Let's Count the Body Bags

As the war clouds gather round us again the War Will Make Us Rich theory of economics rears its ugly head once more. Even state and national historians have insisted the theory is true that war will save our economy and in some magical way boost the supply of bucks bumping around in our pockets as we "SPEND OUR WAY out of a depression."

Unfortunately, Not even the alleged purchase of 30,000 body bags keeps the new advocates of the War Will Make Us Rich theory from fervently contemplating the burst of prosperity that war will bring to us.

According to the theory, as the body bags fill up with the youth of our nation, each parent can know that every child so sacrificed was worth a sack full of silver dollars to the economy. By the same token, those who come home with limbs missing, lungs seared, or minds scarred forever are doing their bit to improve the finances of American economy too.

Does that make sense to you? Were we richer every time a cargo ship went down? Were we richer for removing the healthiest workers from the job market and paying them to be in harm's way with money our government rolled off the hot presses?

At the end of World War I should we have thanked the Germans for making us richer, instead of insisting on harsh reparations?

In World War II Germany pounded England until there were no pounds left in the Royal Treasury. Was England richer because of it? Or was Churchill right when he said there was nothing but beer cans left to throw at the German invaders when they arrived?

Were we richer because the Japanese destroyed our Pacific fleet and we had to replace it and the trained men who were killed?

When Germany' cities and tanks and munitions were destroyed did its economy soar? Did the Viet Nam war prosper us, or them? Did the first Gulf War enrich us? When the World Trade Center collapsed did money magically appear from the ashes? Has even the War on Terror managed to flood our coffers?

No! You don't get a drought to end by pouring your last gallon of water down a rat hole. Nor do you put more bread on the table by burning off half the wheat in the field.

The only things wars produce are indebtedness, death and destruction. When war comes there is the illusion that dollars are spinning, up for grabs by the highest palm greasers as the economy shifts to war materiel production. When the war is over that illusion of loose silver dollars quits spinning and we invariably pay for our folly with a grim economy, and nothing but Tricky Dick gold left to shore up our ravaged treasury.

Destruction does not breed wealth. Killing off our youth does not improve our economy. Let those who believe in the theory that War Will Make Us Rich, count up the carnage of wars past and explain where the replacement funds for the money we rolled off the hot presses came from.

Perhaps they can explain these figures: In 1914 our national debt was $2,912,499,269.16 By 1919 our national debt was $27,390,970,113.12 Remember too that from then, right up to this very day we are still paying some of the veterans who came home from that war. Add it ALL up. How much prosperity did that Great War bring us?

Back in 1939 our national debt was $40,439,532,411.11 By 1945 our national debt was $258,682,187,409.93 and again, we had not yet begun to pay off our debts to the veterans who fought our war.

Although only 148 were killed and 467 wounded in the first Gulf War, ten years later we have almost two out of every five Gulf War Veterans on disability. This is wealth?

On top of that, we are still paying for World War I
We are still paying for World War II
We are still paying for Korea
And, we are still paying for Viet Nam

The fact is, NONE of these Wars made us Rich!

Since 1952 the international reserve position of the U.S. has fallen from 50% of the world's total to a mere 3% of that total - - In spite of all our wars and fighting, that is a 94% drop in our net worth bucket.

In short, there is no basis in fact for the War Will Make Us Rich theory which has somehow mutated from the old law of sacrifice. In biblical times hundreds of infants were sacrificed on the altars of Baal in order to improve the economy. If we pursue the theory that filling up X number of body bags with the pride of our nation will make us rich, are we any wiser now than they were then?

If this latest war is forced upon us -- let us respond in strength, fight on principles of righteousness, with our eyes open, knowing that it is costing us money, time, and lives. Don't welcome war because of some secret hope that our coffers will be filled by those bags of silver spilling their guts out over our great nation.

Lin Stone is an author, writer, and photographer. Click HERE to read more of his articles and essays.

Your tightly written essays with strong values will be published here free of charge. A link back to your home page, or to your email address will be provided inside your byline, IF you want it. And if you need help polishing a good idea off so it becomes ready for publication here, that is yours for free too.

Make SURE you are getting the best protection you need for the money you are now spending on insurance. First, check out your own company with our direct insurance links. There may be many special offers available from it that you don't even know about.

Then -- if you need to -- Compare what you are paying now with the family-friendly values we find. See if the savings don't average 46% better than what you expect -- in ANY of these categories Strong Health Insurance * Bright Dental Insurance * Comprehensive Auto Insurance * Low Cost Life Insurance * Solid Home Insurance * Loving Long Term Care Insurance * Best Family Friendly Insurance Quotes

Our process is simple;

it's quick, it's painless -- and yes!
It's absolutely FREE!

A message for Garcia is one of the longest enduring and most published essays of all time. It saw the light of day in 1899 and has been reprinted in every written language on earth.

Is there one EASY way for everyone to find the best insurance quotes in every kind of insurance? NO! But there are NINE different ways to get quotes from hundreds of carriers and at least one of them should be just right for YOU. Click HERE to read the whole story.

Moonbeams are the original fuzzy kind of logic. If you've ever seen a tree turn into a gnome, or remember your first kiss upon the sweet silver grass, you won't want to miss this nostalgic essay of a way of life that maybe only seemed to be.

Sweet and Sour by Anne Clemmons. Which is stronger, the practical future, or the one we dream about?

Mama's almost gone now. We don't always run from Death. Fact is, Mama's chewed on his lip so many times Death looks about as mean as a St. Bernard on a mission.

My first eagle. I shall never forget the thrill of seeing him sweep by in front of my own two eyes.

The Moon on Six Pence Uncle Bob was an unforgettable character who traveled the world on bargain rates and golden smiles!

The Almost Good Housekeeping monograph is a good excuse for the harried homemaker to put off until tomorrow all those burdens of yesteryear, and quit trying so hard.

Sex before the Sax: The first thing I learned about Lois was she had a label for being froward. Kids at school said she had had sex with Alfred. Not long after I arrived, another boy came forward to admit he had made a score at her door.

As the war clouds gather round us again the War Will Make Us Rich theory rears its ugly head once more. The theory is that war will save our economy and in some magical way boost the supply of Happy Bucks bumping around in our pockets.

Coping with War, getting ready, prepared for those with children who still think it will be a thirty day lark. John Wayne won't be there. Neither will Rambo.

Eugenics Anonymous Albert Edward Wiggam said: "The laws that govern the evolution of plants and animals apply to man. We can have any kind of race we want -- beautiful or ugly, wise or foolish, strong or weak, moral or immoral."

War made us Rich?

The fact is, NONE of these Wars made us Rich!