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2016 Postmortem

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Octafish

(55,745 posts)
Sun Jun 12, 2016, 02:31 PM Jun 2016

You know what's WORSE than mass murder? [View all]

This discussion thread was locked by Skinner (a host of the 2016 Postmortem forum).

War.
Especially "wars of choice."
Worst of all, are wars for profit.

"Commercial interests are very powerful interests," said the selected president George W Bush during a White House press conference on Feb. 14, 2007, in which he added, "Let me put it this way, ah, sometimes, ah, money trumps peace."

Then he giggled. And not a single member of the callow, cowed and corrupt press corpse has seen the profit industry's motive in war a fit subject to ask a follow-up.
Not. A. Single. One.



Gold Star mom Cindy Sheehan, however, did try to bring it to our nation's attention back at the time. And to this day, apart from a few individual reporters, I don't recall even a single national news network seeing warmongers a fit subject for reporting, let alone comment.

Makes it also understandable how there has been zero national news media have EVER commented on how three generations of Bush men -- Senator Prescott Sheldon Bush, President George Herbert Walker Bush and pretzeldent George Walker Bush all had their eyes on Iraq's oil.

As millions of innocent people are dead from this war, I wish the Press had done its job. Those in authority would have to do their job. Millions might still be alive, the People might use the money spent on wars in better ways, and the Republic might see a return to Justice. To get that started requires jailing those who lied America into war, not making them into heroes cough Bush.



Click the warmonger's thumb for details from someone who knows, personally, what this post is about.

Oh, and it's posted here instead of GD because of her associations:





Hillary Clinton Pitched Iraq As 'A Business Opportunity' For US Corporations

BY DAVID SIROTA AND ANDREW PEREZ
International Business Times, Sept. 30, 2015

When then-U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton voted to authorize the war against Iraq in 2002, she justified her support of the invasion as a way to protect America’s national security. But less than a decade later, as secretary of state, Clinton promoted the war-torn country as a place where American corporations could make big money.

“It's time for the United States to start thinking of Iraq as a business opportunity," she said in a 2011 speech.

The quote was included in an email released by the State Department on Wednesday that specifically mentioned JPMorgan and Exxon Mobil. JPMorgan was selected by the U.S. government to run a key import-export bank in Iraq and in 2013 announced plans to expand its operations in the country. Exxon Mobil signed a deal to redevelop Iraqi oil fields. JPMorgan has collectively paid the Clintons and the Clinton Foundation at least $450,000 for speeches, and Exxon Mobil has donated over $1 million to the family’s foundation.

SNIP...

In the aftermath of the Iraq War, the Bush administration pushed to privatize wide swaths of the Iraqi economy. Many prominent political voices charged that the conflict was not about national security or a humanitarian mission against a dictator but was instead an attempt to use military force to open up Iraq’s closed economy to foreign corporations -- including oil giants like Exxon Mobil.

CONTINUED...

http://www.ibtimes.com/campaign-2016-hillary-clinton-pitched-iraq-business-opportunity-us-corporations-2121999



Some of the people who've contributed to her family's various charitable foundations have made a mint from war, too.



Clinton Foundation Donors Got Weapons Deals From Hillary Clinton's State Department

BY DAVID SIROTA AND ANDREW PEREZ
International Business Times, May 26, 2015

SNIP...

These were not the only relationships bridging leaders of the two nations. In the years before Hillary Clinton became secretary of state, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia contributed at least $10 million to the Clinton Foundation, the philanthropic enterprise she has overseen with her husband, former president Bill Clinton. Just two months before the deal was finalized, Boeing -- the defense contractor that manufactures one of the fighter jets the Saudis were especially keen to acquire, the F-15 -- contributed $900,000 to the Clinton Foundation, according to a company press release.

The Saudi deal was one of dozens of arms sales approved by Hillary Clinton’s State Department that placed weapons in the hands of governments that had also donated money to the Clinton family philanthropic empire, an International Business Times investigation has found.

