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No company has profited more from the carnage in Iraq than Halliburton

thenation.com — As the Iraq war that Vice President Dick Cheney created continues to shred American--and many more Iraqi--lives, further documentation has emerged proving that, even during failed wars, the merchants of death profit.

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  • paulierocks, on 10/11/2007, -11/+71How do people expect the middle class to remain strong with a system that concentrates wealth on a few vultures at the top? Y'all just keep jeering at the queers and the liberals as Big Daddy takes all of yo' money.
    • deathweaver108, on 10/11/2007, -4/+23The problem is the American dream itself.
      No one wants taxes for the rich because deep down they believe they will be them.
      • OwdenBowden, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3The problem is that "We the People" does not exist anymore.
    • voidvox0, on 10/11/2007, -5/+15The middle class is just an invention by the vultures on top to suppress revolt from those on the bottom. Middle class wealth is an illusion in which the banks own everything anyways. Same old story, different manifestation. Nothing will change without a full on revolution. At best, a huge public outcry can result in a scapegoat getting punished.
      • tHePeOPle, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9A big fat (literally) terribly indebted delusional middle class is the best defense against revolution.
      • xtmno3, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2"Nothing will change without a full on revolution."

        Nothing will change even with a revolution. At best we give ourselves maybe 20 years of change before things gravitate back to how they are now. You can't change people.
        • voidvox0, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1i agree and so did the founding fathers of the states. for a short period in time things will be different and then ist the same process. these predictable social cycles are sort of depressing.
    • ibgarrett, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4/sarcasm on

      It's called trickle-down economics - duh.

      /sarcasm off
    • monkeyrun, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Of course middle class can remain strong ...... in Dubai.
    • expert01, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1What the hell are you talking about? I live in Colorado, and I'm talking to Halliburton recruiters about a job. You work one week on, one week off, start at LEAST at $17 per hour, get a possible signon/relocation bonus, 60-80 hours a week (about $5k a month)... Guys my age (19) are driving around in new vipers and hummers!
      • ErrorS, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5***** someone making $17 an hour and working an average of 320hours a month are driving around in Dodge VIpers and Hummers.. what, you think when you're "all growed up" and making the same money your parents make, instead of having to buy boring minivans, not being able to afford bigscreen TVs, etc.. you'll be able to buy a Viper or a Hummer, with other extras and live like a king? Grow up, $17 in hour is, at best, $45k a year (before you do the Math... tax?) , that's less money than a manager at McDonalds clears..

        edit: I'm not saying it's not good money for a single person, but $17 an hour doesn't go very far, especially in big cities.
        • dorkino, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Dont forget that he only works 2 weeks out of the month too. It's not nearly as lucrative as he's imagining in his head.

          And, I'll second that - $17/hr is not a lot of money. UPS drivers make more than that.
        • Smokezz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Error: Read his comment again. one week on, one week off. Thats 160 hours. His math is flawed too, 160 hours * $17/hour is $2720/month. Thats not even close to $5k. And when you factor in taxes... food... lodging... little things like that, you aren't buying a Viper or a Hummer unless you're going to live in it. And if someone is that stupid.... well...
      • GeneralFault, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3In California, you might starve if you only made 17$/hr. You would certainly not be able to afford the gas for your hummer or viper.


      • apoc06, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3do they also have a really cool desert camoflague uniform for you? yeah, they let you drive the hummers, but the only vipers youll see will be nesting in sand dunes.

        seriously though... i know youre only 19, but any job thats not salaried and requires nearly twice as many hours per week as the average job does is most likely not a good idea. that whole week off will be mostly consumed with you catching up on your sleep. you dont want to burn yourself out before you can legally drink.
      • SurrogatePimp, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Why can't I read the replies to this comment?
      • expert01, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I wish I could make all you idiots read hits again... There's this little thing called OVERTIME. If I'm getting $17 per hour, working 60-80 hours per week, that means 20-40 are getting paid at $25.50.

