1. You can't fail to understand any individual, even a corporate entity, trying to avoid a hostile environment. And, no doubt about it anymore, the United States is a hostile environment for business. The tax environment, the politically inspired and obtrusive scrutiny, the econuts, the carping about profits, etc.

They are downplaying it, but watch carefully...this move by Halliburton is the first step in its total disengagement from the United States...except perhaps as a minor customer. And it may be a harbinger of moves by other companies tired of being hamstrung by the costs of being an American domiciled enterprise. They are beginning to realize that the US needs them far more than they need the US.

Decades from now, our grandchildren will look back and revile their smug and arrogant ancestors who forgot that government does not create wealth and who fostered the toxic atmosphere which drove American business offshore and turned their country into a second rate nation.

Cincinnati Rick at 12:09PM on Mar 12th 2007

2. oh please.....the united states has always created wealth. econuts? go ahead righties please drink the toxic water. nobody is advocating living off of the land in a tent however if we don't get it together we may be forced to. Haliburton moved to Dubai because that is where there loyalty lies.....OIL....as far as the righty position that the US has a hostile business environment.....amazing.....my car my stereo...my computer...all were manufactured in Europe and Japan.....oh that's right...Reagan said "fact are stupid things"""" keep the faith righties!! Jesus is coming soon!!!!! LOL!...fools!!!! Grow up!!

the ghost of joe strummer at 2:46PM on Mar 12th 2007

3. The Halliburton (Profit) Surge, the US and Iraqi Dirge

Well before the US and other oil companies can get their hands on the Iraqi oil supply -- the alleged alternative motive suggested for the war by many anti-war activists and commentators -- war profiteer and corporate welfare recipient Halliburton will have seen a profit surge apparently unmatched by any other military contractor in world history.

Dick Cheney's "former" company, Halliburton, which last year posted a record profit of 2.3 billion dollars, announced yesterday that it will move its corporate headquarters from Houston to Dubai. That is, after the run-off of the US treasury into its no-bid-contract coffers, Halliburton will now move its headquarters off-shore in order to minimize US tax liabilities. That tax incentive is what you might call a little splurge after the surge.

Yet today, in an address to the hawkish, pro-Israeli lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Dick Cheney accused the Democratic Congress of a 'slow bleeding' of the US military effort with attempts to curtail war spending. That slow bleeding would contrast with the kind of fast bleeding that Cheney has in mind.

A look at how Dick Cheney has been doing as a stockholder and "former" CEO in Halliburton should tell us quite a bit about his motives for attacking any proposed curtailment of the war funding. According to a CBS News report, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) asserts that Cheney's stock options -- worth $241,498 a year ago -- are now valued at more than $8 million. His deferred compensation account was valued at between $500,000 and $1 million, with additional generated income of $50,000 to $100,000. (According to financial disclosure forms, he was paid $205,298 in 2001; $262,392 in 2002; $278,437 in 2003; and $294,852 in 2004.) In 2002, Cheney's total assets were valued at between $19.1 million and $86.4 million. And that's before Cheney's Halliburton stock options rose 3,281% in 2005. Given the assured shiftiness of the Cheney accounting team and the windfall sure to follow after he leaves office, we cannot possibly calculate just how much this war has profited Cheney personally-to say nothing of the huge benefits it has brought those of his ilk.

Yet Cheney still has the audacity to stand before a powerful "American" lobby and tell us that his war profiteers need more money! " Anyone can say they support the troops and we should take them at their word, but the proof will come when it's time to provide the money," Cheney said today. That's right-anyone (in their right mind) can say that enough is enough and no more bleeding will be allowed. But not just anyone can stand before an "American" public, defend this disaster, and demand yet more money, while trying to shame those who would stop the bleeding. It takes a person with seriously vested interests to argue that a disaster for the vast majority is actually in their best interests. It takes a stock surge to make a believer in the military surge.

As I've said before, there isn't a level in hell low enough for Dick Cheney, but that's a metaphysical issue for another time, if indeed there is another time. For now, we must find a way to restrain this mega-monster, his corporate weapons, and the religio-ideological-idiot-puppet whose mouth he moves, George W. Bush. The surge in US military contracts is the only surge that will have appreciable results, and that surge will result in nothing but a dirge for Iraq, the US, the Middle East, and perhaps the world at large.

Dr. Rec, The Rec Report
Michael D. Rectenwald, Ph.D.

whatnowgop at 5:08AM on Mar 13th 2007

4. Cheney resign??? are you serious? .....who would run the country???????

gary at 3:36PM on Mar 13th 2007

5. If I had just participated in six years of defrauding the American taxpayers out of hundred of billions of dollars, I would move to. The cat is out of the bag and the blood hounds are getting closer everyday.

In November 2007 if we had not simply replaced one set of crooks and thieves in congress with another set of crooks and thieves it would have already begub in earnest.

People would already be under indictment and headed for prison

Ralph Dreifus at 1:25PM on Mar 13th 2007

6. If I had spent six years involved in the biggest defrauding of the US public in the history of theis country I would movbe too.
If the November 2007 was not anything more than replacing one set of liars and thieves with another set of liar and thieves. The indictments would already be haned down and a huge group of people would be headed to court dates

Ralph Dreifus at 1:20PM on Mar 13th 2007

7. If I had sepent six years involved in the biggest raid on the treasury in the history of this country I would move also. Before the process servers showed with the indicments

Ralph Dreifus at 1:24PM on Mar 13th 2007

8. Like most U.S. citizens, I know Cheney is guilty of srealing millions of our taxpayer dollars, and like most of our citizens I'm wondering how I can get in on this gravy train. I mean, they're our dollars Dick, how do we get some of 'em back from you? Why is this guy not in jail, or at least under indictment? What, they can catch Martha Stewart's little gaffe, but can't catch this crooked Vice President? Whew...looks like the
"fix" is in big time. Creepy oil Mafia.....
Will Dick and his little puppet Georgie be living on one of those 35 milluon dollar islands off the coast of Dubai soon, or will their 50 million dollar villas there simply be their winter retreats? How obvious do these vermin need to get before someone takes action against them?

jadl at 3:39PM on Mar 13th 2007