Kind of. It's hard to know. You are assuming rationality on the part of the business people.

My evidence? The Bechtel Test for the movies. Despite women being 1/2 the population, the moviemakers ignored that audience for decades as they chased what seemed like a better bet -- males from the age of 18-35, or whatever the range of ages is.

Despite the evidence of quality movies about women doing well at the box office, the "rational" business deciders kept saying - oh, that movie that just did well is the exception.

As the exceptions mounted up, FINALLY they are beginning to pay attention. Even then, it was pushed by book sales, you know? Hunger Games. Twilight.

Surely you wouldn't argue that sexism has been absent from the movie theaters all these years?

It may seem like a stretch to make this analogy, but I don't think it is. The blindness of those in charge is LEGION.

Racism can be subtle. The toymakers don't have to saying -- I don't want to make no n****r baby dolls for them to be twisted by the subtle racist stance that little black kids don't read.

I agree with you. It isn't evil.

It is "just" subtle racism that affects little girls standing in a toy aisle.

>> ^Yogi:

>> ^bcglorf:
>> ^Yogi:
>> ^bcglorf:
>> ^Yogi:
Umm I wouldn't call that a "dumb comment" I'd call it an uncharacteristically honest comment. It's like saying we can't stop starting wars with helpless countries, because it's too profitable.

So, the Iraq and Afghanistan missions will start turning a profit sometime soon?

It already has for the people who matter. Halliburton, Bechtel, Blackwater (Xe). Seriously are people this ignorant about who benefits from these wars?

Oh, right. I forget how simplistic the decision process for American foreign policy was. I was under the mistaken belief that there were a multitude of interdependent and complicating factors involved.

There's other factors of course but the important one is does this benefit the owners of the society. I mean doesn't that make sense?


No, the notion of a society's owners within a democratic nation doesn't make particularly strong sense to me.

Halliburton made a fortune off American government contracts, thanks to the decisions of their former VP as the American VP. Of course that is significant.

The attacks of 9/11 happened shortly before the decision to go to war in Afghanistan. Was that not just as, dare I say more, significant?

>> ^bcglorf:

>> ^Yogi:
>> ^bcglorf:
>> ^Yogi:
Umm I wouldn't call that a "dumb comment" I'd call it an uncharacteristically honest comment. It's like saying we can't stop starting wars with helpless countries, because it's too profitable.

So, the Iraq and Afghanistan missions will start turning a profit sometime soon?

It already has for the people who matter. Halliburton, Bechtel, Blackwater (Xe). Seriously are people this ignorant about who benefits from these wars?

Oh, right. I forget how simplistic the decision process for American foreign policy was. I was under the mistaken belief that there were a multitude of interdependent and complicating factors involved.


There's other factors of course but the important one is does this benefit the owners of the society. I mean doesn't that make sense?

>> ^Yogi:

>> ^bcglorf:
>> ^Yogi:
Umm I wouldn't call that a "dumb comment" I'd call it an uncharacteristically honest comment. It's like saying we can't stop starting wars with helpless countries, because it's too profitable.

So, the Iraq and Afghanistan missions will start turning a profit sometime soon?

It already has for the people who matter. Halliburton, Bechtel, Blackwater (Xe). Seriously are people this ignorant about who benefits from these wars?


Oh, right. I forget how simplistic the decision process for American foreign policy was. I was under the mistaken belief that there were a multitude of interdependent and complicating factors involved.

>> ^bcglorf:

>> ^Yogi:
Umm I wouldn't call that a "dumb comment" I'd call it an uncharacteristically honest comment. It's like saying we can't stop starting wars with helpless countries, because it's too profitable.

So, the Iraq and Afghanistan missions will start turning a profit sometime soon?


It already has for the people who matter. Halliburton, Bechtel, Blackwater (Xe). Seriously are people this ignorant about who benefits from these wars?

I like what Ed is saying but this is complete bullshit. This is just some commentator installed by huge media corporations to spew the "otherside's" story. This shit is supposed to make you think that there are opposing sides when in reality the democratic party is owned by the republicans (the minority? hah! the minority with all of the corrupt power) and the republicans run this whole shitty oligarchy that we call a free democracy. It's all shit, sorry for being bitter - I love this country but if you're a rep or dem - you suck. Go read some history books and get back to me. The only way to stop all of this weird corruption that has gone on for decades is to buy some heavy weaponry from bechtel or some shit and take this big-box burger shop over. And well, you know, it's just not even worth it. Time to finally move to Sweden.

There is a huge Homeland Security building down the street from me. I bet someone in there reads everything on sites like this... the building looks like something out of Darth Vader's Empire, like it could be a huge square building coming out of the death star... so I want to take the opportunity to say, "hey Homeland Security lick my fucking taint you pieces of shit, come and get me you constitution burning rodent mafia douchebags!!!!"

Tell your children and your children's children to vote local, vote indie or green. It's the only way.

Yeah, you could call Obama a corporatist and I'm sure the republicans would love that. Though, Republicans are mainly the ones who have created this shit monster we have here. They were the OG corporatists - corrupting everything including your grandma's potato salad. I'm sure they love hearing this new vocab word "corporatist" as another word to toss at the "opposing side" and get all high and mighty about Jesus Christ, protesting scientific FACTS, humanist goals, healthcare and letting the top 1% take everything from their pea brained families and everyone elses.

