Colonel in Iraq kills self over corruption

Damn! I just posted that, along with another Iraq-related story on another thread. Let me see if I can still edit it out.

OK. <phew> Fixed it. My thread now has no reference to your thread, Justan.

This is what can happen when an individual who has wrapped himself so tightly around an idea that he loses the flexibility to face real life.

The real world can't be neatly folded and pigeonholed into a convenient academic theory.

If a professor of Political Science who majored in Communist Theory and was an ardent communist himself, had gone over to the Soviet Union to experience Communism firsthand, I imagine the result would have been the same. Shock, disillusionment, horror, all these reactions at what the "Real World' had done to his beautiful theories.

I feel sad for the man and his family, but he was the wrong man for the job he was assigned to.


Rules of Government/Contractor relations:

1) Contractors will always attempt to collect the most money while delivering the minimum amount of work/product/results.

2) Government Project Managers (PM) will always attempt to get as much work/product/results as possible from Contractors while paying them as little as possible.

3) If a Contractor can get away with something through a contract loophole or inattentiveness of the Government overseer, they will.

4) It is the job of the Government PM to prevent the Contractor from getting away with any of the above items.

5) If Contractor and the Government PM are growling at each other, all is well.

6) If the Contractor and the Government PM are smiling at each other, it means one of two things:

6a) Things are REALLY bad and they are maintaining a facade of politeness while they try to destroy one another.
6b) The Contractor has paid off the Government overseer to 'look the other way'

7) If a Contractors books look perfect and every penny is accounted for ... look for another set of books.

8) Contractors are not doing their job out of altruism, patriotism or generosity. They are doing it to make money. If you want a Contractor with the above qualities, contact the Peace Corps or the Salvation Army.

9) If you are unable to deal with any of the above items, you have no business working on either side of Government/Contractor relations.


This man was the epitome of everything that matters to true soldiers. Honor and Duty.

He was however like a sword that has been over-tempered... brittle and prone to shattering. Someone with more flexibility was needed in this position to deal with the the 'Real World' issues that may have come up.

The world is an imperfect place and no one except God can make it perfect.

Just my 2 cents.

Suicide or Murder?

Killing for fun in Iraq...

http://movies.crooksandliars.com/Aegis-PSD.mov

Putting aside for a moment my doubts re the behaviour of the contractor who picked the weapon up....Fedral speaks wisely. I was trying in my own mind to explain in reasonable terms the rigidity I was seeing in the officer's behaviour. In another life he would have been an extreme ascetic I suspect.

Good points on the contractor issue too, I hadn't thought of any of them. Good reason to keep the bludgers out of the way.

My company does work for the United States Military so I have seen the Contractor/Government relation from this side.

My roommate works for the Government on the Project Management side so I hear his opinions about those 'damned contractors' all the time.


As to Amigo's comment, I think it was probably suicide...

The man just lacked the moral flexibility to crawl in the sewer with the contractor rats without sullying his sense of honor.

Indeed. Here's Exhibit A:

Wherever their is this much money, power and corruption involved, anything is possable.If we our going to have a realistic conversation, unpleasent as it is. It must be considered.

This question is being addressed elsewere. You can count on that.

By the the way. Rest in peace Col. Ted Westhusing's. There is no corruption were you are going.