Reply #5: Too much power always worries about itself rather than others.... [View All]

[HysteryDiagnosis]

thereby setting the stage for horrible abuse and creative excuses for things done in its name. Presidential approved torture comes to mind... as well as bunker busting civilian areas because "Saddam is here and Saddam is there".... not to mention white phosphorous and gas in Fallujah, cluster bombs in Hilla, incendiary devices in Basra, 30mm cannons used on people, and lying to the world in order to take over a nations economy.

Paul Bremer, an errand boy for a mob of corporate greed.
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/19293/
The Handover That Wasn't

By Antonia Juhasz, Foreign Policy in Focus. Posted July 20, 2004.

>>Before his departure, CPA chief Paul Bremer issued 100 Orders to dramatically restructure Iraq's economy to fit free-market ideals. And no Iraqi, including future elected officials, can undo them.<<

>>Order #39 allows for the following: (1) privatization of Iraq's 200 state-owned enterprises; (2) 100 percent foreign ownership of Iraqi businesses; (3) "national treatment" of foreign firms; (4) unrestricted, tax-free remittance of all profits and other funds; and (5) 40-year ownership licenses. Thus, it allows the U.S. corporations operating in Iraq to own every business, do all of the work, and send all of their money home. Nothing needs to be reinvested locally to service the Iraqi economy, no Iraqi need be hired, no public services need be guaranteed, and workers' rights can easily be ignored. And corporations can take out their investments at any time.

Order #40 turns the banking sector from a state-run to a market-driven system overnight by allowing foreign banks to enter the Iraqi market and to purchase up to 50 percent of Iraqi banks.

Order #49 drops the tax rate on corporations from a high of 40 percent to a flat rate of 15 percent. The income tax rate is also capped at 15 percent.

Order #12 enacted on June 7, 2003 and renewed on February 24, 2004, suspends "all tariffs, customs duties, import taxes, licensing fees and similar surcharges for goods entering or leaving Iraq, and all other trade restrictions that may apply to such goods." This led to an immediate and dramatic inflow of cheap consumer products, which has essentially wiped out all local providers of the same products. This could have significant long-term implications for domestic production as well.<<