Bureau of Reconstruction and Stabilization...???!!!!

I was wondering the other day about how things have changed in the "Military/Industrial" complex. How the aerospace defense contractor industries made big profits, then disappered. And how the big money now is Halliburton/KBR type war contractors - provide services to our troops in war areas - and rebuilding broken stuff. And how Halliburton stands to gain from perpetual conflict.

Then I see this. The state department is telling contractors to have their estimates/paperwork ready for reconstruction of 25 places where "democracy" is sorely needed...

http://www.amconmag.com/2005_07_04/article2.html

That's using the old noggin Condi. Scratch their backs real good, and besides an oil tanker, maybe you'll have an oil pipeline named after you.

Seriously - this is hugely troubling. This is a hidden acknowledgement that the reconstruction companies are so closely aligned/integrated with the administration, and that the administration fully intendss to make sure they get new business, innocent blood and our taxpayer dollars be damned.

It reminds me of one of the stupidest counter-arguments about why Iraq was not about oil - how the cost of recosntruction was so high. yeah, the cost is high - but the dollars come from the US taxpayers, and are funnelled directly to private companies sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom. And that's how people get rich - spend private $ to lobby the government, and get public $$$$$$ in return.

Phew - that's a relief. We got Iraq and Afghanistan, so we can only expect one more invasion in the next few years. Well, unless we stop reconstructing afghanistan....

So is this crazy speculation and over-reaction? (always a distinct possibility in conservative newsrags) If so, pelase provide me with evidence that I am wrong, or evidence that our current leaders are ethical enough to make me wrong.