U.S. Taxpayers To Spend $400,000 For A Camel Sculpture In Pakistan

Can't make this stuff up! As we have seen on ATS supporters of the current regime coming out defending an Unconstitutional tax being described as Healthcare. I am very curious as to how they will defend this corrupt administrations actions on wasting money on this..........

No worries, I know your classes didn't prepare you for this scenario, but for those whom have been supporting this administration are you brave enough? I DARE YA!

The State Department is planning to spend $400,000 in taxpayer funds to buy a sculpture for the new American embassy being built in Islamabad, Pakistan, according to contracting records.

The work, by noted American artist John Baldessari, depicts a life-size white camel made of fiberglass staring in puzzlement at the eye of an oversize shiny needle — a not-so-subtle play on the New Testament phrase about the difficulty the wealthy have in entering the kingdom of heaven.

Officials explained the decision to purchase the piece of art, titled “Camel Contemplating Needle,” in a four-page document justifying a “sole source” procurement. “This artist’s product is uniquely qualified,” the document explains. “Public art which will be presented in the new embassy should reflect the values of a predominantly Islamist country,” it says. (Like the Bible, the Qur’an uses the metaphor of a camel passing through the eye of a needle.)

Source

Seems kind of provocative to place a statue of a biblical reference in an islamic country.

Every country who is any country has four hundred thousand dollar fiberglass camel statues spread around the globe, thought you knew?

Whether this is true or not, I'd actually prefer paying for a camel sculpture to what we've been doing...giving millions or billions to the ISI to arm the Taliban with the weapons to kill our own armed forces and, in the recent past, India's.

And while you're in irate mode, check out what it cost to build the embassy in Iraq. www.businessinsider.com...

reply to post by seeker1963


Now, now....they claim that the $400,000 price tag “is actually a very a reduced price for this sculpture"....*sigh*

Well looks like taxpayers money hard at work again, on art that isn't even for our country

Pretty stark contrast here... the damn sculpture costs, with a discount mind you, $400,000 while the average yearly income in that country is about $1,250

Maybe they should have supported a local artist there in Pakistan, not only for financial reasons but to also help out the local economy
Just a thought

Doesn't matter any way, we the taxpayers have no say

QuestioningDude
Seems kind of provocative to place a statue of a biblical reference in an islamic country.

Every country who is any country has four hundred thousand dollar fiberglass camel statues spread around the globe, thought you knew?

Read a little more dude.

reply to post by seeker1963


From the title I thought we were paying for some statue for Pakistan but I see it is for the US embassy. Give it a few years and it will be torn down once it is invaded.

Now I do think it is a waste of money but I bet this is a form of government bribe to someone family in Pakistan(some officials son or the like). That is generally how these things go. Maybe the money is just for some sculpture but I kind of doubt it.

QuestioningDude
Seems kind of provocative to place a statue of a biblical reference in an islamic country.

Every country who is any country has four hundred thousand dollar fiberglass camel statues spread around the globe, thought you knew?

This is not about religion, camels, goats etc etc...........

This is about a government whom keeps asking it's people for more in the forms of taxes and yet spending those taxes as a bunch of drunken sailors! (no offense meant towards those in the Navy now or in the past)

Why is it they tell us WE need to sacrifice and do the right thing for our nation, while they do the opposite?

reply to post by TiedDestructor


Lol yeah they explained the why at the end of the quote. I shoulda gave a longer peruse before posting, you are correct.

Couldn't it have at least been sculpted from marble?

reply to post by seeker1963


Because we allow them to do it. Nobody cuts off the hand digging in our pockets because we have the Roman circus and gladiator spectacles to keep us from actually making any meaningful change.

I was just thinking aloud in regards to the religious aspect, not giving it deeper meaning in regards to the article.

reply to post by seeker1963


Does the needle double as a crowd control weapon during a possible insurgence or an attack on the embassy? It would be nice to have spent the $400k on at least the chance of skewering your attackers ;-) There should be some utility when paying that kind of money for art, other than paying off one of your friends.

Cheers - Dave

reply to post by seeker1963


WTF????? Seriously.........is that before or after the I am sure several thousand for the ribbon cutting ceremony and tax payer funded 'refreshments' for the POS.

And they want to cut vet funds, and extras for the guys who are defending us. Yet they have all the freebies and extras in the world..including gov. funded unlimited CCs.

' #&#%#$@&@%@^'!!!!!!!!!......enough!!! Rat Bass Tards

QuestioningDude
reply to post by seeker1963

 

Because we allow them to do it. Nobody cuts off the hand digging in our pockets because we have the Roman circus and gladiator spectacles to keep us from actually making any meaningful change.

