Deserves to be seen

[catinthedark]

I know... it's been discussed to death. Probably no one will respond. But I think it deserves to be posted. And I say... Amen.

http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2005/12/1722697.php

Mitzvahpaloozah. As Obscene As They Wanna Be
by Beowulf Crow Sunday, Dec. 04, 2005 at 11:20 PM


What do Aerosmith, 50 Cent, Tom Petty, Don Henley, Kenny G., Joe Walsh, and Stevie Nicks have in common with a war profiteer and a 13 year old girl ?

On the day the President told the American people to prepare for the long haul in Iraq,
David H. Brooks, CEO of bulletproof vest maker DHB Industries, gave his 13-year old
daughter and 300 of her BFF, a $10 Million Dollar Bat Mitzvah recently on two floors of
New York's Rainbow Room.
And the aforementioned artists were hired to play.
(I'll get to that in a minute...)

David H. Brooks, CEO of bulletproof vest maker DHB Industries, earned $70 million in
2004, 13, 349% more than his 2001 compensation of $525,000. Brooks also sold
company stock worth about $186 million last year, spooking investors who drove DHB's
share price from more than $22 to as low as $6.50 (DHB was recently trading at $4.20.)
In May 2005, the U.S. Marines recalled more than 5,000 DHB armored vests after
questions were raised about their effectiveness. By that time, Brooks had pocketed
over $250 million in war windfalls.
(He made a tidy profit outfitting our nation's fighting men and women in body armor that
allegedly can't take a hit from a 9mm round.)

Sarah Anderson from the Institute for Policy Studies said, "It's shocking to see a guy who
has no shame like this. He many be the world champion war profiteer.
The shareholders are up in arms, and he's out partying."

Iraq war vets are angry too.
Paul Rieckhoff, an Iraq war veteran and founder of Operation Truth said,
"It is already disturbing that anyone can live the high-life as a result of the booming war
business, but it is particularly disheartening to hear about someone having their own
private Lollapalooza, in part from the sale of defective equipment that put our troops in
harms way. America must take a long, hard look at the idea of profit on the battlefield."

Bobby Yen, another Operation Truth Iraq vet said, "I guess it just goes to show the state
of affairs and the state of the mind of this tired, old veteran that when this story came up it
didn't even make me blink. So some rich guy somewhere who made tons of money
selling defective bulletproof vests to the military has a filthy rich party for his daughter's
Bat Mitzvah. 'Oh, wow, someone wants to endanger my life for a few bucks?' Sounds like
the entire war. So the soldiers get paid poorly, on occasion shell out their own few bucks
to buy gear, lose a year of their life, lose their sanity, lose their limbs, lose their lives,
and a very few, very select group closely connected to our government get very, very rich."

As taxpayers, we paid for this.
And I find this obscene, morally repugnant, and extremely offensive.
The fish rots from the head, and we're seeing more and more of the results.
(You know what I mean. Don't you.)

Now, ...onto the, ahem, 'Stars'.

Tom Petty was the MC. Did a set on acoustic guitar.
Aerosmith did a 45 minute set. (And got paid $2 million.)
50 Cent, ($500 thousand), performed only four or five songs - and badly - though he did
manage to work in the lyric, "Go shorty, it's your bat mitzvah, we gonna party like it's your
bat mitzvah." 'Fitty's' beefy bodyguards blocked shots of his boss performing and batted
down the kids' cameras, shouting "No pictures ! No pictures!"
(Hah !)
A witness stated, "Fitty and his posse smelled like an open bottle of Hennessy".

Don Henley and Joe Walsh teamed up with Stevie Nicks on vocals.
Henley was grumpy at the realization that he'd agreed to play a kids' party.

Kenny G, ($250 thousand), played while people drank cocktails.

At one point Brooks leapt on the stage with Tyler and Perry, who responded with good
grace when their paymaster demanded that his teenage nephew be permitted to sit on
drums. At another point, Tyler theatrically wiped sweat off Brooks' forehead - and then
dried his hand with a flourish.

To the artists --
I held many of you in high regard.
However, I have a big problem with you receiving blood money.
You gave tacit approval to horrific acts of greed by indicted criminals
that plunder our economy and cost Americans their lives.
As icons, you have a responsibility to your audience.
To watch you irresponsibly squander it by aiding and abetting these
war criminals reduces you to nothing more than cheap, (albeit expensive), whores.
To say that I'm appalled and disappointed is an understatement.
F**k You ! You Suck ! Byte Me !

To the obscene war profiteer putting our troops,
(And the New York Police Department, BTW), in harms way,
for your part in looting our country, and for all the despicable evil that you are,
...Everyone...REAL LOUD... BYTE ME !!!!!!!!