Letter to The Guardian, Thu. Oct. 27, 2005
Two thousand Americans are dead. Fifty times that many Iraqis are dead; 300 times that many human beings are injured. One million times that have been indirectly affected by a barbarous act of inhumanity (Casualties of a war a world away, October 26). War is about numbers. The small number of humans who have much to gain by war. The large number affected. The small number who sit home and rally the large number to send their kids to die physically or mentally. The largest number who say nothing. The financial numbers are so huge that millions aren’t accounted for, and millions more are paid in bonuses.
I’m a Vietnam infantry veteran who has taken the time to peel away the onion of war. Strip off the uniforms, the flags, the nationalities, the slogans. War is, at best, the failure of leaders to solve problems. At worst, war is a massive money-generating machine with no regard for life. It’s all in the numbers.
Arnold Stieber
Grass Lake, Michigan, USA
Like the protest signs said in the 60’s, "War is good for the economy, invest your son." Just be careful that what Country Joe sang doesn’t happen, "Be the first one on your block/To have your boy come home in a box."