A 1 Billion dollar jobs program...where? Iraq

[Lanya]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/world/middleeast/07prexy.html?hp&ex=1168146000&en=6290f2f1b6ed442c&ei=5094&partner=homepage

President Bush’s new Iraq strategy calls for a rapid influx of forces that could add as many as 20,000 American combat troops to Baghdad, supplemented with a jobs program costing as much as $1 billion intended to employ Iraqis in projects including painting schools and cleaning streets, according to American officials who are piecing together the last parts of the initiative.

[..........]

[Michael Tee]

That's hilarious.  And still the American people put up with this ass-hole.  Still, impeachment is a non-starter/

[BT]

I don't think 20k troops is enough. And a jobs program is not a bad idea. Unless the Marshall Act was.

[Michael Tee]

Oh this is WAY better than the Marshall Plan.  It's a jobs program with burial benefits.

[Xavier_Onassis]

I don't think 20k troops is enough. And a jobs program is not a bad idea. Unless the Marshall Act was.

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Hello!!!
The purpose of the Marshall Plan was to cause the former middle and working classes of several European countries, notably France, Germ,any, Italy and Benelux, that had been devastated by WWII, to aspire to return to their pre-war status and spurn the Communists. Generally, it dealt with rebuilding factories and employing workers to work in them.

In what way is giving Iraqis temporary jobs cleaning streets and painting schools similar to the Marshall Plan?

This does not sound much like any Marshall Plan to me...

I wonder... might Halliburton be in the brush-selling, paint-selling and broom-selling business?

[BT]

Perhaps the concept being proposed is tooadvanced for some.

The troops are for securing the area. The work programs are designed to give the folks something to do whilst the permanent jobs are being created in the secure zone.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Perhaps the concept being proposed is too advanced for some.

The troops are for securing the area. The work programs are designed to give the folks something to do whilst the permanent jobs are being created in the secure zone.
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It seems to me that those who invented this might be the ones who need to understand more about the realities of Iraq.

Before WWII, most of Europe had pretty high employment.

Before the invasion, Iraq had unemployment of 20-30%.

Iraq in the best of years was like the depression in Europe or the US.

I realize that the idea is to keep everyone busy so they won't be out blowing one another or US troops to smithereens. It's just that I don't think that the US can actually hire that many Iraqis.

It would be REALLY SWELL is Juniorbush's plans would actually work.

But they don't sound too swift to me.

[BT]

It's just that I don't think that the US can actually hire that many Iraqis.

I would guess an Iraqi government agency would do the hiring. And that would give them something to do also.

[Amianthus]

Before WWII, most of Europe had pretty high employment.

1932 Germany, unemployment was over 30%. Militarization brought that number down to 5% by the end of the decade.

Early 1930s UK, unemployement was over 20%.

Early 1930s France, unemployment was around 25%.

[Plane]

Before WWII, most of Europe had pretty high employment.

Oh?


I thought this period corresponded with the great depression , what was the unemployment rate in Weimar Germany?

[Plane]

Before WWII, most of Europe had pretty high employment.

1932 Germany, unemployment was over 30%. Militarization brought that number down to 5% by the end of the decade.

Early 1930s UK, unemployement was over 20%.

Early 1930s France, unemployment was around 25%.

I guess this error stood out didn't it?