Under Clinton's leadership, the State Department approved $165 billion worth of commercial arms sales to 20 nations whose governments have given money to the Clinton Foundation, according to an IBTimes analysis of State Department and foundation data. That figure -- derived from the three full fiscal years of Clinton’s term as Secretary of State (from October 2010 to September 2012) -- represented nearly double the value of American arms sales made to the those countries and approved by the State Department during the same period of President George W. Bush’s second term.

The Clinton-led State Department also authorized $151 billion of separate Pentagon-brokered deals for 16 of the countries that donated to the Clinton Foundation, resulting in a 143 percent increase in completed sales to those nations over the same time frame during the Bush administration. These extra sales were part of a broad increase in American military exports that accompanied Obama’s arrival in the White House. The 143 percent increase in U.S. arms sales to Clinton Foundation donors compares to an 80 percent increase in such sales to all countries over the same time period.

American defense contractors also donated to the Clinton Foundation while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state and in some cases made personal payments to Bill Clinton for speaking engagements. Such firms and their subsidiaries were listed as contractors in $163 billion worth of Pentagon-negotiated deals that were authorized by the Clinton State Department between 2009 and 2012.

The State Department formally approved these arms sales even as many of the deals enhanced the military power of countries ruled by authoritarian regimes whose human rights abuses had been criticized by the department. Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar all donated to the Clinton Foundation and also gained State Department clearance to buy caches of American-made weapons even as the department singled them out for a range of alleged ills, from corruption to restrictions on civil liberties to violent crackdowns against political opponents.

CONTINUED...

http://www.ibtimes.com/clinton-foundation-donors-got-weapons-deals-hillary-clintons-state-department-1934187



So, before you type "THREE DAYS!" in all caps or 3-2-1 or whatever, remember what this post is about:

War is the worst thing in the world, it kills MILLIONS of innocent people.

