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4.22.04 More on Cronies

I'm stuck on cronyism. Paradox: every self-help magazine encourages us to network, milk that Rolodex, join Friendster. And so, the good guys have networks and communities and the bad guys have cronies. The rich bad guys have cronies.

For those of us who remember cliques in high school -- how much would we give to belong to a group of really cool cronies? Do you think Dick Cheney was unpopular in high school? What a thrill it must be to hang out now with Supreme Court justices and captains of industry -- to be able to give contracts to all your friends. No need for pay-offs or kick-backs -- way too tacky. A wink, a nod, and a billion dollar contract goes to your coolest pals. Who needs something so petty as a kickback when you're on such a power high?

Anyway, I'm discovering various watchdog organizations. Tonight it's the Center for Public Integrity and their Windfalls of War section. Glad to see someone's on the case.

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