What is the economic health of Iraq?

The administration tells us that "things are improving." But there is a great deal of doubt about this. Especualy as we have not seen any numbers, save the volloume of oil being produced. (Its now at "pre-war" levels. But aprintly, not above pre danction levels.) The administration may not even botering to colect key data that might reveal its true economic disposition. We do know that the cavialn casulty number has ordered NOT to be colected or reportd.

So let me ask. What information would we need to conferm Iraq's economic disposiiton?

My gess is that we would want to look at some true "comodity" numbers. Things such as the current population of Iraq. From there we can estimate the amount of food and water Iraq would need to consume in a month. Then compare that number to food shiped, eather though sales or thruh donations. Water as well.

If things are doing good, we should see actual food and water consumption close to our estamates. Disparities between classes should not be that much of a problem here as the wealthy, all though eating more food, should not be abule to eat so much as to throw off the estamate.

So if a certain segment of the population is starving, than our food cunsumption would be low compared to our estemates.

We should also see a huge influxe of building matirals. Lumber, steel, nails, tools, glass, and other construction matirals shoud now eterh be manufactured in Iraq, or shipped into Iraq.

... if the US were in Iraq's present condition, there would be politicians hanging from the lamp poles of K Street (to borrow one of Robert Fisk's phrases).

Let's keep in mind that there were twelve preceding years of sanctions of the very worst kind, and the country was teetering on the verge of economic collapse, anyway, because of the restrictions on oil export.

As for being able to independently calculate the actual health of the Iraqi economy from a distance, it would likely be an overwhelming task, especially since so much information is now controlled by the Bush administration. If we can't even find out how American appropriations are being spent there, how then are we to divine what's happening inside Iraq at the moment?

Cheers.

We know this for a fact. In fact every thing I have seen, seems to indecare that Iraq's economey had colasped, and was based more on a rashioned welfare state administered by Saddam. And the matiral shortages were extrem, forcing draconian controls on every thing from iorn powder to clorine. (In fact, clorine was outlawd by the sanctions. Never mind that it is a criticel ingredeant to purifying water.)

We saw confermation of this when conditions of the oil feilds were published. They said every ting was striped from them as they were canablized for other uses. Most notable was the lack of pipe, balbarings, and steal gurders. Whole oil rigs were transplanted to become bridge trusses. Even the nails out of the lumber were taken. Forcing Halibertain to litterly have to rebuild, and redrill, the oil feilds from scrach.

We also know that this administration is using a prifitized model of economics. Every thing from water and food is now privitized. And I have heard of reports of water shortages becase the comunites can not support them, even though there infrastrucers were still intact. Water would be pummped into trucks, then taken to the larger cities and sold at a premumum.