        80*17 = 1360
        80*25.5 = 2040
        $3400... STARTING. I don't know what *magical super expensive* cities you all live in, but here in Denver (capital of Colorado (25th largest city in the US http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0763098.html) Most people are lucky to get $1500 per month, and they still do quite well
    • themastersb, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Mooj stole my phrase: "Merchants of death"
  • jpell05, on 10/11/2007, -11/+41And yet there are still people out there in support of the war. The Vice President is one of the people who makes the most money out of this!
    • ruley, on 10/11/2007, -7/+5FALSE! charites make the most money off of high halliburton stocks. cheney cannot cash in on his stock. he has to give all the money to charity and he can't even sell it himself, a broker sells it.
      • jpell05, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4I was just looking into what you said, and it looks like you're correct. Cheney signed an agreement to give his war profits to charities. It makes me wonder what he considers a charity. Hopefully it's something good like the Red Cross, ... I wonder if "Project for a New American Century" counts as a charity?
        • 4chin8, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I'm guessing the Masonic Lodges or maybe one of the Islamic Suicide Bombers r Us charities.
      • Smokezz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0If you REALLY think he's not going to make money from this... you're incredibly stupid. He may not make anything directly, but for sure he has things set up so he'll benefit... and he'll benefit for years and years to come. Get your head out of your ass.
      • GeneralFault, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1If Cheney keeps all of his business secret, but releases a tid-bit or two of info that makes him "look" good, how can you say that Cheney is not profiting with any certainty. As far as I'm concerned, any information coming from the office of the Vice President is not to be relied upon, or repeated without intense direct verification..
    • jeffeb3, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3A few years ago I read an article that compared the president's and the VP's "defferred salaries" and Dick(~52mil) was making more than Bush(~47mil). We aren't talking stocks here, we are talking about money given to Cheney that was for services while he is vice president. What could he be doing that would be in good concience, and also be worth 52 million dollars a year?

      Am I the only one that thought that you weren't supposed to be compensated while being the president of vice president except from the salary they give you? Everyone is getting upset about poloticians feeling obligated to do favors for people who make large campaign contributions. What about feeling obligated to do favors for the people who are giving you large sums of money to keep!
  • Barman, on 10/11/2007, -9/+46Haliburton sucks the American economy dry at the cost of soldiers' lives.... and now that most people are starting to realize it, oh hey they moved to Dubai. It won't be surprising to see Cheney relaxing on a pile of money on a Dubai beach a couple years from now :: EH You Middle Easteners ain't so bad EH ::
  • Keach, on 10/11/2007, -7/+17Great little Video on Cheney and his involvement in Halliburton and the Iraq War. Says it all. Timeless.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdvTN1PI-sM
    • WarpFox, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3part II: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0
  • metalhead3767, on 10/11/2007, -8/+19This is sick. People need to get their heads out of their asses and impeach.
    • tomson33, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5I don't blame these guys, they are criminals, I blame DUMB ASS Americans who voted them in, when will they get their head at of their assess and stop voting against their own interests??
      • quaxon, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1although there are a lot of dumbass americans (i agree) bush lost both of the elections but thanks to connections and election fraud and opponents who didnt have the balls to stand up to him he stole the office.
    • MarkOfTheDead, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2people have grown so fond of their asshats. it's so sad.
    • twisterrust, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4Thanks for saying that, but here is the real problem;
      Put your shoes in someone's shoe who live in Iraq or may be any other Middle eastern / Asian Muslim Country. Your means are really tight and you are struggling with your lives and not to mention you are bound with a whole different set of customs and Beliefs. and all of a sudden you have US invading you for a good reason ( they say) You wont like it no matter what to be invaded, that WILL piss you off ( even when they say that it is for your own good).... your country is all pile of more ***** now , only this time it is your ***** +***** someone else is dumping..... fine you try to live with that only to find out that this war was not started to benefit you... now how would you feel..... this is what Iraq's probably feel. and while you are in those shoes, Don’t forget that even if you retaliate( cause you a lower class person so that would mean you can only protest) you have a very narrow line to be declared Terrorist
    • DatuPuti, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1yo metalhead, put your money where your mouth is.
  • eightbitgirl, on 10/11/2007, -4/+17Just the title of this article made me say "no *****, Sherlock" out loud.
    • LesterKing, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7Yeah, my initial response was, "Tell me something I don't already know."
    • MarkOfTheDead, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6i found myself saying out loud "wow, everybody doesn't already know this? even people who DON'T read digg?"
  • PropCulture, on 10/11/2007, -3/+25In other news, water is wet.
  • keyguy242, on 10/11/2007, -5/+13Well NO *****! Of course hes benefiting from the war. Of course he has Human sized safes in his office. Like this is some kind of suprise to you people? This has been the agenda from day one! Keep in mind day one was prior to 9/11! WHY CANT YOU PEOPLE PUT THIS TOGETHER?!
    • flink405, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3Wow- A human sized safe in his office! I am so impressed. That explains everything!
      LOL.
      Banks have bigger safes. Are they behind 9/11, too???
      I have two human sized safes in my house, does that make me more important than the VP?
      LOL.
  • DestroyFascism, on 10/11/2007, -2/+13I wonder what Rice and Cheny's bank accounts look like?
    • flink405, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1I wonder what your bank account looks like.
    • GeneralFault, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Rice spends too much on shoes to have much stored away in the bank. I wonder what her closet looks like?
  • Hetman, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9I dont have a problem with hiring contractors to do jobs in Iraq that the army is to short staffed to do. I actually think it is really necessary. But I do have a problem with how halliburton recieved the contracts and how they have spent the Americans people money poorly. If were going to hire contractors we should atleast seek the best contractors to do the job.
    • MarkOfTheDead, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5yeah not some assholes who charge upwards of ten dollars for WATER.

