Today's WTF moment

[unhappycamper]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-upset-over-iraq-buying-basmati-from-india/916642/

US upset over Iraq buying basmati from India
Agencies : Houston, Sat Feb 25 2012, 15:11 hrs

US Congress members from the largest rice-growing states are on warpath, asking Iraq to resume buying US long-grain rice, instead of from India.

"We liberated their country for one thing," said Texas Congressman Ted Poe. "We would think they would consider the US in trade since we spent billions of dollars not only to liberate their country, but to rebuild their infrastructure."

Twelve Congressmen have fired off a letter to Iraq's Trade Minister Khair Alla Babaker earlier this week pressing him to get Iraqis back on the American long-grain variety.

The letter said there was a 77 per cent drop in rice sales to Iraq between 2010 and 2011, even though "not long ago, Iraq represented the largest market for US rice."


Eeeeehah!

[geckosfeet]

1. And these are our political leaders.... clueless and tone deaf.

[Art_from_Ark]

2. Dig this quote from Texas Congressman Ted Poe:

"We liberated their country for one thing," said Texas Congressman Ted Poe. "We would think they would consider the US in trade since we spent billions of dollars not only to liberate their country, but to rebuild their infrastructure."

That guy doesn't have a freaking clue

[CAPHAVOC]

6. Globalism is Grand!

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. How much for all the innocent civilians we killed?

Ask this wingnut how much we should pay Iraq for each life we took.

[tanyev]

3. Maybe they're considering the billions of their dollars that we lost track of and calling it a draw.

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. But..but..Rummy SAID Iraq oil would pay for the war!!

That congressperson must be wrong about us paying for the war.

[Confusious]

4. Free market baby

Love it or leave it.

[spanone]

5. it's amazing how little intelligence is required to hold office in this country

[MiniMe]

7. And once again, repugs don't understand free choice

[Turbineguy]

8. OK, Ted.

Let me see if I can explain this. The US went into Iraq and killed a whole bunch of people. People eat rice. Now there are less people to eat rice. The Iraqis seem to have concluded that if the US really wanted to sell rice, the US would not have killed so many people.

[avebury]

9. I guess free trade only applies when it

benefits the US.

[Vincardog]

16. No Free Trade only helps when it benefits the .01% who control the Multinational companies

[Fuzz]

10. We invaded your country and killed over 100,000 of your people, now like us or else.

[malthaussen]

11. "We liberated their country for one thing"

To get money from them.

-- Mal

[Pachamama]

12. And to think I thought it was all about Oil.....but it was the Rice too... n/t

[GeorgeGist]

13. In September 1997 Texas, USA company RiceTec

was granted U.S. Patent No. 5,663,484 on "basmati rice lines and grains." The patent secures lines of basmati and basmati-like rice and ways of analyzing that rice. RiceTec, owned by Prince Hans-Adam of Liechtenstein, faced international outrage over allegations of biopiracy. It had also caused a brief diplomatic crisis between India and United States with India threatening to take the matter to WTO as a violation of TRIPS which could have resulted in a major embarrassment for the United States.[8] Both voluntarily and due to review decisions by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, RiceTec lost or withdrew most of the claims of the patent, including, most importantly, the right to call their rice lines "basmati."[9] A more limited varietal patent was granted to RiceTec in 2001 on claims dealing with three strains of the rice developed by the company.[10]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basmati

[jwirr]

14. From what I have read we have left that nation in terrible condition. He is an idiot.

[mick063]

18. Listen up Ted Poe

Get it through your thick head.

We will never get "our money's worth" out of Iraq.

Iraq's political infrastructure is too new and inexperienced to understand the concept of earmarks let alone cater to the leadership of a former occupying army.

Sorry, no Iraqi subsidized rice sales for your constituents. The circumstances are entirely different than quietly slipping a request into an unrelated Bill.

[Rex]

19. Not a what the fuck moment

at all. These assholes have been destroying our country by playing 'Imperialism' and it shows...like in the comments from some of the most evil assholes I've ever seen - Texas politicians. I love my state, I hate my state. I view the intelligence of these folks around 80 or 90IQ at best. Nobody could be the willfully arrogant, it must be low IQ imo.