So I am listening to the BBC this morning and hear that the U.S. plans to investigate an official at the French company TOTAL over dealings with Iran. The BBC news guy — don’t know his name, but he looks like the actor Rupert Everett — says, with a straight face, quote,
“bribing foreign officials has been illegal under U.S. law since 1977.“
Wow. Really?
Let’s all commend the Security and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice for their steadfast and unbiased anti-corruption initiatives into the dealings of foreign corporations. And let’s not forget to applaud the BBC for this stellar example of muckraking journalism.
Sigh.
I am not sure which is worse, readers:
(1) That I am so jaded that I want to re-write that as “bribing foreign officials – public policy since the dawn of government.”
(2) That even after the last bring-us-war lies were revealed, the U.S. government still plays its citizens for suckers. I mean, think of the decision on this: “Cool! A Frenchie in Iran! Let’s do it!”
(3) That the Rupert look-alike didn’t start gagging on air because that was a really fucking foul line to read aloud and call “news.”
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Bonus link 14 Apr: If you haven’t already discovered the wonders of Mark Fiore’s political animation, check out his classic gem on Looting!