      sometimes i wonder if halliburton got their start running concessions
    • quaxon, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2one of the most sickening things about the war is that they get paid whatever they feel like charging. also if say a cargo truck that costs upwards of a million (or more) breaks down or has a flat or something minor or serious the drivers and crew are instructed to set it on fire because halliburton gets paid not only millions for the broken vehicle but also a ***** more money to replace it with another one. makes you wonder why so many of the vehicles are breaking down and why none of the troops ***** works properly. everything about this war pisses me off and if it doesn't piss you off you don't have a single human bone in your body.
  • Razster, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1OFN!
  • BDLAMB, on 10/11/2007, -1/+23As someone said recently.. "Hey, who knew losing a war could be so PROFITABLE!"
  • heythisismyname, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3Haliburton FTW!

    assholes
  • Bishop256, on 10/11/2007, -18/+2I love how inaccurate even the first line of that article is, somehow i do remember somewhere in the constitution in saying that the vice president can't just create a war. The president supported it, the VP supported it, the majority of congress supported it, the majority of the US supported it when the war started. Im not taking Cheney's side im not exactly a fan of him but you cant just blame one man who happens to be making money off of this.
    • hthr2204, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2There is plenty of blame to go around, but congress and many others were supplied with false information and voted for the war on inaccurate information.
    • ErrorS, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Not only that, we finished the war.. we removed Saddam.. that's what congress wanted and that's what congress got, yet we're still there.
  • Alpione, on 10/11/2007, -15/+3I say, "so what?" We're at war. Supplies, equipment and logistics need to be handled. The US Government isn't setup to do this by itself. What, is Halliburton supposed to magically just start providing these services pro bono because people are offended by them making a profit off of the war? They're a military contractor (among other things.) There are certainly things to be angry about, like overcharging, etc. But the fact that they're making a profit on its face means nothing. I don't like Haliburton any more than the next guy, but you guys do realize that we're a capitalist country, right?
    • idonthack, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Yes, actually, the US Government is capable of supporting its own army. What do you think we did in all the other wars? Only recently did they think of paying people to do things that were already taken care of.

      And I realize the fact that we're a capitalist country is half of what's wrong with us.
      • Alpione, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Uhhh, completely wrong. Private factories converted to producing supplies for the war effort in WWI and WWII. Vietnam was no different, though we had more dedicated defense contractors then. But they were still private. And if you don't like capitalism, go elsewhere.. There are a wide variety of socialist states out there, like DiggLand...
    • quaxon, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2the fact is because halliburton gets paid for the ***** they provide and they get to decide how much to charge (they grossly overcharge everything) they create the products they give the troops in very poor quality so they will break faster therefore they can replace them and make even more money.
      • Alpione, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Like I said above, there are definitely valid points against Haliburton like overcharging. But a defense contractor profiting from war is part of the deal, like it or not.
    • GeneralFault, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Simple.
      Profiting = good.
      Profiting from war, death and destruction, and promoting such = evil.