War is more than the worst thing in the world if you're also making a buck in the process.
228 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Trash and ignore. nt BobbyDrake Jun 2016 #1
Yes, we know because she is perfect as we all well know and has never done wrong. LiberalArkie Jun 2016 #7
+100000! n/t 99th_Monkey Jun 2016 #24
Trump and this post SCantiGOP Jun 2016 #70
Absolutely right. randome Jun 2016 #73
The OP was primarily a rant against the horrors & waste of warfare 99th_Monkey Jun 2016 #84
No, it wasn't SCantiGOP Jun 2016 #86
Which makes her subsequent actions as a Secretary of State all the more questionable. Octafish Jun 2016 #89
They don't care about facts. Scuba Jun 2016 #115
Oh boy Octafish...I give you a lot of credit.. choie Jun 2016 #202
yes, and the sociopaths who push for it. Her worship is proud of that swhisper1 Jun 2016 #182
As she said, "war is a business opportunity" dflprincess Jun 2016 #215
wow, way to miss the point, holy cow! 2banon Jun 2016 #154
...!100++++ 840high Jun 2016 #131
La! La! La! La! Nah! Nah! Nah! Nah! MrMickeysMom Jun 2016 #113
Stick head in sand, bvar22 Jun 2016 #122
typical willful blindness AntiBank Jun 2016 #178
War for Profit *IS* mass murder! JonLeibowitz Jun 2016 #2
How Hillary Clinton Became a Hawk Octafish Jun 2016 #28
gotta love that bernie guy voting to pay for all this killing every year, year after year nt msongs Jun 2016 #3
Someone has to fund the soldiers Hillary voted to send to war. nt Live and Learn Jun 2016 #5
Sanders did more than that, he voted to keep the troops in Afghanistan still_one Jun 2016 #102
Ssssshhhh... MrWendel Jun 2016 #116
i'm sorry, I forgot about the TOS still_one Jun 2016 #118
4... MrWendel Jun 2016 #119
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! still_one Jun 2016 #120
Yep, 4 more days till you can't post crap about Bernie. Good. nt Live and Learn Jun 2016 #135
More than 4 days... MrWendel Jun 2016 #159
What grief process is that? I am continuing to work on getting progressives elected Live and Learn Jun 2016 #160
And you can't see the difference between Iraq and Afghanistan? nt Live and Learn Jun 2016 #134
That is the most vile... tonedevil Jun 2016 #32
and Sanders voted to keep the troops in Afghanistan also. However, it isn't as vile as this OP who still_one Jun 2016 #103
Oh so let's politicize bathrooms but heaven forfend we speak @ this? riderinthestorm Jun 2016 #156
This message was self-deleted by its author floppyboo Jun 2016 #176
From my point of view, you are wrong. Now, immediately, is the time to politicize this floppyboo Jun 2016 #179
I agree with you completely, but unless Congress cooperates, it will be still_one Jun 2016 #184
Is that the only way a law can be changed? floppyboo Jun 2016 #185
Or get a Congressman to intorduce a bill floppyboo Jun 2016 #188
Right now the Democrats don't have the majority in both house of Congress, so I still_one Jun 2016 #192
with a bill you need Congress. The question is could he do an executive action? still_one Jun 2016 #190
War is mass murder on an epic scale. At least one candidate apparently doesn't get that. nt Live and Learn Jun 2016 #4
Remember Col. Westhusing Octafish Jun 2016 #36
Bernie kept the F-35 war machine alive workinclasszero Jun 2016 #6
You mean the onew that haven't been used. Betting Hillary will find a way to use them. nt Live and Learn Jun 2016 #10
Oh so its ok to build weapons of mass destruction and still remain holy as long as you don't workinclasszero Jun 2016 #15
Are you saying Hillary wouldn't want these? These were being built with or without Bernie, Live and Learn Jun 2016 #19
Jeebus, that is so ridiculous. Do you think we should not have a military? Vattel Jun 2016 #11
What do you plant with cluster munitions and depleted uranium? Scootaloo Jun 2016 #78
We do tend to lose sight of that, don't we? RobertEarl Jun 2016 #8
War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. Octafish Jun 2016 #40
Post removed Post removed Jun 2016 #9
OFFS. nt msanthrope Jun 2016 #12
