My Year in Iraq, by Paul Bremmer (audio)

[Miss Saigon]

I have no use for the press. They elevate themselves to some self defined intellectual/elite status, the fourth estate, but they are nothing more than sales people. Some of the used car variety. They pretend to be knowlegdeable because they write about things, but often lack even the most basic knowledge of their subject. I was glad when the Iraqi government took the BBC to task.

Sorry Paul. But in general I am not a fan of this profession.

Again, jumping ahead to Tommy Franks, what they didn't expect was for the Iraqi Army to just melt away. They thought that the Army would surrender, and then they would have a ready pool of labor to use in various things like policing and construction. Thus being able to immediately funnel money into the Iraqi economy by paying military salaries. Instead the Army just disappeared and this mucked up the plan really good.

As for the looting and such, I am generally a believer in forcefully dealing with those who break the law, but I suspect in this situation that might not have worked well.

[TRDG]

How much of the coverage did you actually watch, before, during and after?

Not a fan of the embedding process to, or was that OK with you, I thought THAT was pretty good for the most part, though it did become a "circus" at times, it could have been a lot worse like in Gulf I I think......

Cheers, thanks for sharing more of your views, Paul Bremmer did'nt really say to much along any of those lines, but I bet he thought about it.

Also, if they had some troops stationed, like lets say that muzeum that was looted and the hospitals, that would have been worth the effort, as well as other "hot spots".

Tom

[Miss Saigon]

Originally Posted by TRDG

Not a fan of the embedding process to, or was that OK with you, I thought THAT was pretty good for the most part, though it did become a "circus" at times, it could have been a lot worse like in Gulf I I think......

I watched a little of it but it was boring. People expected quick action and something to report but most of it was just driving through sand. With the reporter grasping for things to say and comment on. So I gave up rather quickly.

[TRDG]

WOW, I actually taped every day and night of the war myself, I think you missed some interesting things there, but I can understand your point of view though. What channels did you start to watch?

Cheers

Tom

[Miss Saigon]

Originally Posted by TRDG

WOW, I actually taped every day and night of the war myself, I think you missed some interesting things there, but I can understand your point of view though. What channels did you start to watch?

Cheers

Tom

Not sure, but given at the time I didn't have cable it would have been one of the broadcast networks.

Now, not only do I not have cable I don't have a TV, and I think I am better off for it

[TRDG]

OUCH, no cable then no tv, not for me but I'm sure you get along just fine there as you say.

Another "one" that might have hit me different if I read this instead of hearing it. When his son gave him the Timberland boots before going away, with the note of "So kick some butte dad" that to me was something very nice, maybe a bit to "corny" to some, but not to me. Now if I read that, it might have made me feel the corny idea, but hearing it worked just right for me. And they came in handy compared to his dress shoes, which did'nt really work out for him, no surprise there!!
On another personel topics here, the "shower", as in using bottled water FOR a "shower" now that was kinda funny to me, the head guy having to do this, so he can rough it now and again it seems.

Cheers

Tom

[Miss Saigon]

Originally Posted by TRDG

OUCH, no cable then no tv, not for me but I'm sure you get along just fine there as you say.

More time for books and a social life that way. TV takes away too much time.

Another "one" that might have hit me different if I read this instead of hearing it. When his son gave him the Timberland boots before going away, with the note of "So kick some butte dad" that to me was something very nice, maybe a bit to "corny" to some, but not to me.

Either that or he wanted his dad to start a new street gang in his new hood

On another personel topics here, the "shower", as in using bottled water FOR a "shower" now that was kinda funny to me, the head guy having to do this, so he can rough it now and again it seems.

Been there, done that. You can't travel to exotic places and expect to live like you would back in the states. In fact to me it was always more interesting the more remotely removed/different it was from life back home. When I was younger I thought western Europe was what I wanted to see the most. After visiting there and then moving further east I found that western Europe started to bore me and going to more exotic places interested me. I think I would actually enjoy visiting places like Iraq if not for the women thing that some of the fanatics have. I would worry more about that than the war by far.

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by Miss Saigon

I have no use for the press. They elevate themselves to some self defined intellectual/elite status, the fourth estate, but they are nothing more than sales people. Some of the used car variety. They pretend to be knowlegdeable because they write about things, but often lack even the most basic knowledge of their subject. I was glad when the Iraqi government took the BBC to task.

Sorry Paul. But in general I am not a fan of this profession.

Again, jumping ahead to Tommy Franks, what they didn't expect was for the Iraqi Army to just melt away. They thought that the Army would surrender, and then they would have a ready pool of labor to use in various things like policing and construction. Thus being able to immediately funnel money into the Iraqi economy by paying military salaries. Instead the Army just disappeared and this mucked up the plan really good.

As for the looting and such, I am generally a believer in forcefully dealing with those who break the law, but I suspect in this situation that might not have worked well.

I am so wounded....

[TRDG]

I see your point, but I still think you "missed" some good reporting there, but lets move on now.

I liked the bread and butter approach he first took there, fix the power and get those natural gas plants working before the population reallly starts to lose any options more than they already have!!!
Next p was the "practical solutions" compared to just talking about how bad things are, and may get in the near future. And one way to do that was to actually get the staff out and about to see and listen to what is going on, problems, and solutions for those that are living in this newly liberated country. Now that was'nt done to much by the team they were replacing, at least that is the impression I got when listening to this.

Cheers, no comments for Pauls reply to you yet? Ha Ha LOL

Tom

[Miss Saigon]

I haven't read any of Paul's work. I am sure he is different. He knows who I hate and where I am coming from. Fortunately I think Paul understands me, even if he has to take my insults of his profession ???

As for Bremmer. I think he really cared about trying to do the right thing. Which of course you don't necessarily find in a large organization. Especially government. There are a lot of ticket punchers. But I guess he had already done everything he needed to do for his career, so at that point in his career he could do something he wanted to do rather than had to do.

The thing about travelling in the 3rd world is that often you feel helpless. You want to fix everything wrong you see around you but know you can't. My graduate advisor did a lot of time doing development work in Africa and he said you have to develop a professional detachment or you can't do your job.

Bremmer probably had that professional detachment, but he also had a lot of power at his disposal. His might have been in a frustrating position to be in, but he also had resources and ability. And he seemed to care.