      A patriotic company would, as many did in WWII, provide the military with services and goods at a price that covers their costs. A company should never profit like this in a time of, and directly due to, war. The Trueman commission during WWII was set up just for this purpose and was responsible for trying "war profiteers" for treason... as they should be.
  • PuP5, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6i understand why people like Cheney want to be in office, but it's so telling that our much lauded system of government allows the worst of humanity to reach the highest levels of power. then again, looks who's doing the lauding.
  • SavageBlackCat, on 10/11/2007, -8/+8Because they're the only company that can handle the size of the contracts.
    • ruley, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2Thank you! I'm still in high school and my parents are conservative so i hear the other side of the argument on Halliburton. there is one other company that could handle the job, i just dont remeber the name of it.
    • skyshock1, on 10/11/2007, -3/+0Exactly. But nevermind all that.... ***** BUSH ***** CHENEY ZOMG HALIBURTON IS TEH HITLER!!!!!

      Never ceases to amaze me.
    • fuzzmeister, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3But without a war, the contracts would never be there in the first place.
      • SavageBlackCat, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Every administration makes their own war/comflict/tiddlywink contest.
    • BobOki, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Yes there is another company that could have EASILY handled this contract. The name of the company is EDS (www.eds.com) and they currently handle the NMCI project, so they are already military contractors. This was a CLOSED bid contract, they never got to even try for it. Halliburning had the contract before we had a war, just go look at the dates of the contracts.
      • SavageBlackCat, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1The NMCI is pennies when compared to the Iraq war.
        The two are nowhere near the scope.
  • mdkoch84, on 10/11/2007, -6/+8and how many of you idiots voted for them AGAIN in 2004? I'm sure more than a handful.
  • eboy, on 10/11/2007, -7/+5lets put it all together...9/11+war in iraq+ haliburton gets contract+ cheney on the board of haliburton+big profits+more money for war= the end of american as we know it....thanks boys.
  • jmpeagle, on 10/11/2007, -7/+3Haliburton is not an American company so I don't know what you think Congress can do about it.
    • pintomp3, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4true, it moved it's headquarters to dubai. congress can stop giving it contracts.
      • skyshock1, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0The problem is, no other company can handle the size/scope of these contracts. Sure give the contracts to someone else, then when THAT company ***** it up, you'll all be blaming Bush because the rebuilding effort sucked.
    • brufleth, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1It is still incorporated in the United States and the Dubai headquarters and the Houston headquarters are dual headquarters. It is all the smaller parts of it that are spread all over.
    • DrawingTheSun, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1stop paying them money you ***** tard
  • musntSurfatWork, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3Breaking!: No country has profited more from the carnage in Paris Hilton than AMERICA!

    Capitalist pigs...

    the greed that is spreading through this century, is leaving me no choice but to abandon ship, and go live the simple life out in the pastures...

    good luck getting my tax money anymore, *****. Take your land of the free and shove it hard ...
    • TehdBerg, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1I'm sorry, but your username partnered with your comment is pretty hilarious. But good luck either way, I hope it's the truth :)
  • tsoldrin, on 10/11/2007, -2/+18Helliburton is just the more famous example. There are scores of companies profiteering like crazy off of both this war and the joke of a 'war on terror'. It's become a cottage industry.
    • Hetman, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Dont for get the war on drugs either.
    • neuropsychguy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1What's the solution then (other than not fight wars but that's not a realistic solution in our world)? Make sure no businesses profit from war? Someone always profits from war.
  • FearlessFreep, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9Well no kidding. No matter what side wins or loses, the broker in the middle always profits.
  • zobs, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6DCheney: Democracy = I suck all your blood and become rich and you die for it nicely....
    • flink405, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Dick Cheney was rich before he was VP.
  • DirtyVegas, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1this is from the Haliburton investor pages.. what year did the rebuilding start again :)