I was just thinking aloud in regards to the religious aspect, not giving it deeper meaning in regards to the article.

My misunderstanding of your words. I'm sorry for jumping out at you!

I am just pissed at the spending habits of my own government, when they know so many of their own people are suffering.

Sorry again!

reply to post by seeker1963


I suppose $400,000 would pay a lot of 'personal mandates', wouldn't it?

If they are spending THIS much for a stupid camel in the embassy courtyard.....has anyone thought to see what the total price tag is coming to for the next Taj-Ma-Emb? (Bagdhad isn't an Embassy. It's a walled city within a city with it's own everything, to include a little military. I hope it's enough...)

Why we give money to Pakistan is beyond asinine.

Why we have an 'embassy' in Pakistan is beyond asinine.

We should have no ties, or be giving our cash, and it is our cash since it comes from us working, and slaving to make a living.

And give it to the likes that created Bin Laden, and who was hiding Bin Laden.

Pakistan was one of the biggest forces behind that anti soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 80s.

They did indeed create the 'mujahideen' who would later form the taliban.

And give 'sanctuary' to Al Aqaeda.

There should be no ties with that country what so ever.

The only reason it is is because it is the only muslim country with nuclear weapons.

For some asinine reason the US government in the infinite delusions of grandeur think they can buy 'friends'.

What nonsense.

Effing camel statues.

Hell the doctor who aided the murder of Bin Laden is still sitting in prison in Pakistan.

That is a GD travesty.

Wrabbit2000
reply to post by seeker1963

 

I suppose $400,000 would pay a lot of 'personal mandates', wouldn't it?

If they are spending THIS much for a stupid camel in the embassy courtyard.....has anyone thought to see what the total price tag is coming to for the next Taj-Ma-Emb? (Bagdhad isn't an Embassy. It's a walled city within a city with it's own everything, to include a little military. I hope it's enough...)

Exactly, just who does this so called piece of art benefit?? The aristocrats showing it off to their fellow aristocrats?

Nothing against art, I love it at times. But to be spending money so frivolously at a time when they sit on their thrones telling us how "WE" need to make sacrifices while they continue their celebrity lifestyle at our expense???

WHEN THE HELL OUR YOU THEY GOING TO MAKE SACRIFICES????

reply to post by seeker1963


No worries, the outrageous spending of our ruling " noble" class knows no bounds, totally agree on this end.

Its not their own personal money being wasted on gilded statues.

Think about when Saddam was toppled and the self-righteous outrage that was being trumpeted in the media regarding golden toilets and chandeliers in his palaces. Same with Qaddafi.
Our "leaders" behave no differently. They have the mindset that they're entitled to look upon beauty while "protecting the interests" of you and me.

With the rising of corporatism and wealth consolidation I truly believe we're well down the road of feudalism. Hope you have a nice spot above your hearth set aside for whatever Lord's banner winds up on top of the dung heap that is our new nobility.

reply to post by seeker1963


Saw this earlier today and the only thing I could do is stare at the news page with a half open mouth. Unbelievable.

This is so typical of the DC backed parasites so willing to spend other peoples money on crap like this. I didn't notice who the "sculptor" was related to, someone in DC I'm sure.

I'm sure all the US poor people who just had their food stamps cut again are more than happy to suck it up so we can spend that money on these more important things. /sarcasm

Bassago
reply to post by seeker1963

 

Saw this earlier today and the only thing I could do is stare at the news page with a half open mouth. Unbelievable.

This is so typical of the DC backed parasites so willing to spend other peoples money on crap like this. I didn't notice who the "sculptor" was related to, someone in DC I'm sure.

I'm sure all the US poor people who just had their food stamps cut again are more than happy to suck it up so we can spend that money on these more important things. /sarcasm

Parasites!!!!

What an appropriate word to use my friend!!!

Vampires also comes to mind, but so far they are still a figment of imaginations versus reality!

reply to post by neo96


Hell I would give you an 'applause ' for that but will have to settle for 'star'

True on all accounts for sure!!

And I had forgotten about the doctor, thanks for reminding us


We need to focus on our own problems here at home, the economy being the first on the list, and stop sending out money to foreign countries, especially ones that want to do harm to us [which is most of them]

Take care of our own & our military!!!!!!

reply to post by neo96


and what do we do about it? Not being sarcastic, but seriously.....what do we do?

I don't have answers anymore than you do [that I know of], so.....how do we go about changing the mentality that runs DC?

Voting the 2 party system is not the answer anymore.

Too bad hackers wont expose the detailed corruption.