U.S. exports to Iran — including brassieres, bull semen, cosmetics and possibly even weapons — grew more than tenfold during President Bush's years in office even as he accused Iran of nuclear ambitions and helping terrorists. America sent more cigarettes to Iran , at least $158 million worth under Bush, than any other products.
And this part just makes my head explode:
"Our sanctions are targeted against the regime, not the people," said Adam Szubin, director of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces the sanctions. The government tracks exports to Iran using details from shipping records, but in some cases it's unclear whether anyone pays attention.
Sanctions are intended in part to frustrate Iran's efforts to build its military, but the U.S. government's own figures show at least $148,000 worth of unspecified weapons and other military gear were exported from the United States to Iran during Bush's time in office. That includes $106,635 in military rifles and $8,760 in rifle parts and accessories shipped in 2004, the data shows.
Again, why is it that we have a trade embargo with tiny Cuba for 50 years now? Not that wikipedia is an official encyclopdeia, but it states the reason for the embargo as:
The embargo was codified into law in 1992 with the stated purpose of "bringing democracy to the Cuban people", and in fact is entitled the Cuban Democracy Act.
And why don't we have one of these embargos with China, a communist country? Oh, because we are in debt to China for over $500 billion in U.S. bonds (to help pay for the Iraq war no doubt) not to mention we love our cheap prices in Wal-mart.
And what possible use could Iran have for bull semen?
/end of rant
UPDATE 1: Hmmmm...it seems this story is getting some traction. Apparently making money is more important then any tough talk or political sanctions.
The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Howard Berman, remarked on the growth in U.S. trade during comments on the European Union's recent move to toughen financial sanctions on Iran.
"It's time for them to take far more significant steps along the lines of cutting off all significant commerce with Iran, as we did years ago — or at least I thought we did. I'm not so sure, after yesterday's Associated Press report that U.S. exports to Iran have increased nearly twenty-fold during the Bush administration years, up to nearly $150 million in 2007," Berman, D-Calif., said at a committee hearing Wednesday.
UPDATE 2: Why is it McCain likes to make jokes about killing Iranians? First it was "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" and now this. I'm sorry, I don't want my president to be somebody who runs his mouth off and needs his wife to jab him in the back to let him know when to shut-up....
"Maybe that's a way of killing them," McCain told reporters, smiling as he waited for a cheesesteak sandwich at the Primanti Brothers restaurant. His wife, sitting next to him at the counter, poked his back without looking up.
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3 comments:
Cubans are a dangerous people with their cigars and baseball....
I have never fully understood either why America tries to stomp on Cuba, a tiny little island in the Caribbean. Is it because they never embraced democracy? The trouble is that America does not realize that perhaps democracy does not work for everyone and as a result set out to "strong arm" other nations into acceptance.
as Chris pointed out, I am more offended by the stark contradiction in policy. Communist Cuba = bad yet Communist China = good. Once again, it looks like the US is friends with whom they can trade.
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