Buy bonds, or not

Fred Clark, the invaluable, Slacktivist is talking about some of the inanity the present politicians are floating, which is bonds to parallel the Victory and Liberty Bonds of WW2.

Mind you, as he says, the problem isn't the idea of floating bonds to pay for things, but rather which things they choose to try and pay this way.

The bonds issued (and bought) in WW2 paid for, not the TVA, not the WPA, nor any of the other projects the feds did to restart the economy, and build the infrastructure we're still using today, no, they paid for the war.

I have to disagree with Fred in one point, but it's niggling, he says,"That's not the case now. If you're not enlisted in America's military, you're not involved in the war in Iraq. You have neither the obligation, nor the opportunity to contribute to or sacrifice for the war effort. And your president insists that this is the way it should be."

The bit about the president insisting that's the way it should be is spot on, it's part of why the ban on coffins has been enforced. But there are a lot of people out there who are, intimately involved in the war without being in the service. Wives, husbands, sweethearts, parents, grandparents, children and siblings of the Soldiers, Marines, Seamen and Airmen (brownie points to those who know why I ordered them thus) who are sweating their days out in the front lines, are all involved; and in ways more arduous than those who are doing the sweating.

Fred's got some nice ideas, and insights, about those magnets (and how to make them mean something), but he missed one of the real reasons there won't be any war bonds (though his appreciation of why bonds for rebuilding won't work is spot on... we don't have the money to invest).

Those bonds would be a popular comment on the war. If we asked the people, right now, to pay for this, out of pocket, the troops would be on thier way home in a month. If we made wars pay as you go, then perhaps such stupidities as this one (which is breaking the bank, and doing internal damage to the Army of a sort not seen since the early '70s) might be a trifle less easily committed.

Crikey

At the last minute it seems we are heading to SF to pick up my father (because airports and airlines suck. His expected arrival in SLO at 1910, became impossible, and getting in at 2330 was going to double the price, to $1,500, which is a bit much for a one day visit, so will just meet him in the middle).

That's a four hour drive, so we plan to spend the night.

If anyone wants to try getting together for supper, or some other entertainment on the morrow, drop me a line.

I expect we are leaving here in the next 20 minutes, so I'll look in once more... If you want to give me a number, feel free to make the comment anon (with an ID), or delete it after sending.

I'll look at this again, after my last look before we leave, once we are in SF.