Melvin B. Miller
Editor & Publisher

Little support for war in Iraq — or Iran

World War II ended in 1945 — 62 years ago. During the time of war, America was a very different place than today. Only the elderly remember the disciplines of those days. Then, citizens were very much involved in the conflict, unlike today when the soldiers are doing battle in Iraq while Americans at home are in the shopping malls.

One policy that assured general concern for the war was the universal draft. Every able-bodied man was subject to conscription. The loss of manpower at home forced the massive recruitment of women employees in the factories. World War II established the legend of Rosie the Riveter.

The requirements of the military also led to massive rationing. Citizens were issued ration cards for meat, sugar, butter, coffee, gasoline, tires and shoes. Because of the scarcity of tires, many small truckers and tradesmen found it more expedient to use horse and wagons for deliveries.

Recycling was also big. It was considered unpatriotic to throw away a tin can. The process was to wash it, remove both ends, place them inside the can and crush it. There were periodic collections.

Citizens were also expected to help the war effort. The volunteer United Service Organizations (USO) provided entertainment for soldiers and sailors in town. Especially on the East Coast, officials were fastidious about the use of blackout shades so that there would be no light from buildings to help guide enemy bombers.

Industrialists were prevented from profiteering from the production of military supplies by the diligent implementation of excess profits taxes. The rate was so high that the government was able to recover the proceeds from gouging. Price controls also prevented the excessive price increases because of scarcity caused by the war.

In an extraordinary display of patriotism not seen before or since, ordinary citizens helped pay for the war by investing in war bonds. More than 85 million Americans bought $185.7 billion worth of bonds. The sound fiscal planning for the war by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration put the United States in position to be the economic leader of the world after World War II.

Contrast this approach with America’s attack on Iraq. There was no consensus in the country that a preemptive strike against another sovereign nation was appropriate or that the United States should go to war without the support of the country’s traditional allies. There was no evidence that Saddam Hussein, despite his brutality, posed a threat to the United States. And there was substantial evidence developed at the time of Operation Desert Storm that an invasion of Iraq would create turmoil in the Middle East.

President Bush was persuaded that the “shock and awe” of an American aerial attack would quickly bring the Iraqis to their knees. He predicted that the whole adventure would cost only $50 billion. When his economic advisor, Lawrence Lindsey, suggested that a $200 billion price tag was more likely, Bush promptly fired him.

Now, four years after the attack on Iraq began, the war costs about $2 billion a week. Since there is no draft, National Guard units had to be mobilized and neo-mercenaries such as the Blackwater forces had to be hired. Funds borrowed from foreign countries finance the war, to the detriment of the value of the dollar.

The Bush administration is now making bellicose sounds toward Iran. Let us hope that the nation has learned its lesson. We cannot morally or financially afford another Iraq.

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“We didn’t get hit by a roadside bomb, just President Bush’s veto.”