The economy is bad. People are worried. There's plenty of news from back home. The various networks of news are always on in the chow hall. Most humorous but also sad are the pointless "Obamameters," the Nancy Grace/Bill O'Reilly/Rush Limbaugh (and now even John Stewart of the Daily Show has apparently gone serious?) arguments and other various hyperbole that serves no one as far as I can tell. By word-of-mouth, news of relatives and loved ones getting laid off or having items repossessed is common as well. But for what it's worth I've noticed a huge influx/increase of American made products put to use in the hands of Iraqi Police since I've been here (arrived June '08.)
The use of brand new American made "digi-cam" uniforms for instance, in blue tones, are used by the National Police. Material and otherwise, the obvious investments The US has made in Iraq's future is coming closer to the day where it will be tested in absolute sovereignty.
How exactly and through what contracts and tax dollars these vehicles and tools have been acquired I don't know. The surplus finding an outlet is a good thing, as long as the economy benefits, rather than suffers from an unredeemed handout, and only corporations pocket the profit.
Arriving in Iraq during the embargo years, the old Nissans and Toyotas, what's left of them, are being phased out and replaced with brand new S-10s and full-size Ford trucks, and Crown Victorias. I suppose that's what makes the change so noticeable. All the old foreign makes on the road, and the government using the newer American models.
Some financial institutions say the markets haven't been this bad since the depression, but that's also become an over used expression. What will happen next and how things will be fixed is a more worthy speculation. The sustained uncertainty defines any and all conjecture by the media experts as speculation at this point. Nobody ever really knows whats gonna happen about anything anyway, do they?
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