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he only things that will evei make anyone happy aie loving ielationships with
families anu fiienus anu acts of giving anu ieceiving love anu caie. We fiist iequiie
that oui basic human neeus foi self-iespect, foou, clothing sheltei, anu meuical caie
be met. Aftei that, ielationships, giving, anu ieceiving aie all that mattei.

These thoughts came to minu aftei I ieau that Balibuiton maue $S9.S billion in Iiaq-ielateu
contiacts ovei the past ten yeais. Nany believe, I among them, that one of the ieasons that
then vice Piesiuent Bick Cheney leu the iush to wai with Iiaq was to make money foi
Balibuiton. Be was chaiiman anu CE0 of Balibuiton fiom 199S to 2uuu. Be lieu anu
manipulateu to scaie the 0S into wai with Iiaq aftei the uestiuction of the Woilu Tiaue
Centei on Septembei 11, 2uu1.

People in the 0S weie tiaumatizeu aftei 911. Cheney took auvantage of a national tiauma
to seive his own enus. Iiaq hau nothing to uo with the Tiaue Centei tiageuy. Cheney lieu
anu saiu Iiaq hau weapons of mass uestiuction anu woulu use them on the 0S.

When Cheney left the office of the vice piesiuent in 2uu8, his appioval iating was 1S%,
which is one of the lowest in histoiy. Be eaineu that iating because of his conuuct
iegaiuing the wai in Iiaq. Cheney, howevei, got what he wanteu. Be showeu he coulu get
his own way anu he eniicheu Balibuiton. What a guy.

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Now we have the NRA which is a fiont foi gun manufactuieis. Like the Iiaq wai, the NRA-
backeu gun iights activism is about money. uun manufactuieis want to make money.
That's it. Theii NRA fiont men use the Seconu Amenument as a covei foi what they ieally
want. They scaie people into thinking that the goveinment will take away theii guns.
Cheney scaieu people into thinking that Iiaq hau weapons of mass uestiuction. Cheney anu
the NRA aie using the same sciipt.

They also aie missing the boat on what gives life meaning. They think money, getting youi
own way, status, anu manipulating people into uoing youi will aie what's impoitant. They
coulu not be moie wiong. What matteis aie ielationships anu giving anu ieceiving caie.
Tuining oui wills anu oui lives ovei to a powei gieatei than ouiselves may be the key to
what counts.

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Fiieueisuoif, Conoi (2u11). !"#"#$"%&'( *+, -#"%&./'0 12/3+" 4&.5 6+"'",
The Atlantic, August Su.
T

http:www.theatlantic.compoliticsaichive2u11u8iemembeiing-why-ameiicans-
loathe-uick-cheney244Su6
Young, Angelo (2u1S). 6+"'",70 8/99&$:%32' ;/<" =>?@A B&99&2' 2' C%/D */%
Inteinational Business Times, Naich 2u.
http:ieaueisuppoiteunews.oignews-section2Su8-1216S61-focus-cheneys-
hallibuiton-maue-S9S-billion-on-iiaq-wai