*Ø* Blogmanac | Iraq: Coast is clear, time to do what we came for

Privatisation ... and privateers
Don't let this one slip through the news cracks: yesterday was another black day for Iraq.

The BBC reports on how America is selling off the assets of the Iraqi people. From this day on, the laws that have just been passed by Bush's puppet government in Baghdad say that foreign companies can own what they like in Iraq and have no responsibility to keep any part of the profits in that country. For all Saddam Hussein's horrible excesses, much of the means of production, distribution and consumption of good and services was owned by the state, and by Iraqis. Not any more

State socialism certainly has its own way of exploitation, but at least Iraqis had free education and health care and many other civilised features enjoyed by almost all advanced societies – with the notable exception of America – and the profits of enterprise stayed in the same country as the workers. Bush and Co. are ideologically opposed to such nonsense and have put an end to it, according to plans laid down years ago. As predicted here, the real purpose of the invasion is now underway. The hard work of Iraqi men and women will now pay for the lifestyles of the rich and almost-rich corporate invaders, and Iraq's resources will be bled dry. Oil will nominally remain a state enterprise, but only under the advantageous terms of the Bush cartel and their party donors and friends:

Iraq adopts sweeping economic reforms
"The American-backed administration in Iraq has announced sweeping economic reforms, including the sale of all state industries except for oil.

"The surprise announcement by Iraqi Finance Minister Kamel al-Keylani dominated the second day of meetings organised by the International Monetary Fund in Dubai.

"The recently-appointed minister unveiled a string of reforms that analysts said read like a manifesto devised by Washington, signing off 30 years of Saddam Hussein and the socialist Baath Party.

"Al-Keylani said liberalisation of foreign investment, the banking sector, taxes and tariffs would 'significantly advance efforts to build a free and open market economy in Iraq'.

"But the BBC's Nick Springate, in Baghdad, says many ordinary Iraqis will see the moves as a big sell-off with predominantly multi-national, American companies viewed as getting 'rewards' ..."
Source