You never did answer whether you were in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. Octafish Jun 2016 #21
That long NY Times Magazine article is excellent. Thanks. eom PufPuf23 Jun 2016 #33
When did you ask me that? nt msanthrope Jun 2016 #87
I can't find it now. I thought back when Charlie Hebdo suspect said Abu Ghraib made him attack. Octafish Jun 2016 #214
I've never worked as a prosecutor. nt msanthrope Jun 2016 #217
Really disappointed we can do it Jun 2016 #13
War is a Racket.'' -- Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler, USMC Octafish Jun 2016 #57
Using the occasion of hate crime for this is why I'm disappointed. we can do it Jun 2016 #79
It was either a hate crime or an act of terrorism. Octafish Jun 2016 #96
Bernie said he would continue to use drones. Just that he would do it better. i bet Obama felt the bettyellen Jun 2016 #100
Yes, that truly bothered me. Octafish Jun 2016 #126
It surprised me how rarely his supporters talk about that. bettyellen Jun 2016 #151
There's no comparison to what Sec. Clinton is reported to have done with drones. Octafish Jun 2016 #193
How are we supposed to talk about it, other than to condemn the illegal drone strikes Hydra Jun 2016 #219
War is legalized mass murder Hydra Jun 2016 #14
Thank you. Octafish Jun 2016 #168
How many wedding parties have we broken up with missiles? Downwinder Jun 2016 #16
Don't forget the double back to kill those that come to aid the wounded. JEB Jun 2016 #129
My momma use to always say "Turn tragedy into political opportunism before the bodies are identified qdouble Jun 2016 #17
You know who else understands that? Octafish Jun 2016 #23
It's not that I don't expect tragedies to become political issues... qdouble Jun 2016 #37
All good points, Octafish. Duval Jun 2016 #18
Remember when LA-MOCA had to whitewash its mural? Octafish Jun 2016 #170
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Jun 2016 #20
do these two things really need to be compared - one being "worse" than the other? DrDan Jun 2016 #22
This is why ''comparisons are odious,'' as the poet said. Octafish Jun 2016 #43
This message was self-deleted by its author 6chars Jun 2016 #25
An attempt was made to censor this OP. senz Jun 2016 #26
Every day, innocent people die -- VICTIMS OF WAR Octafish Jun 2016 #195
As an LGBT person I just want to say..... MaggieD Jun 2016 #27
Classless. Opportunistic. NurseJackie Jun 2016 #31
So, do you think 500,000 dead Iraqi children is ''worth it''? Octafish Jun 2016 #38
Three more days MaggieD Jun 2016 #39
Three days. 72 hours. 0.42 Weeks. 0.09863 Months. 4320 Minutes. 259200 Seconds. * NurseJackie Jun 2016 #44
Ah, Clinton math MaggieD Jun 2016 #48
Are you really a nurse? Octafish Jun 2016 #49
Avert your eyes. Octafish Jun 2016 #46
I told you it was a waste of time to talk about these things. Rex Jun 2016 #88
Princess Weathervane's Ostrich Army to the rescue! Lizzie Poppet Jun 2016 #167
Just like Bernie, eh? MaggieD Jun 2016 #169
"tu quoque" Lizzie Poppet Jun 2016 #171
So it's okay if Bernie does it MaggieD Jun 2016 #172
"straw man" Lizzie Poppet Jun 2016 #177
Cuba head sanctions for longer. joshcryer Jun 2016 #83
Four more days... CorkySt.Clair Jun 2016 #52
The poster has a history of linking to homophobic conspiracy theorist writers... SidDithers Jun 2016 #92
Sickening MaggieD Jun 2016 #105
SidDithers of DU, a smear artist. Octafish Jun 2016 #173
Don Fulsom has written that Nixon was gay... SidDithers Jun 2016 #180
Is smearing by association your hobby? Octafish Jun 2016 #181
Madsen thinks Rubio is gay... SidDithers Jun 2016 #183
You never stop smearing. Octafish Jun 2016 #186
I don't like homophobes...nt SidDithers Jun 2016 #187
So why smear me? Octafish Jun 2016 #191
K&R -- for three more days of honest reporting. senz Jun 2016 #29
Tick tock ... Three more days! NurseJackie Jun 2016 #30
So in three days, she'll have had nothing to do with the Iraq war... Ned_Devine Jun 2016 #132
Democrats have spoken. Cope. NurseJackie Jun 2016 #136