    Comparative Highlights
    Millions of dollars and shares, except per share data
    2006 --------------- 2005 -------- 2004
    $12,955 ---------$10,100--------$7,998 Revenue
  • stopthepc, on 10/11/2007, -10/+5Holy Cow! Does anyone actually know the history behind all of this? This information is miles off the mark. PLEEEEEEASE PEOPLE, GET INFORMED WITH THE REAL STORY!!!!! This is just another liberal-hate Bush stew because the D-led senate is muscling up for hearings against the Bush administration and they need fodder (even if it's completely wrong). And, no- I am not a Republican. I am a truth seeker.
    • inajeep, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Could point to a source of information truth seeker/troller?
      • brufleth, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Well the wikipedia article hast a nice time line. It does appear that Cheney can't do much to currently make money off of Halliburton's success. Apparently profit margins are low but that's really all relative.
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halliburton
    • DrawingTheSun, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2you tell us to be informed, yet you will not back yourself up with hard evidence you idiot.
    • WMD404, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Yes, please provide some information about HOW this information is miles off the mark. I'd love to see what it is that you know that the rest of us do not. Provide some resources where we can get some 'real' facts. Meanwhile, I can provide one: http://iraqforsale.org/profiteers.php.
      • Alpione, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Yeah, because a propaganda website is always the most valid place for facts...
  • ICANSTANDIT, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.- James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)
  • Rokhan, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6Interesting additional truth. Cheney has no financial ties to Haliburton. Also, I wonder what other companies can provide what Haliburton offers and I wonder if they even bid on the work.

    For the record I think W is a sub par President, like most of you. But I am not going to start drinking from the cup of another group of liars because of that.
    • scorchedearth, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1what about the stock options?
    • brufleth, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1More or less accurate. His holdings will be sold at some point in the future by a broker and the money from that will go to several charities.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halliburton
    • withincontext, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2Right, and his buddies at this company will offer no kick-backs under the table? Get real. This is what money and power are all about.
  • jiggstheway, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2Actually, lets put it this way...just search for this on wiki
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures
    And guess what....who is the number 1 ??????? Can u see the difference in No.1 and No.2 positions...?
    1 United States 532,800,000,000 2007
    2 United Kingdom[1] 66,100,000,000 2007

    I guess no one invests money without expecting returns ! So where do the returns come from :-) ....bloody wars
    And people think that the government is always concerned about the number of people dead !
    C'mon friends.....a profit of billions and a couple of thousand deaths...u think the board of directors in these companies care ? Its all about ROI (return on investment) !
    I wish life takes us back a couple of hundred years....


    • BobOki, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Actually, there IS no ROI with Helliburning. The contract they have and how its all setup the govt pretty much pays for the stuff upfront. They need gas, the govt sends them a check for gas (I hear current going price is $250 a gallon), no money directly out of anyones pocket. So Halli really spends $0 and makes 23573490573490573056734067368903746890730967340967349067346907346907^903469.
  • JonMcL, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5I also love how Haliburton is relocating to Dubai. I would assume once they do they won't have to pay any taxes on profits to the US Government. I believe there are NO corporate taxes in Dubai at all. On top of that, if we figure out they've been doing shady things with our money so far, we probably won't even be able to prosecute them.

    This all seems almost too planned to be believable. But wow, he is quite the genius if he planned all of this out before 2000: "Officially" leave Haliburton, join Bush presidency, influence Bush and Congress to start a war (anywhere and with anyone), make sure Haliburton gets all the no-bid contracts, profit!

    I would assume he still has stock in Haliburton? I'm sure he has a job there waiting for him in 2008 too.
    • neuropsychguy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Cheney has stock options he can exercise with Halliburton but ALL of the money from that will be donated to charities. So no, VP Cheney does not personally (financially) profit from Halliburton's contracts.
      • JonMcL, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2..but what about a nice cushy job with a huge signing bonus when he leaves the White House? :)
    • brufleth, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1They're still incorporated in the US and the Houston, TX and Dubai locations are "dual headquarters." Many of the subsidiaries are incorporated in tax havens though.
    • skyshock1, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Corporations don't pay taxes you dolt.
    • BobOki, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1While in office he is not allowed ANY money back from Halli. Now, that does NOT mean its not being set aside for his... retirement after hes out of office. With the advent of the next administration, the war will be over and halliburton will cease to be a money pit, so he will not go back and work there anymore.
      No, Cheney will fall off the face of the planet with his matured Halli bonus check of a few 50-60 million. He will disappear and probably buy his own country to run it like a mad dictator.
  • thatsmyaibo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I'm reading a book called the Gunseller by Hugh Laurie (for those that don't know he plays House on TV) and it's about companies profiting on war. This is a quote from the book from a man who wants to start a war just for the profit of selling weapons. Just thought it was interesting.

