Monday, June 12, 2006

What Is the Worth of a Man?

Philosophers and poets have wrestled with this question since the dawn of civilization. The Bush Administration, with the inhuman calculus that they are noted for, has answered this riddle. When US servicemen kill civilian non-combatants in Iraq, the American goverment pays $2500 in compensation.

One average Iraqi man is worth...
  • a San Diego doghouse (at housing prices over $400/square foot).
  • Seven small cows (at current prices of $70 per hundredweight for Kansas feeder cattle).
  • Two minutes of Tommy Franks time (the general who commanded the invasion force into Iraq charges $75,000 per speech).
  • 4 to 5 pounds of a marine (the death benefit gratuity to marine families is $100,000).
  • 4 grams of Osama Bin Laden ($50 million reward).
  • Half of an American's forehead (used for advertising purposes).
  • A 1987 Ford Taurus station wagon.
  • The fine for sending one junk fax in California.
  • Less than the weapon he was killed with (the M249 automatic weapon costs $4000).
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Nice list. And I'd add that, if you are an implacable enemy of the U.S., you appear to be worth on gilt frame for the portrait of your death...but no reward.