Resistance and reason

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/opinion/2006/June/opinion_June9.xml§ion=exclusive&col=

BY ART Buchwald Memorial Day weekend, which comes around at the last weekend in May, is typically a time to reflect on past conflicts, and especially remember the veterans, the men and women who gave a part of themselves for the sake of others.

It’s a time put aside individual political differences over the war — why the country went to war in the first place — and honour those who partook in the conflict; the veterans of foreign wars — both those who died and those who lived. Often, those left alive carry a bigger burden than their fallen comrades. They forever carry a piece of that hell around with them.

With its many monuments, Washington is the ideal city for remembering the veterans. Being the centre of the nation’s political life, it is also a place where many honour the dead and debate the living. Was the war worth the cost in human lives? Was it worth the property damage and in the dollars spent to maintain the beast of war in the style in which it is accustomed? The beast of war is one that develops a gargantuan appetite, both for human lives and material, and consumes both at an equally frightful cadence.

To give you an idea of how fast money is being spent in Iraq, just read this short sentence again.

In the approximate four seconds it took you to read this last sentence, the US has just spent another 35,000 to 40,000 dollars. The total cost to date stands at $284,755,290,789 as of this writing. By the time you finish reading the rest of the column in another five minutes, the US government would have spent close to another million dollars, according to The National Priorities Project, a group describing itself as "a nonpartisan education and advocacy organisation that makes its tools, resources, and data available to the general public." The NPP’s aim is "solely to educate the public on the impacts of federal tax and spending policies at the community level."

[BeFree]

1. Yeah, sure, that's a lot of dough...

... but look at what we will get from it.

We've bought all kinds of friends. We've new respect from the rest of the world. And.......

Well, I can't think of any other benefits, and the benefits listed could be seen in this light: the kinds of friends and respect we've bought won't do us any good because of the many more friends and respect we've lost far outweighs the benefits.

So, on balance, its just a terrible investment. What a waste.