    "A 150 thousand people have jobs because of that money [from war]. With those jobs they support another 300 thousand people. And with that half a billion dollars those people can buy a lot of oil, a lot of wheat, a lot of Nissan Micras, and another half a million will repair the Nissa Micras, and wash the windshields, and chage the tires. And another half a million will build the roads that the Nissan ***** Micras run on and pretty soon, you've got 250 million good democrats [not used in the context of partisan parties], needing America to go on doing the last thing it does well. Make guns."
    • Viliam, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1This is a typical "what is seen / what is not seen" fallacy.

      Spend a lot of money for war, create jobs for people, they can buy goods for their salaries - what is seen.

      The money must be taken from somewhere. Taxpayers can now spend less money, some jobs stop existing - what is not seen.

      Both parts cancel each other. The money spent on war equals to money taken from someone. The only difference is that someone is spending someone else's money. But there is not more money, only the same amount of money in hands of different people.
  • neuropsychguy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Hate Cheney or love him, hate the war or support it but could we try to keep the summaries of stories a little more neutral? I'm not defending VP Cheney or the war but there is no real and good evidence of the statement: "As the Iraq war that Vice President Dick Cheney created." Just because you believe something doesn't make it true (and the opposite it true - just because you don't believe something doesn't mean it isn't true).

    Also, note the words/phrases "carnage," "shred," and "merchants of death." The old lawyer-in-court (or lawyer on TV) appeal to pathos. I know it will probably never happen but I keep hoping for the day when popular political stories have balanced and unbiased headlines and summaries and fair, cordial, and intelligent comments. The internet would probably implode if that ever happened though.

    In any case, a lot of businesses benefit from war. WW2 likely pulled the U.S. out of the Great Depression. I know that the main problem is with Halliburton getting contracts but if it wasn't them, it would be another company (or companies).
    • BobOki, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2You are missing the point here.
      Cheney, who is associated with halliburton, leaves them to become VP. A war suddenly starts, and then they need a company to help out. Instead of doing what govt normally does, and allow bids for the job, they quietly and without a thought signed a NO-bid contract solely with Halliburton which had no cost restraints. That is more than a little...... odd.
  • eybear, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Lord of War
    • DatuPuti, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1so true. how else can one feed the arms industry without war or test a new weapon?
  • c0ldfusi0n, on 10/11/2007, -4/+12Reminder: You elected Bush twice.
    Reminder: At one point, you were okay with this war.

    If you wish to find the true responsible for all of this, look in the mirror.
    • Ratspilf, on 10/11/2007, -3/+4Last time I checked, 100% of Americans did not vote for Bush.
    • DrawingTheSun, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5i agree with you, American's are hypocrites.
      They elect in these people, let them do whatever they want and because they are so happy with reality TV and Paris Hilton on TV every 3 minutes they feel that their lifestyle is perfect enough and will not ever do anything about their country's current situation.
      from my point of view, American's are as bad as their crappy leaders.
      • laserblazer, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Hey, a sweeping generalization. You sure are superior!
    • ErrorS, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Yeah, half this country has never voted for Bush..

      I wasn't old enough the first time around.. I'll admit, I supported the war but I do have a good excuse, I was a dumb teenager.

      I will agree with you that we're responsible though.. We can blame the media for making it look like Iraq was more of a threat than it was, we can blame Bush for not listening to congress (who wants out now), we can blame our government in any way.. hell, we can blame whoeever we want to blame, the bottom line is, the people still do have the power. We voted in a Democrat majority in 06 but we kept in enough people that the Dems didn't have the 2/3 they needed to end this war, our fault. The media only reports what we watch, again, it's our fault. Congress wants to stay in office so they will listen to the people, we don't speak loudly enough, again, it's our fault.

      We all complain that it's everyone's fault but ours, that's not true. Paris Hilton stories in one form or another end up on Digg every day.. even if we're all sitting around bitching about Paris HIlton, we're still giving her the attention the media wants us to give her. More people are talking about Larry King now than they ever have on Digg, why? Becuase Paris Hilton was on his show.

