Military Contractors Misbehavin’

There are surely some clever take-offs of the Fats Waller standard Ain’t Misbehavin'.   There’s the Simpson episode, Eight Misbehavin’.  And the Wavy Gravy movie Saint Misbehavin'.  Even a TLC show called Paint Misbehavin'.  Admittedly, they’re all much catchier than “Defense Contractors Misbehavin,” but who needs clever when there’s an age-old contest at stake, that is, the battle over which is a worse military contractor: KBR or Blackwater. 

On the one hand, we have Blackwater.  Last night on 60 Minutes, there was the story of a widow who sued Blackwater after her husband was killed when some Blackwater pilots essentially took a plane on a joy-ride in the middle of Afghanistan and crashed it into a mountain.  As is typical, the military contractor tried to hide behind government immunity to get out from under this lawsuit, before eventually settling once 60 Minutes started asking questions. 

KBR, on the other hand, is not only being sued by many vets for running lethal burn bits in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they’re also challenging the decision allowing the case of Jamie Lee Jones to move forward in court.  Jones, who was drugged and raped by KBR employees, now has to endure a new ordeal – having KBR call her a liar.  This is the same case that led to national outrage about companies like KBR trying to force victims like Jones into arbitration, rather than allowing her to have her day in court against the company – which led to action by Congress. 

As for the most recent Blackwater impropriety, check out 60 Minutes below.  (Apologies for the Lipitor commericial.)  Let us know what you think!

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