Dec 10 2005
You Scratch Mine, I Scratch Yours
This sounds like a win-win-win:
Poland has asked for additional U.S. military assistance to modernize its own forces as it considers whether to extend the presence of Polish troops in Iraq next year, according to Polish and U.S. officials.
Although Warsaw has stopped short of conditioning its Iraq decision on the request for aid, it has made it clear that the two are linked, saying the $600 million it has spent on the Iraq operation has siphoned funds from plans to upgrade its own military.
We get more boots on the ground, stronger ties to Poland, and a foot in the EU door for our military products. We are going to spend money in Iraq anyway, why not via Poland?
Poland gets needed technology infusion and a leading role in the Eastern EU block (former soviet states). That will put France and Germany on notice.
Iraq gets another EU partner and more security.
Why not?
You always have to watch the money you sink into a former BLOC country. Sometimes mafias get it all.
Snapple has a valid point: Look at Louisiana. 🙂
Poland has shown itself to be a good ally, and more: I believe Poland was the only country — still under the Soviet yoke or barely out — when the US midwest had a flood disaster, and Poland started sending CARE packages because “America always helps everyone else.”
I’m with AJ — it’s a “win-win-win.”
I am not saying I am against Poland’s proposal, but these mafias are right in these governments; and they steal a lot. The communists perfected this.
Look at all the stealing of military money in Iraq. We gave them lots of money , but they seem not to have purchesed good equipment.
This kind of corruption is highlighted by the anti-war crowd to undermine the war effort.
There needs to be better oversight to make sure that our money is not stolen and our policies aren’t discredited.
Links and Minifeatures 12 11 Sunday
It looks from a Google and Yahoo result that I’m coming to this one late, but it’s still worth hitting. HT to Owner’s Manual (an article worth readin…
Agreed, Snapple, I was just being flip.
You’re right about underworld control of many old Soviet-bloc countries, but it’s probably not as much of a monkey-wrench in governments of Poland and (the old) Czechoslovakia as in Russia, Croatia, Serbia and some others.
During the Soviet domination, Polish (Lech Walesa) and Czech (Havel?) patriots kept the flame(s) burning, where collaboration — and therefore KGB control — was more prevalent in most other parts of Eastern Europe. Many if not most of the ‘Russian Mafia’ are or were connected to or former KGB.
Not that they have a monopoly on corruption, though. As you pointed out, even in the new-life-new-chance-Iraq, thievery triumphed over gratitude in some quarters. But since that also happens nearly anywhere in the US where taxpayer money is carelessly tossed around, I think the solution is to set up better accounting and bookkeeping protocols, and to then hold the disbursers accountable.
Yes, I agree. You have to watch the money.
I think the money sometimes would leave the BLOC and then return to the BLOC countries as “Western investment.”
Here is some testimony about the infiltration of the western financial system. It’s a little old, but good.
http://www.russianlaw.org/palmer.htm
Thank you for that link.