      We're all idiots, we can't see passed the short term.. we have noone but ourselves to blame
    • DatuPuti, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1speak for yourself. i voted for Moe, Larry, and Curly.
  • scorchedearth, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1This was posted elsewhere today but I figured that I would put it here.

    http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm
  • jamdogg, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1You would think that the leader of a country at war would be personally broke paying for vital stuff needed by his troops. Bush and Cheney? Broke?
    Broke the backs of their own countrimen.
    Where are all the right wing venom spitting posts with heavy negative digg numbers on this thread?
  • mijohnst, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3I think Digg must be made up of housewives that sits around and bitches about everything. You read part of something and make up the rest. So what if Halliburton makes money? Would you rather a Chinese company take their place?
    • jpell05, on 10/11/2007, -3/+4Halliburton is profiting from a war. Halliburton's CEO was Dick Cheney for a while. Cheney is in office during said war.

      Get the ***** clue?
      • flink405, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I don´t understand. What does one have to do with the other? What does Dick Cheney receive from Halliburton because of their contracts with the Dept. of Defense?
      • stopthepc, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Halliburton is company who happened to win the bid for the work out there. Burger King and McDonalds are being built there, too. Do you attack them for "profitting from the war"? Look- read between the bias and stop feeding upon the obvious hate-theme of such articles and mainstream news. It's not good for you- I can tell.
      • gojeda, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Actually I do get a ***** clue......that you are a dumbass on a trolling mission.

        What the ***** does Cheney and his association with Halliburton have to do with anything? You know Halliburton has been a contractor for the federal govermnet since World War II?

        Now - go outside, get some sunlight, and disinfect yourself.
    • jamdogg, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1A Chinese company would very likey be more considerate to the well being of American people than Hallibuton have proven to be.
    • gojeda, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1The funny thing is that, while Haliburton is making money, they are not making a killing (far from it) depsite what rawstory and crooksandliars try to say.

      Such is the level of ignorance in this country these days. To be honest, I don't know what is expected anymore. Perhaps they are expecting Halliburton to lose money instead? LOL!
  • PatriotOne, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3And if you want more of the same of all this *****, elect Clinton, Rudy, Obama, Thompson, etc. They are nothing more than the next in line of the same criminal cabal.

    I'd love to spend hours upon hours explaining this all to you but you need to go check it all out for yourselves. Start with Ron Paul and then resdearch the rest. Ron Paul is the only one who is willing to save this country for the people, not the criminals.

    Wake up and smell the coffee. It's go-time people. We are having an American Revolution right now..RIGHT NOW. We must get Ron Paul elected because if we don't, we are in deep ***** for a long time to come.
    • stopthepc, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0YEAHHHH!!!! I am with you!! We need to start from scratch! Let's organize.
    • fuzzmeister, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1How are you so confident that every candidate, except for the one you happen to support, is a criminal? Do you have a shred of proof, that, say, Obama is part of a "criminal cabal"? For that matter, how do you know that Ron Paul isn't part of this "criminal cabal"?
      • PatriotOne, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1For starters...Obama and Clinton is pro Amnesty for the illegals. Just study the effects that would have on the American economy and you should easiliy be able to see that the only people beneffiting from that is big business. Then check their voting records for this illegal war and the Patriot Act and all the other bills that have taken away our rights. They may say they are against the war but their record says otherwise. They are just giving lip service until they get elected. Then there will be all kinds of excuses to stay and perpetuate the war. All of those people are owned by the shadow Government and they don't give a ***** about you or me. They are the elite. You are nothing more than a cash cow and slave to them. We need to reduce the scope of Government, get rid of all their failing bloated, wasteful programs and let us run our own lives because they are doing a pathetic job of it and forcing us to pay for it. And to answer your question about Ron Paul. His voting record is impeccable. He's been awarded the taxpayer's best friend honor for 10 consecutive years. He wants to severly reduce the size of Government, get us out of this war NOW, stop illegal immifration by building the fence and placing the National guards on them, etc., etc., etc. Sorry to go off but I get so frustrated when I hear people are wanting to vote in more of the same that we just had for the past 7 years. Please check out Ron Paul. google him, go to his MySpace. Listen to some of the 1000 of video's that people are posting bout him. There is a reason he has gone viral over the internet. He is who we have been waiting for....the last honest politician who truly cares about his country and all of the people in it. He is so disgusted with all the politicians being financed by big money interests...he REFUSES to take $ from any big interest groups. He could use the $ for his campaign for sure, but he is so principled, he won't. Go meet Ron Paul. To know him is to respect him.
  • gojeda, on 10/11/2007, -5/+3This story has already been debunked.

