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Haunting
I have written too much about Bush. Maybe I was wrong. Given his family background and connections (Texas Observer), he could have been a lot more successful as a businessman. His CV in politics is anything but impressive.
Cheney is different. He has a much stronger CV in both public and private sector. He possesses the necessary character to ‘claimed that he supported the U.S. sanctions on Iraq, but the Financial Times of London (archive) reported that through foreign subsidiaries and affiliates, Halliburton became the biggest oil contractor for Iraq, selling more than $73 million in goods and services to Saddam Hussein’s regime’.
When I first read this article in Onion, it really didn’t quite catch me (although it was certainly a laugh). Now we have Washington Post, I re-read the Onion article. It wasn’t meant to be a joke. (a pdf version of ‘Cheney - Fulcrum of Foreign Policy’ is here.)
If we really take a hard look at the photo, its even more haunting. Their eyes, their faces, any doubt about who’s in charge? God bless America.
When I was first appointed as a Director and General Manager of a 40-million firm many years ago, I didn?t quite know how to handle all these advices from my senior managers. There were many constructive suggestions. I am still convinced that at least 80% of the suggestions were made with good intention (the remaining 20% might be more oriented to self-interest). But I was slightly confused, at the age of 30, I was 8 years younger than the youngest of them and when they spoke, I tended to listen. I had my own logic but needless to say, my senior managers played a major part in shaping how the business should be run.
I learned the hard way. The Group MD had to transfer me out of that subsidiary 9 months after the appointment. I could have been sacked instead.
Two years in the wilderness. I was lucky I made it back to the same post after a major re-structure. This time I knew, I knew the Board wanted me to run the company and not my senior managers, no matter how much more experienced they were.
Mr Bush, don’t risk it. You might not be as lucky as I was. 829 days and counting barring potential impeachment (“Enron, Funeralgate, Halliburton, Harken (Energy)).
And the play is old, old play in office politcs - withholding information to make yourself more powerful. Should a government withhold information to discourage debates on a issue as critical as going to war?
Cheney did and Bush approved. You just cant explain the CIA information about the Iraq threat. Its not about classified materials. It’s even less classified than Bush declaration of a war (telling your enemies you are going to hit them. That’s classified material).
This is just one big fiasco. The global threat has not changed a bit since 9/11 but unfortunately, our strategic priorities has.
Posted on October 15, 2002 12:12 AM
Categories: General
,People
,The Bad
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