James Baker’s Statement on Jobs and Iraq

Having graduated, many years ago, with a major in history and a minor in economics, and being a combat veteran of two wars, I am fully aware that most wars are economic in nature. No matter what the rationale given those who must spill their blood, economics is the name of the game.

Secretary of State James Baker was at least honest in his assessment of the situation in the Persian Gulf during his press conference on Nov. 13. Speaking from the lush safety of the Bahamas, he admitted that Saddam Hussein was interfering with the economic lifeline of the Western world and, by inference, the profits of the multinational corporations.

However, he, perhaps inadvertently, betrayed the elitist contempt of the Bush Administration for those who must work for a living when he said, “To bring it down to the level of the average American citizen, let me say that means jobs. . . .”

What he really meant was that it will be necessary to spill the blood of Americans of lower socioeconomic status to protect the economic interests of the multinational corporations.

CHARLES KNUTSEN, Panorama City