# Yet another disparity..... \[Cheney shooting\] **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 14, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526 "2006-02-14T20:56:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526/181 "2006-02-20T16:22:11Z")
> [@tagos](#): > > I’m still waiting for some Clot response to my authorative cites that prove he is talking out of his ass regarding the progress of the reconstruction effort. > > Either that or a formal retraction of his accusation of media bias concerning the hiding of the non-existent good news. Your authorative cites? Thanks for another laugh. You quoted from the summary of the SIGIR report. I guess you didn’t bother to read the whole thing. If you had, you would have seen that the report was intended to show the status of all the IRRF projects. In the [original report](http://www.sigir.mil/reports/QuarterlyReports/Jan06/pdf/Report_Complete_-_January_2006.pdf) (PDF file), one finds a very, very telling stastic on page 12, in the overview graph: Number of projects planned: 13,112 Completed : 10,869 Ongoing : 1,716 Not started : 527 Sorry, tell us all again about how badly things are going? Yes, things are still in process. Yes, things still need to be completed and some of them are very, very large scale tasks in areas like electricity. Yes, there are problems; there always are, especially in an undertaking of this massive a scale. But 10,000 plus projects completed out of 13,000 is pretty good when all things are taken into consideration. **Tagos** , I really hate to burst your bubble, but you need to start thinking for yourself and stop parroting the party line about how gawdawful bad things are in Iraq. Listen to what the troops and civilian contractors are saying - they are the ones over there getting their hands dirty with the job. And they say things are a hell of a lot better than what the press reports or Congressional “factfinders” with a political axe to grind have to say. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526/182 "2006-02-20T16:43:47Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > In the [original report](http://www.sigir.mil/reports/QuarterlyReports/Jan06/pdf/Report_Complete_-_January_2006.pdf) (PDF file), one finds a very, very telling stastic on page 12, in the overview graph: > > Number of projects planned: 13,112 > Completed : 10,869 > Ongoing : 1,716 > Not started : 527 Wow, that is telling. Who knew? All we have to do is polish off those last pesky 2,243 projects and everything in Iraq will be great! Only 17% more to go, and the mission will finally be accomplished! Woo-hoo! Let’s celebrate! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find this portion of the PDF you are talking about. I’ll take your word, however, that the first 5,000 tasks weren’t anything along the lines of one of my task lists, like “Item 1: Make list. Check.” And of course, some of those ongoing projects must be: “Item 10, 927: End insurgency.” “Item 11,389: Stop the daily murdering of Iraqi civilians.” Oh, and Item 13,111 is a doozy: “Prevent civil war.” Item 13,015 is no walk in the park either: “Minimize destabilizing influence of Shia-based alliances between new Iraq and Iran.” But hey, it’s good to know that we’ve knocked out 83% of the other ones. You’re so smart, **humpster**. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526/183 "2006-02-20T16:56:16Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Your authorative cites? Thanks for another laugh. > > You quoted from the summary of the SIGIR report. I guess you didn’t bother to read the whole thing. If you had, you would have seen that the report was intended to show the status of all the IRRF projects. In the [original report](http://www.sigir.mil/reports/QuarterlyReports/Jan06/pdf/Report_Complete_-_January_2006.pdf) (PDF file), one finds a very, very telling stastic on page 12, in the overview graph: > > Number of projects planned: 13,112 > Completed : 10,869 > Ongoing : 1,716 > Not started : 527 > > Sorry, tell us all again about how badly things are going? Yes, things are still in process. Yes, things still need to be completed and some of them are very, very large scale tasks in areas like electricity. Yes, there are problems; there always are, especially in an undertaking of this massive a scale. But 10,000 plus projects completed out of 13,000 is pretty good when all things are taken into consideration. > > **Tagos** , I really hate to burst your bubble, but you need to start thinking for yourself and stop parroting the party line about how gawdawful bad things are in Iraq. Listen to what the troops and civilian contractors are saying - they are the ones over there getting their hands dirty with the job. And they say things are a hell of a lot better than what the press reports or Congressional “factfinders” with a political axe to grind have to say. The summary by the office says it all, your gleaning of meaningless numbers notwitstanding. Reconstruction has not worked, the money has been stolen or diverted and Bush is cutting off funding. To quote the conclusions from the numbers you