of 20 billion from Iraq’s own funds, impounded by the American imperialist, which found a very murky destiny. And of course the Pentagon’s agency in charge of investigating abuse and fraud left a year and a half ago, since their job was to look the other way, and sometimes you run into mafia like fraud among the sleaze that ran Iraq for the Bushies even when you were trying hard not to.

To bad that money isn’t around now. Too bad Iraqi soldiers go out underprotected, underpaid, and underarmed, while U.S. contractors have benefited from Bush’s record tax cuts on dividends and such to truly enjoy pigs’ lives. Such is life, though. Meanwhile, we just keep helpin’ the Iraqis, anyway we can.

]]> By: Charlie Whitaker http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150752 Charlie Whitaker Wed, 05 Apr 2006 20:46:03 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150752 My suspicion is that the 'Murdoch press' just doesn't care for corruption. My suspicion is that the ‘Murdoch press’ just doesn’t care for corruption.

]]> By: Tom Hurka http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150748 Tom Hurka Wed, 05 Apr 2006 20:02:19 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150748 Are the "Canadian wheatgrowers" referred to in the original post the Canadian Wheat Board? Some Canadian wheat farmers (mostly on the political right) want it abolished, while others (on the left) want it retained, one issue being that it in effect redistributes incomes in an egalitarian fashion. But maybe if the CWB were abolished Canadians too would pay bribes to the Saddams of the world. Are the “Canadian wheatgrowers” referred to in the original post the Canadian Wheat Board? Some Canadian wheat farmers (mostly on the political right) want it abolished, while others (on the left) want it retained, one issue being that it in effect redistributes incomes in an egalitarian fashion. But maybe if the CWB were abolished Canadians too would pay bribes to the Saddams of the world.

]]> By: abb1 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150696 abb1 Wed, 05 Apr 2006 13:55:30 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150696 This one sounds more like a criminal conspiracy than affecting public policy... This one sounds more like a criminal conspiracy than affecting public policy…

]]> By: otto http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150695 otto Wed, 05 Apr 2006 13:44:24 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150695 This seems to be an example of a well-organised small constituency with intense preferences affecting public policy partly behind closed doors. Can such a thing exist?? This seems to be an example of a well-organised small constituency with intense preferences affecting public policy partly behind closed doors. Can such a thing exist??

]]> By: aaron http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150693 aaron Wed, 05 Apr 2006 13:38:33 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150693 That's old news. I doubt it has anything to do with the lack of blog coverage. I saw that on blogs quite a while ago. The real focus of right bloggers right now is fighting the false perception of losing the war. Actually it is the left that has shifted the focus away from the OfF scandal. That’s old news.

I doubt it has anything to do with the lack of blog coverage. I saw that on blogs quite a while ago.

The real focus of right bloggers right now is fighting the false perception of losing the war. Actually it is the left that has shifted the focus away from the OfF scandal.

]]> By: Kevin Donoghue http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-150690 Kevin Donoghue Wed, 05 Apr 2006 12:46:24 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/04/05/the-real-oil-for-food-scandal/#comment-150690 Why doesn't the Murdoch press like Downer? A quick glance at Wikipedia suggests he might have a bit too much in common with Prince Charles - posh accent, affinity with plants, that sort of thing. Is that it? Why doesn’t the Murdoch press like Downer? A quick glance at Wikipedia suggests he might have a bit too much in common with Prince Charles – posh accent, affinity with plants, that sort of thing. Is that it?

]]>