Brainwashing America

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006 9:39 AM

Re: Brainwashing America

 

 

 

 

while you were out...

 

FROM THE JAN.06 " HIGHTOWER LOWDOWN " (http://www.hightowerlowdown.org/)

 

Is any low too low for Halliburton?

 

This giant government contractor with tentacles running straight into

the White House has previously been caught overcharging U.S. taxpayers

and shortchanging U.S. troops for its work in Iraq. But now we learn

that Halliburton has been profiting in Iraq by mistreating foreign

workers. By " foreign, " I don't mean Iraqis. Even though thousands of

folks there are desperate for jobs, Halliburton has brought thousands

of laborers from southern India, Thailand, and the Philippines to work

in U.S. bases as cooks, electricians, launderers, custodians, etc.

They are mostly 20-somethings, powerless... and exploited.

 

When recruited, most have no idea they are headed for a war zone. Once

there, they are branded as TCNs (Third Country Nationals) which is

both a derogatory term and an assurance of third-class treatment at

best.They are paid a fraction of what other Halliburton workers get,

and their meager paychecks are often several months behind, keeping

them in debt and in place.They work 12-hour days and are allowed only

one day a month off without pay.

 

The TCNs are housed in cramped trailers jammed end to end with bunk

beds. They're not allowed to eat with the Americans, nor do they get

to eat the same food theirs is shipped in, cold and tasteless. They

cannot use phones or the recreation facility. Even though their bases

regularly come under attack, TCNs are issued no body armor or helmets.

 

It's bad enough that Halliburton is doing this at all, but it's far

worse that these actions are taking place under our flag and in our

name. What must Iraqis and Asians think as they watch how one of our

country's most-favored corporations treats workers who are nonwhite

and poor?

 

For more: http://www.corpwatch.org/

 

=======================================================

 

You know about the Environmental Protection Agency but do you know

Bush's EPA?

 

After these so-called environmental and health protectors were caught

supporting industry tests in which children were intentionally dosed

with pesticides, Congress mandated (in August) that the agency issue a

rule permanently banning such tests, without exception. In September,

EPA issued its proposed rule, hailing it as " a landmark regulation on

human studies. " Beyond this flowery declaration, however, EPA's

proposal has 30 pages of fine print that viciously guts those very

principles by giving the pesticide corporations exceptions to the

supposed prohibition.

 

Get ready to puke, for these are some of the exceptions:

 

• Neglected or abused infants can be subjected to pesticide tests

without the consent of parents or guardians.

 

• Mentally handicapped and orphaned infants may be used for tests

for the sake of research.

 

• EPA will accept industry pesticide tests done on children outside

the U.S., including in countries with minimal or no ethical standards.

For more, call the Organic Consumers Association at 218-226-4164.