I never, ever would have agreed with the OP before I actually came to Afghanistan. We're spending trillions trying to make this place into America. To teach them to be like us. And it will never work. I look around and I see Afghan flag officers with huge offices in nice buildings, with couches, fresh flowers every day, satellite television, and computers with satellite internet access. They watch videos on the internet all day (they've never had internet access before.) If you push them to do work, they tell you that you should not rush, "that the cherry blossom blooms when it is ready." And why should they hurry? They have no tax system. We are guests in their country, and can only make recommendations. Every thing I see is paid for by you and I. Plus the officer's fat paychecks.
Then there's the office full of contractors that I work for. They're all "managers" (retired US flag officers) making $300k\yr. They are supposed to advise the military. Instead, they are in charge. The military personnel here are given busy work by the contractors, who make the big decisions. There is an O-6 (Colonel) in charge of the office, but he's a figurehead, with all the real decisions being made by the contractors. He'd never disagree with them, because then he wouldn't get his own $300k\yr contracting job when he retires in 3 months.
I'm sickened by the fleecing of the American taxpayer being perpetrated here.
This post is worth hundreds of many ignorant ones. Nice to see. Unfortunately, what effect?
I'll mention a military project (domestic). It was at a level to have a mention in a state of the union.
It had a lot of very hard working, skilled lower level military people who just worked their butts off. It also had politics over which contractors got the big bucks.
The military head of the project called the shots - for a little while until he resigned to work for one of the contractors he'd selected.
One little inside technique:
Military adopts a rule - may or may not come from Congress - to buy 'off the shelf' commercial products over custom on the win-win idea that instead of expensive custom-made product that leans towards needing tons of extra testing as a one-off, buying off the shelf both reduces the chances of 'trading favor' contracts for custom product and buys 'market proven' products, and it takes advantage of econmies of scale and quality testing etc. for other customers - while stimulating the private economy instead of spending the money for government-only product.
Sounds nice - but everyone knows the rules and the game. Products are kept available commercially that aren't market-viable just to qualify for the government purchases.
If needed, ways are found to get some commercial sales - lump them in for free bundled in contracts with other products, where they are never used.
The lead contractor on this - Northrup Grumman, with powerful connections and leverage to get away with pretty much anything.
A sales rep for a component in the project tried to sell directly to the military, cutting Northrup Grumman out of an addon fee - their loyal contacts informed them immediately and there was a new sales rep.
The worker bees for the military at low wages did great work in Alabama at a base, while the games were played in Washington.
And some wonder why I advocate for stronger barriers against the revolving door.
There are various qualities for getting ahead in such circles. One is being a talented worker. That gets you a more senior staff position - you get cashews instead of peanuts.
But another is the willingness to 'go along to get along', which might mean selling out whoever - especially the public interest - to benefit the powers that be. That can get you the filet mignon.
THere's a reason people who understand this passionately quote Eisenhower against the military corruption - not to mention the violence - while infuriated by simpler people who cheer all military while saluting the flag.
But it's hard to overcome the ignorance and tell the blissfully ignorant the problem, over all the propaganda to the contrary. Isn't to point out this corruption to want our enemies to conquer the country?
This is why the right-wing propaganda constantly harps on 'liberal enemies' no matter how ridiculous, they are creating something for the people to hate instead of the actual problems.
That darn Nancy Pelosi, she's the problem, her and her flying on military planes, the arrogance! That's the issue, not the billions going on unmentioned by the media.
And our troops - apparently like the quoted poster above - who are kids who naively sign up to be the worker bees for the system with wide-eyed ideas of 'proving themselves' and opportunity and patriotism.
They don't have much idea about why the US is supporting its corporate interests with military action. They're just told that doing as they're told without question and trusting the orders is patriotic.
No wonder they love the quotes about how they're protecting the freedom of the country with their sacrifice - that makes it seem justified, so they'll hang on to it.
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