Archive of
Positive Commentaries
October 2007
Archived Positive Commentaries
Monday, October 1st 2007
In an article published by The Nation, editor Katrina Vanden Heuvel writes, "American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) recently determined that the Iraq war costs $720 million per day, $500,000 per minute—enough to provide homes for nearly 6,500 families, or health care for 423,529 children in just one day." Huevel also notes that the war in Iraq has served as a "boondoggle" for defense contractors. The article cites research done by the Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy: "CEOs of defense contractors are paid more in four days than a general earns in a year; since September 11, CEOs at top defense contractors have received annual pay gains between 200 percent to 688 percent; between 2002 and 2006, the seven highest paid defense contractor CEOs made nearly $500 million - General Dyanmics' CEO, Nicholas Chabraja, alone was paid $97.9 million, averaging $19.6 million per year. (David Lesar of Halliburton pocketed a mere $16 million per year during that period, and Lockheed Martin's Robert Stevens has cashed in on stock options to earn over $19 million so far this year.)" Such statistics are causing concern for citizens and policy advisors such as Global Economy Program and the Center for Corporate Policy who see "the entire defense and war contracting system is out of control" and are pressuring legislatures to bring an end to this corrupt system. Realizing that modern day wars are more often than not fought to bring profit for defense corporations should indeed alarm true peace seekers who understand that all of humankind profits through love and service to one another. "The love call of the spiritual kingdom should prove to be the effective destroyer of the hate urge of the unbelieving and war-minded citizens of the earthly kingdoms. But these material-minded sons in darkness will never know of your spiritual light of truth unless you draw very near them with that unselfish social service which is the natural outgrowth of the bearing of the fruits of the spirit in the life experience of each individual believer." (The URANTIA Book, p. 1930)