Memorial Day

How many human lives are a proper price to pay for the removal of Saddam Hussein?

Would you say removing Hussein would be worth it if a million people — Americans and Iraqis — had to die to achieve it?

If the answer is no, let's try a lower price. How about 100,000?

If that's too many, how about 10,000 lives being snuffed out to remove one man from power?

Let's make it simpler. Rather than throwing numbers around, let's ask just one question: Would removing Hussein be worth it if the cost were just one human life — but that life was yours?

If the answer is no, then anything you have to say about the world being a better place now — about collateral damage — about the glory of soldiers sacrificing their lives for their country — is meaningless.

Everyone who has died so far in Iraq had a life that meant as much to him as your life means to you. But now that life is gone, done, finished, nevermore.

By supporting the war in Iraq, you have supported the idea that it's okay to kill people — other people. But until you're willing to volunteer to be one of those killed, your words don't carry any weight.

-- Harry Browne, "How Much Is Hussein's Departure Worth?" (Via lefti)

Comments

[None]

So I've enlisted. And I'm serious about that. So I'm all good, right -- not a hypocrite?

[Eli Stephens]

Brilliantly done photoessay.

[Gianna]

Wonderful post, you know how to tell a story using the images. Thanks, Gianna

[NTodd]

Haunting and beautiful.