cherry-picked. Numbers mean nothing - it’s the state of the country. As the report shows - in all the key sectors things are not working. And now the money plug has been pulled. > [@](#): > > Recent Progress In Iraq Reconstruction > SIGIR’s initial analysis of reconstruction progress through Activities, Outputs, and Outcomes metrics leads to two critical conclusions: > > - Services are not returning to pre-war levels > Although completed reconstruction projects generally have delivered expected outputs-more capacity in megawatts, increases in barrels of oil per day, millions of additional cubic meters of water per day-these outputs have not enabled Iraq to meet current demand. After 18 months of intense reconstruction activity, many services have not returned to pre-war levels, particularly in the Electricity sector and the Oil and Gas sector. Deal with the facts. All those billions, all the stolen money, all the deaths and that is the result. Still not as good as under Saddam. And you claim that as a victory? Moron. Still not as good as under Saddam. Let joy be unconfined. I’m done with you. You really are the most stupid poster on this board (sorry S.A, you try) and the truly sad thing is, you don’t realise the depths of your uncomprehending idiocy. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526/184 "2006-02-20T17:21:36Z")
> [@tagos](#): > > The summary by the office says it all, your gleaning of meaningless numbers notwitstanding. Reconstruction has not worked, the money has been stolen or diverted and Bush is cutting off funding. To quote the conclusions from the numbers you cherry-picked. > > Numbers mean nothing - it’s the state of the country. As the report shows - in all the key sectors things are not working. And now the money plug has been pulled. > > Deal with the facts. All those billions, all the stolen money, all the deaths and that is the result. Still not as good as under Saddam. And you claim that as a victory? > > Moron. > > Still not as good as under Saddam. Let joy be unconfined. > > I’m done with you. You really are the most stupid poster on this board (sorry S.A, you try) and the truly sad thing is, you don’t realise the depths of your uncomprehending idiocy. And just to enhance the idiocy let’s look at your actual numbers. The overwhelming bulk of completed projects (6950) is in Security. Nothing to do with rebuilding at all. now we look at Electricity, Water & Sanitation and Oil. Completed 700 In progress 333 Not started 354 With oil looking particularly pathetic. 13 completed, 13 in-progess and 333 not started. Now we can see why the IG has such depressing conclusions - it’s because the crucial reconstruction has not been done and the money is running out - because the efforts and resources have been sidetracked into security. And then you claim this as a triumph. > [@](#): > > By the end of FY 2006, the United States > expects to have fully obligated the Iraq Relief > and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF)1. IRRF > dollars represent only a portion of the amount > estimated by the World Bank and United > Nations (UN) to be necessary to restore Iraq’s > infrastructure, and the IRRF has provided a > substantial down payment on what will be a > lengthy restoration process. So even if everything was hunky-dory it’s still only a portion of what’s needed, while the insurgency goes from strength to strength, blowing stuff up. And no - I pay no heed at all to what soldiers and contractors say. They have no overall picture so they are not valid information sources. Only an idiot would think otherwise. Honestly - do you have any analytical skills at all? Are you really (a not very bright) 12? ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526/185 "2006-02-21T08:59:32Z")
Edit - Oil - 33 not started, not 333. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526/186 "2006-02-22T23:55:18Z")
**Humpaleg** , which agenda item covers these recent events in Iraq? [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle\_east/4740010.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4740010.stm) > [@](#): > > • In Baghdad, a Sunni mosque in Baladiya district is raked with gunfire, while black-clad militiamen of the Shia Mehdi Army demonstrate in Sadr City; six Sunnis die in violence > • In Basra, gunmen attack Sunni mosques and exchange fire with guards at an office of the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party > • Businesses shut down in Najaf and about 1,000 march through the streets, waving flags and shouting slogans > • Markets, shops and stalls close in Diwaniya, AP says. A Mehdi Army militiaman is killed in clashes after gunmen from the faction attack Sunni houses, Reuters news agency reports > • About 3,000 people demonstrate in the Shia city of Kut, chanting anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans and burning US and Israeli flags, AP says. Are these under the Incomplete or Not Yet Started items? Boy, one just gets the feeling that the champaign should be chilling and the confetti better be ready to go! ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526/187 "2006-02-23T09:48:40Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > **Humpaleg** , which agenda item covers these recent events in Iraq? > > [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle\_east/4740010.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4740010.stm) > > Are these under the Incomplete or Not Yet Started items? Boy, one just gets the feeling that the champaign should be chilling and the confetti better be ready to go! Which is why I discount ‘security’ items. The report complains about how security costs swallowed the reconstruction budget and the net result is low intensity civil war and crime raging out of control. Another ‘not as good as Saddam’ triumph. In the light of the mosque riots let’s hope a lot of those security projects involved helipads in the Green Zone. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526/188 "2006-02-23T13:25:14Z")
> [@tagos](#): > > In the light of the mosque riots let’s hope a lot of those security projects involved helipads in the Green Zone. Phew! For a second I thought you were going to use the “V” word. Everyone knows if you do that the **Crapalump** flinging monkeys would declare victory and go home. So, did **Monkeystrummer** actually admit that he won’t be making any more of his Librul Media whines because trawling just isn’t satisfying anymore? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526/189 "2006-02-23T13:40:40Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Phew! > > For a second I thought you were going to use the “V” word. Everyone knows if you do that the **Crapalump** flinging monkeys would declare victory and go home. > > So, did **Monkeystrummer** actually admit that he won’t be making any more of his Librul Media whines because trawling just isn’t satisfying anymore? > > -Joe No - he declared victory by finding and viewing through rose-coloured retinal inserts, the above data. Because clearly, we only have to turn on the news to see how great things are going. I’d say one blown-up mosque just about negates every bit of good done in the reconstruction in bringing peace to the place, but I’m just a cynic. No doubt he’ll be back with the straight dope from some unquaotable texas shock-jock ‘proving’ that Iraqi’s live in the best of all possible worlds and we are basking in the eternal light of their undying gratitude. It’s just typical of the librul media to focus obsessively on one blown up mosque, the burnings of a hundred others, the deaths of 4 imans, the execution of jailed prisoners and 47 workers shot at a checkpoint when there’s a school somewhere that’s just received a shipment of new light bulbs. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526/190 "2006-02-23T15:14:19Z")
> [@tagos](#): > > It’s just typical of the librul media to focus obsessively on one blown up mosque, the burnings of a hundred others, the deaths of 4 imans, the execution of jailed prisoners and 47 workers shot at a checkpoint when there’s a school somewhere that’s just received a shipment of new light bulbs. Damn straight! When, oh when will those America-hating liberals get a sense of proportion? ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526/191 "2006-02-25T14:07:33Z")
[http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/24/iraq.security/index.html?section=cnn\_topstories](http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/24/iraq.security/index.html?section=cnn_topstories) > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON (CNN) – The only Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without U.S. support has been downgraded to a level requiring them to fight with American troops backing them up, the Pentagon said Friday. > > The battalion, made up of 700 to 800 Iraqi Army soldiers, has repeatedly been offered by the U.S. as an example of the growing independence of the Iraqi military. Thus, we’ve gone from **ONE** ready battalion to **ZERO**. When are you assholes going to tire of letting this administration make you look like fucking brainless lickspittles for all your running around defending their lies? Don’t you feel ashamed? Lied to? Misused? Gullible? Anything? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526/192 "2006-02-25T14:45:28Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/24/iraq.security/index.html?section=cnn\_topstories](http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/24/iraq.security/index.html?section=cnn_topstories) > > Thus, we’ve gone from **ONE** ready battalion to **ZERO**. > > When are you assholes going to tire of letting this administration make you look like fucking brainless lickspittles for all your running around defending their lies? Don’t you feel ashamed? Lied to? Misused? Gullible? Anything? It’s easier than thinking for themselves I guess. ZERO ready battalions. Zero. Nice round number. Maybe we oughtta also factor in the various militias and police who have set up death squads, and then “reclassify” them and massage the numbers so we can declare victory again? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-disparity-cheney-shooting/344526.md?page=9)