Cope with all of those things I mentioned? Ned_Devine Jun 2016 #140
Tough shit. Pissed? Deal with it. NurseJackie Jun 2016 #148
Wow Ned_Devine Jun 2016 #150
I only "might be" the worst? NurseJackie Jun 2016 #152
Jury results edbermac Jun 2016 #157
Apparently in three days we're no longer allowed to question dflprincess Jun 2016 #218
Yeah, I don't knwo why Bernie voted for Afghanistan...bad decision Bernie. nt Demsrule86 Jun 2016 #34
He didn't vote to keep Afghanistan an open-ended quagmire. Octafish Jun 2016 #212
trashing nt Demsrule86 Jun 2016 #35
Kicked and recced!! eom Arazi Jun 2016 #41
If you were a decent caring person you would delete this post postatomic Jun 2016 #42
Yeah, because a few words on a computer screen may remind people not to kill one another in war. Octafish Jun 2016 #51
Yeah, like you really give a shit about people being killed postatomic Jun 2016 #66
Don't even pretend that you care notadmblnd Jun 2016 #209
+1...nt SidDithers Jun 2016 #93
One of the worst posts in DU history n/t gollygee Jun 2016 #45
What's worst? Trying to stop war or shaming someone who writes about it? Octafish Jun 2016 #54
A whole bunch of people just died gollygee Jun 2016 #55
Not meant that way at all. It is a post about war versus peace. Octafish Jun 2016 #58
At leazt bave tbe integrity to admit okasha Jun 2016 #91
Nowhere do I diminish the horror of the tragedy in Orlando. Octafish Jun 2016 #141
Of course you do. okasha Jun 2016 #144
Well, the OP does show empathy and concern for the dead and wounded zappaman Jun 2016 #147
And he doesn't get what's wrong with that. okasha Jun 2016 #149
People are touting gun control everywhere here... Duppers Jun 2016 #110
+ a million. A trifecta of being tasteless, tone deaf and absolutely disgusting Number23 Jun 2016 #130
I appreciate the thread and effort you always make, Octafish. Juicy_Bellows Jun 2016 #47
Wow, riffing the mass murder today, using it to attack Hillary Tarc Jun 2016 #50
Give it time. CorkySt.Clair Jun 2016 #53
Disgusting RandySF Jun 2016 #56
No kidding. Octafish Jun 2016 #61
Your OP is lower than low. RandySF Jun 2016 #71
I didn't order an illegal, immoral, unnecessary and disastrous invasion of Iraq. Octafish Jun 2016 #97
We shouldn't politicize this awful event Fumesucker Jun 2016 #59
Stay classy, Octafish of DU. Dr Hobbitstein Jun 2016 #60
Yeah. I'm trying to stop wars for profit and Dr Hobbitstein is pointing out my hypocrisy. Octafish Jun 2016 #64
You are disgusting. nt Dr Hobbitstein Jun 2016 #65
Never a comment on what I post, just personal remarks. Octafish Jun 2016 #67
I'm embarrassed by the neocons/warmongers in the Democratic Party icecreamfan Jun 2016 #62
It may be a case of the PNAC. Octafish Jun 2016 #69
Didn't Robert Kagan endorse Clinton? Is Kristol going to follow? icecreamfan Jun 2016 #75
Waves of Neocon Octafish Jun 2016 #81
Congrats on your new low! zappaman Jun 2016 #63
Really, zappaman: mass murder and illegal war are both wrong. Octafish Jun 2016 #74
nope, that isn't what he is saying. He is saying you are using the tragedy in Florida in a not so still_one Jun 2016 #101
Congratulations on yet another mindless comparison based on absolutely ... MrMickeysMom Jun 2016 #114
Inappropriate today. n/t Chan790 Jun 2016 #68
Couldn't even give those murdered one day of respect, I see... Spazito Jun 2016 #72
Yes its kind of like SwampG8r Jun 2016 #166
The face of the new progressive RandySF Jun 2016 #76
''Politics'' being how the wars just keep going and going, no matter who we elect. Octafish Jun 2016 #196
4 days MFM008 Jun 2016 #77
When will the wars end? Octafish Jun 2016 #99
Why would you try to minimize this hate crime... SidDithers Jun 2016 #80
Pointing out the hypocrisy of warmongers doesn't minimize anyone's death. Octafish Jun 2016 #85
This is another level of nastiness. joshcryer Jun 2016 #82
Why so hostile? Octafish Jun 2016 #95
A mass killing of gay people... joshcryer Jun 2016 #98
This thread? nt justiceischeap Jun 2016 #90
