Iraq Subsidies on Power and Oil to Be Phased Out

The Iraqi government plans to phase out slowly subsidies on basic products, such as oil and electricity, which comprise 50 per cent of public spending, equal to $15 billion, the planning minister said yesterday.

Unveiling a three-year economic plan, compiled by in co-operation with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Madhi Al Hafez pledged "a progressive programme to suppress subsidies...(which) constitute a significant burden on public finances."

Most Iraqis relied on subsidised fuel, electricity and food rations under a United Nations-sponsored oil-for-food programme during the regime of Saddam Hussein.

After Saddam's overthrow, the interim government adopted the system which still provides a vital lifeline for a large portion of Iraq's population, many of whom are unemployed or earn only a meagre wage....

http://www.aina.org/news/20041024124634.htm

They'll be so proud to pull themselves up by their nonexistent bootstraps. Feifdom is on the march!

that the reason a few Iraqis objected to US military operations and the resultant end to what economy, food and water they had, was that the Iraqis were just not used to freedom. Saddam, he went on, had given them everything, and now they have to get used to democracy, which means fewer people will have jobs, but those who do will have higher pay.

I don't have cable television. Therefore, I don't have CNN to explain "the way things are" to me. So I don't have benefit of the newsreaders' bits of wisdom; rather, I'm left to flounder about on my own and come to my own conclusions. Maybe someone could compile a tape of CNN's words to live by and send it to me.

<facetiousness/off>

I had to step away from myself for a moment and think about it. Here's what I've concluded: we saved them from the scourge of socialism. I think they'll be greeting us with flowers any day now, but it might help if we subsidize the flowers.

has a planned stage 3.5--rioting and suppression thereof as people freeze and go hungry