The Surge That Might Work

[tbyg52]

Paul Brinkley, a talented deputy under secretary of Defense, is trying to get the bulk of these state-owned factories up and running. He's already restarted a bus factory in Iskandariyah, south of Baghdad, and the experience has been telling. Hundreds of workers still in the area showed up for work and the machines are now humming busily. There have been no attacks on the factory. "The insurgents attack people working for the police, Army or the Americans. They do not want to alienate locals trying to make ends meet," said one official working on the project.

A major global consulting firm has reviewed Iraq's state-owned enterprises and estimated that it would cost $100 million to restart all of them and employ more than 150,000 Iraqis—$100 million. That's as much money as the American military will spend in Iraq in the next 12 hours.

Oops, oops, link coming as soon as I find it again!
*There* it is:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17316434/site/newsweek/

(Sorry, not awake yet--this is what I do when I can't go back to sleep after my husband gets up.)

[teach1st]

1. Got a link?

Thanks!

[tbyg52]

4. Oops--not awake!

Thanks for the fast reminder!

[NinetySix]

2. Hey -- a SENSIBLE plan ...

It's so crazy, it just might work!

[tbyg52]

3. And it would only cost chump change (or is that "chimp" change),

as things are reckoned nowadays, to try it.

[Sherman A1]

5. It would probably work

which of course is why our Esteemed Mr. Bush will not be at all interested in this plan.

[POAS]

6. The only plants Bush is interested in starting up

have to do with keeping the oil flowing to pad the pockets of his buddies.