''What is absurd and monstrous about war... Octafish Jun 2016 #174
Wow. Tone deaf. JoePhilly Jun 2016 #94
Each human life is an irreplaceable treasure. Octafish Jun 2016 #175
Fascinating how a political primary changes people. gordianot Jun 2016 #104
The Unspeakable Octafish Jun 2016 #106
War is mass murder, I've taken a verbal beating for saying that here over the years. Rex Jun 2016 #108
''The world geography textbook that I teach out of... Octafish Jun 2016 #189
It was so sad, they already had the war down on paper for the new textbooks so we Rex Jun 2016 #208
Now I Understand jamese777 Jun 2016 #107
Nice wide brush. I don't claim to speak for anyone else. Octafish Jun 2016 #123
K&R for the original post and subsequent informative posts and links. JEB Jun 2016 #109
Some posters sound just like Barbara Bush. Octafish Jun 2016 #216
Oh my Tweety just had a thrill go up his leg! n/t doc03 Jun 2016 #111
Nothing personal... It's just business... MrMickeysMom Jun 2016 #112
Sorry I don't like this OP Armstead Jun 2016 #117
I don't either, but it's the business plan for our future. Octafish Jun 2016 #124
This message was self-deleted by its author sister_rosa_refried Jun 2016 #121
Great OP! Was thinking of this today: amborin Jun 2016 #125
DURec....for keeping it real. bvar22 Jun 2016 #127
War pigs think Jun 2016 #128
That same crowd partied during Dien Bien Phu. Octafish Jun 2016 #194
"War is the worst thing in the world, it kills MILLIONS of innocent people." cpwm17 Jun 2016 #133
How DARE you!!! I had friends wounded last night, and friends who lost loved ones ashtonelijah Jun 2016 #137
Please accept my sympathies. Octafish Jun 2016 #139
Bullshit. zappaman Jun 2016 #142
I wrote about my friend's brother on DU. Octafish Jun 2016 #143
K&R - Thank you Octafish CrawlingChaos Jun 2016 #138
SHAME ON YOU--YOU USE THIS HORRIBLE EVENT TO DISS THE PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC riversedge Jun 2016 #145
Shame is on me? Octafish Jun 2016 #165
You could not even wait a day or two. hrmjustin Jun 2016 #146
No. Every day more and more innocent people die from war. Octafish Jun 2016 #155
Outstanding post Octafish! 2banon Jun 2016 #153
*sob* yes, yes, yes. Nt riderinthestorm Jun 2016 #158
K&R! Pastiche423 Jun 2016 #161
K&R... disillusioned73 Jun 2016 #162
K&R Spot On! B Calm Jun 2016 #163
This is a great post!!! Nt Logical Jun 2016 #164
You suck for the timing of this post jcgoldie Jun 2016 #197
Embarrassing is seeing the wars go on, no matter who is President. Octafish Jun 2016 #204
three more days until addition by subtraction occurs geek tragedy Jun 2016 #198
Two things: One, there's never a good time to bring up the unspeakable. Octafish Jun 2016 #205
K&R#105 + bobthedrummer Jun 2016 #199
Your posts. CorkySt.Clair Jun 2016 #200
Why do you find war and mass murder funny, CorkySt.Clair? Octafish Jun 2016 #206
This message was self-deleted by its author CorkySt.Clair Jun 2016 #207
This is wildly misleading anigbrowl Jun 2016 #201
It must be a family thing, laughing at others' deaths. Octafish Jun 2016 #210
Beside the point anigbrowl Jun 2016 #223
Not as wildly misleading as your post defending Bush, a warmonger like his father and grandfather. Octafish Jun 2016 #225
Now you're just lying. anigbrowl Jun 2016 #226
Who's lying, anigbrowl? You wrote Bush really meant something other than making money off war... Octafish Jun 2016 #227
Shouldn't the goal be to do everything we can to defeat Trump? lapucelle Jun 2016 #203
That is one goal, certainly. I'd also like to defeat Republicanism. Octafish Jun 2016 #211
War is evil no matter who is doing the waging of it. arikara Jun 2016 #222
K & R AzDar Jun 2016 #213
Prepare for what's ahead. Octafish Jul 2016 #228
All Wars are for profit. Whimsey Jun 2016 #220
Are you under the impression that Sanders is a pacifist who will pull back all US troops? brooklynite Jun 2016 #221
I'm under the impression that he won't create new wars John Poet Jun 2016 #224
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