Right now, the burdens for conducting the war in Iraq fall upon a sadly narrow segment of the American population. Nobody’s getting drafted. Nobody has to give up shopping or Happy Meals or anything. Nobody’s even paying extra in taxes. In fact, right in the middle of a war (actually two), Americans have been handed what they think is a tax cut! (Wait till they have to pony up, with interest, their share plus the share of the wealthy who got most of the cut, all of which was borrowed and must be repaid. But that’s another story.) It’s a completely free ride except for the few hundred thousand troops stuck with Iraq duty, plus their loved ones, who are carrying the entire burden for a society of three hundred million people.
If we are to have any shred of pretense to fairness whatsoever, it strikes me that the very minimum we can do as a people is to take a definitive stand against any sort of profits being made from war, to the greatest extent we can. Perhaps, when fewer people stand to benefit from organized violence, this will mean less war. But even if it does not, even if the merchants of death theory is incorrect, isn’t this the most basic statement of morality that we as a society can make? If we ultimately conclude that wars must be fought, can we not stand for the principle that the burden shall be shared to the extent possible, and that – also to the extent possible – nobody should benefit?
Indeed, right here, right now, perhaps our good friends at Lockheed, Raytheon, General Dynamics, Boeing and Halliburton would like to make a bold gesture. Perhaps our seemingly so patriotic Vice President and all the strato-burghers in his neighborhood would join them in demonstrating their true commitment to the nation and the soldiers fighting on their behalf by donating every cent in profits made from the Iraq war to our underpaid military personnel, and to the families of those troops consumed by the military adventure Mr. Cheney’s ordered.
If we cannot do anything else as a people, can we not agree that no person, no company, no vice president, should ever be making profits while these poorly-paid and poorly-equipped soldiers are rotting away in the middle of the 130-degree civil war shooting gallery that is today’s Iraq?
How unbelievably sick is that?
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
