Corporations have benefited from war

Recently there have been several newspaper articles publicizing the substantial cost of lives and money expended in the Iraq war. The articles failed to acknowledge the huge profits gained as a result of the Iraq invasion. Before we blundered into Iraq, no-bid contracts were awarded to corporations that possessed the proper political credentials by the Bush administration. These organizations were in place early to capitalize on the pre-emptive strike and have made billions in profits at an enormous cost in American and Iraqi lives.

When the U.S. troops invaded cities such as Baghdad, they were not instructed to protect the hospitals, or the schools, or the utilities, or the museums, or the libraries, or the fire and police stations, but only the oil industry. Billions of U.S. dollars have been spent rebuilding some of these facilities. Although corporations with the right political connection may have richly benefited, it has been a heavy loss for the U.S.

The Great Depression was greatly relieved when we went to war (WWII), while our witless decision to invade Iraq helped to eventually drive us into a great recession. And some groups are clamoring to return to this era of deceit and destruction.

John Ostberg

Mount Prospect