Thursday, April 30, 2009

148 - Privatization Kills: Troops Electrocuted In Iraq, Cheney's Former Company To Blame / Debunking Right-Wing Lies About U.S. Corporate Tax Rates

In the first segment, you'll hear how U.S. soldiers in Iraq are being electrocuted due to faulty electrical work. The work was performed by private contractors hired under the Bush policy of privatization. This perfectly illustrates so much of what's wrong with right-wing ideology and policies.

For example:

Green Beret Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth was stationed at a base in Iraq that used to be one of Saddam's palaces. This 24-year-old Pittsburgh native stepped into the shower in January, 2008.

The water pump was not properly grounded, and when he turned on the shower, a jolt of electricity shot through his body and electrocuted him...

The surging current left burn marks across his body, even singeing his hair. Army reports show that he probably suffered a long, painful death.

There have been 18 electrocution deaths, hundreds of burns, and untold numbers of fires due to bad wiring in Iraq.

So was there a common thread linking these incidents? Were they caused by Al Qaeda saboteur electricians? Sunni insurgent electrical terrorists?

No, they were the fault of Dick Cheney's old cronies. The common thread here is that the multinational corporation KBR did the electrical work on the facilities and equipment involved in these and other incidents.

KBR is on the verge of being charged with negligent homicide by the Army.

This is a perfect example of the detriments of the right-wing policy of privatization.

Much more in the podcast about contractor wrongdoing, and the harmful effects of this right-wing obession with turning everything over to corporate control.

The second segment is a Quickblast: you'll listen to and then learn how to debunk a major right-wing talking point about corporate taxes.

Check out the podcast for all the details.

(PS: Right-wingers, if you want to write in to me, fine, but at least do me the courtesy of listening to the podcast first. Please don't respond just on the basis of the brief preview above. Thanks!!)


#148 Transcript
#148 Transcript as a Word document
#148 Sources

Jack Clark 4:56 PM [+]   5 comments
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