Violence is the main product of the Iraq War. AP reports, "Gunmen opened fire at a federal police checkpoint in rural northern
Iraq, sparking clashes that killed 13 police, a security official said
Sunday. He blamed the attack on Islamic State militants. " Meanwhile, Kelsey Vlamis (INSIDER) reports:
A former marine sharpshooter and veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq
wars shot and killed four people near Lakeland, Florida, on Sunday
morning before exchanging gunfire with police and surrendering,
officials said.
The victims included a mother, 33, and her
3-month-old baby boy, who she was holding at the time she was found, as
well as the baby's grandmother, 62, and a 40-year-old man, who officials
have identified as Justice Gleason.
An 11-year-old girl was also shot multiple times but is expected to survive, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. The family dog was also killed.
Greed is a motivator of war and ignorance is a byproduct. On the latter, the always laughable Senator Tim Kaine Tweets:
Today is the first day in 20 years that the US is not at war. Dangers and challenges abound and we will always meet them in the moment. But Joe Biden has chosen to end forever war. A powerful new chapter for America.
TASK & PURPOSE's reporter Jeff Schogol responds:
That's news to U.S. troops in Iraq, Syria, and other warzones.
Another politician, former Green Beret Joe Kent, Tweets:
Careers & fortunes were made off the lies that filled section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery.
Afghanistan & Iraq war congressional commissions are a must.
The status quo must be broken & there must be accountability.
Yes, corruption is the other main product of war. Joe Kent's linking to Isaac Stanley-Becker's Tweets (Becker is a reporter for THE WASHINGTON POST):
NEW- Stanley McChrystal built a corporate empire in the years after he was dismissed as the top general in Afghanistan, making millions from businesses, governments and universities
I wrote about how
The eight generals who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan btwn 2008 and 2018 have served on more than 20 corporate boards.
But McChrystal is the runaway leader, serving on at least 10, earning $1.3m from JetBlue and even more from a vehicle co that sold equipment for the war
That company, Navistar International, agreed this spring to pay $50 million to settle claims it defrauded the Marines by inflating the cost of a truck used in Afgh + Iraq.
McChrystal was on the board’s finance cmte at the time of the initial complaint but said he knew nothing
McChrystal has been embraced by some of the world’s biggest companies, which bring him in to run leadership training and serve on their boards.
Here’s how a former Deutsche Bank executive described the reasoning to me
McChrystal is also sought after by universities for high-dollar speaking engagements.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln was facing a budget crunch in 2013 when it agreed to pay the retired general $80k for a keynote address and cover the cost of a private jet, per FOIA’d emails
OK, here’s a timely hook
McChrystal’s boutique consulting firm has secured lucrative contracts with state and local governments for covid consulting, incl Virginia, Missouri, Boston
As cases surged, Virginia’s health dept. spent $1,000 alone on McChrystal’s management manual
I wrote a separate story last month about how management consultants took over the U.S. vaccination drive.
But this really pinpoints our priorities.
The US pumped trillions into wars while defunding public health. Has it made us safer?
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