But, one cannot proclaim anyone else is a corporatist unless that person tossing around the term acknowledges that this is NOT a democracy that we live in. It's completely misleading to toss around new "gotcha moments" and not put that out into the open. So, since this is NOT a democracy what difference does it make? If Obama is a corporatist what does that make the Republican party? Megalithic Elephant Testicle Sack Corporate Dingbats & complacent globalist murderers? Seriously, don't even listen to Ron Paul he is a Pro-life, Christian nutcase...

and I cannot even stop with that thought, here is the rest of my rant: everyone in that party needs to shut their huge gaping lie spreading mouths and open up their assholes to receive their nightly $10000000 fistful of cash up into there from good ol' Captain America (Enron, Bechtel, Lockheed, industry lobbyists, the couple of corporate media conglomerates showering the country with bullshit ideas, the insurance companies, big oil, etc etc etc) Open up, piggies! Eat your shit inorganic food, here's some shitty tuna and some shitty fries don't forget to chug it down with some high fructose corn syrup so you can get diabetes, let's watch your brains decay but only after you hand over your wallet to the top 1% who already own everything.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'Evil Corporations, Bechtel, World Bank, Bolivia' to 'Evil Corporations, Bechtel, World Bank, Bolivia, Cochabamba' - edited by calvados

http://www.videosift.com/video/Confessions-of-an-Economic-Hitman

here's a good one about the American Empire, it's long but he quickly gets into how Bechtel, banks et al fuck up a country quietly. believe it or not.

first they bankrupt you and take your resources, if you protest they try to start a revolution in your country, if that doesn't work they send the army.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

Like it or not ...

I choose "not". The military industrial complex - companies like Bechtel and Haliburton feed and promote the notion of "shock and awe" but the product usually just delivers a heap of misery to both sides.

Arms companies have been promoting and lobbying for military action from the US for a long, long time.

OK, taking leave of my senses and assuming for a moment that the 9/11 conspiracy is truth, why do you need to implode WTC7 on BBC TV to further your aims of cashing in your stock options in the military-industrial complex and occupying Iraq?

What are the testable hypotheses behind 9/11 Truth?

1) The "terrorists" were actually US government agents working for Dick Cheney
2) The FBI was complicit
3) The CIA was complicit
4) The structural damage did not cause the collapse of the towers; the planes were merely the magician's flash to cover the controlled explosives
5) The invasion of Afghanistan was motivated by controlling the oil pipeline and the attacks gave us the political leverage
6) The invasion of Iraq was solely motivated by controlling oil and providing single-source defense contracting to Bechtel and Halliburton and the attacks gave us the political leverage
7) A state of fearfulness secures a permanent Republican majority

frm http://www.sonomacountyfreepress.com/bohos/bohofact.html
Conspiracies abound regarding this elite woodlands club. The clip is obviously of the hardcore conspiracy version, and the (long) snip below seems a more likely or reasonable description.

"What is the Bohemian Grove? The Bohemian Grove is a 2700 acre redwood forest, located in Monte Rio, CA. It contains accommodation for 2000 people to "camp" in luxury. It is owned by the Bohemian Club.

What is the Bohemian Club? The Bohemian Club is a private. all male club, which is headquartered in the Bohemian building in San Francisco. It was formed in 1872 by men who sought shelter from the frontier culture (or lack of culture).

Who are the present members? The Club has evolved into an association of rich and powerful men, mostly of this country (there are similar organizations in other countries). Some artists are allowed to join (often at reduced rates), because of their social status and entertainment value. The membership list has included every Republican U.S. president (as well as some Democrats) since 1923, many cabinet officials, and director; & CEO's of large corporations, including major financial institutions.

What industries are represented among the members? Major military contractors, oil companies, banks (including the Federal Reserve), utilities (including nuclear power), and national media (broadcast and print) have high-ranking officials as club members or guests. Many members are, or have been, on the board of directors of several of these corporations. You should note that most of the above industries depend heavily on a relationship with government for their profitability.

The members stay in different camps at the Grove, which have varying status levels. Members & frequent guests of the most prestigious camp (Mandalay) include: Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, S. D. Bechtel, Jr., Thomas Watson Jr. (IBM), Phillip Hawley (B of A), William Casey (CIA). and Ralph Bailey (Dupont). George Bush resides in a less prestigious camp (Hillbillies) with A. W. Clausen (World Bank), Walter Cronkite, and William F. Buckley.

What activities take place at the grove? The grove is the site of a two week retreat every July (as well as other smaller get-togethers throughout the year). At these retreats, the members commune with nature in a truly original way. They drink heavily from morning through the night, bask in their freedom to urinate on the redwoods, and perform pagan rituals (including the "Cremation of Care", in which the members wearing red-hooded robes, cremate a coffin effigy of "Dull Care" at the base of a 40 foot owl altar). Some (20%) engage in homosexual activity (but few of them support gay rights or AIDS research). They watch (and participate in) plays and comedy shows in which women are portrayed by male actors. Although women are not allowed in the Grove, members often leave at night to enjoy the company of the many prostitutes who come from around the world for this event. Is any of this hard to believe? Employees of the Grove have said that no verbal description can accurately portray the bizarre behavior of the Grove's inhabitants.

Besides this type of merriment. the annual gathering serves as an informational clearing house for the elite. The most powerful men in the country do their "networking" here, despite the Grove's motto "weaving spiders come not here" (don't do business in the Grove). At these gatherings men representing the government, military-industrial, and financial sectors meet and make major policy decisions. The Manhattan project, which produced the first atomic bombs, was conceived at the Grove in 1942. Other decisions made at the Grove include who our presidential candidates will be. There are speeches, known as "Lakeside Talks", wherein high-ranking officials disseminate information which is not available to the public-at-large. "