    Read, "Haliburton: The Profitless Profiteer"
    http://www.slate.com/id/2099680/

    Buried as SPAM
    • DrawingTheSun, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3thats very old , from 2004
      • gojeda, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Hardly. Government contracts simply do not yield that much profit. Furthermore, Halliburton only makes a small portion of their money from government contracts. As a matter of fact, Halliburton did not turn a proft from 2002 to 2005.

        For God's sake, read something other than rawstory, dailykos, or the huffingtonpost.
        • thatsmyaibo, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Agreed. You can only get so much information from these extremely biased sites. They tell people what they want to hear. Not what's really going on.
    • chicofaraby, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1So, in the Wall Street Journal's opinion, Halliburton isn't ripping the US taxpayer off very much at all. Thanks. The opinion of one of the most right wing papers on the planet makes it all OK.
      • gojeda, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Slate is a right-wing newspaper? LOL!!!! What a buffon...
        • chicofaraby, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1The Slate page is about a Wall Street Journal opinion.

          If you are going to call poster's names, you may want to learn how to spell the insult you are posting. Just a thought.
        • gojeda, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1It isn't opinion. Again, instead of parroting back what rawstory and crooksandliars tells you to say, I'd suggest - instead of worrying about my spelling - trying to educate yourself and read corporate financial reports, which are available on many sites on the Internet.

          Speaking of things you have no idea about is a by-product of being intellectually lazy. Read the financial reports and look at the numbers. Everything else is superfluous.
  • MoonDogAFO, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Interesting. I wonder if they were able to turn things around for 2005 and 2006?
  • chicofaraby, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2This isn't new and it isn't news. War is a racket.

    http://lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm
  • right75, on 10/11/2007, -3/+3Wow, if Halliburton is making that much money, sounds like that's the company in which to invest. Michael Moore is even invested in Halliburton.

    But, I'm sure the profits will be short-lived. Democrats hate profit; I'm sure they will be trying to confiscate those profits soon.
  • flink405, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2If you think Halliburton is the wrong company to profit from their doing business in Iraq, which company do you propose does the job? Whoever got the contracts would make a profit.
    ------------------------

    Dick Cheney would have been smarter to invest in Apple stock than Halliburton (if he even had any Halliburton stock).
    97% of all shares of Halliburton are owned by mutual funds and other institutional owners; not Dick Cheney.
    Dick Cheney is not listed as one of the top owners of Halliburton stock
    http://finance.yahoo.com/q/mh?s=HAL
    • gojeda, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Remember flink, the word "truth" is a four letter derogatory word around here.
  • jiggstheway, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Flink....
    You should have looked more closer...and do a little more research
    http://finance.yahoo.com/q/mh?s=HAL -- check the transactions carefully.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_J._Lesar - check who is David and also read carefully a little more :-)


    • gojeda, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1For God's sake, please tell me you have a point in there somewhere....LOL!
  • mwshadow, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Can you name another company who has the ability to do all that Halliburton has done?

    thechristianpolitico.com
  • infra172, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Dumbasses,

    Brown and Root != Halliburton
  • smek2, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1And this is news??? Cheney was CEO of Haliburton and left this company with $30 Mill US Dollars in his pocket. Who do you think he is working for? The people? Haha. It's not like you're really living in a democracy.
  • OffPiste, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0Who cares? None of this affects my life one iota. We either have war mongering Republicans in who waste our money on wars and give tax breaks to the rich or we have Democrats who create horrendously inefficient and wasteful social programs that don't help those in need as well as give money hand over fist to labor unions and lawyers. It doesn't change the price of the Xbox360, beer, pizza, or shorten the skirt length or increase the bra size of the women I like so why should I care what either party does? ***** them all, they're politicians. You'll excuse me if I get back to my life.
    • Mistaxe, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2And people like you are the reason most Americans do jack-***** to change policy and politics in their country.
    • mdkoch84, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist.
      Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant.
      Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came...
  • skellener, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1> No company has profited more from the carnage in Iraq than Halliburton

    Duh.
  • mirunit, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Please name one other US company that had the resources and experience to do what Haliburton has done in Iraq. I really do wish for a direct answer on this one.

    The whole goal of this story is to just make the Iraq war look worse - its not even really about Haliburton but rather pushing a political point. Corporation hate at its best.
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