Blowin' In The Wind

Every day when we watch the news from Iraq, we see how the quagmire thickens. When I hear the daily death toll, I think of Bob Dylan's anthem from 40 years ago, Blowin' In The Wind. You do remember the 'Sixties, don't you?

I wonder how many more American and coalition service men and women and innocent civilians will have to die....

Since we began receiving daily coverage from Iraq some 15 months ago, have you ever wondered about how modern Iraq looks? There appear to be new buildings everywhere. Downtown Baghdad looks a helluva lot better than downtown L.A., that's for sure.

Then I think back 25 years to when I was public relations manager for United States Gypsum (USG) in Chicago. USG made a fortune selling building supplies all over the Middle East from the 1960s onward. The company not only makes gypsum wallboard but many other building products (aluminum studs, floor coverings, acoustic ceiling squares, and so on). Whenever you see a modern high-rise in Baghdad or elsewhere in Iraq, there is a very good chance that USG products were used in its construction.

I wonder how many other American and European companies have been involved in the building of the Middle East? How much money have they made from it?

How have these companies been affected by the current war? One thing is for sure: You can bet they've been standing in line to rebuild Iraq.

The saddest images of this war are the ones of families at home learning that their loved ones have been killed or injured. And I find it just as sad to see innocent Iraqi civilians suffering a similar fate.

How much longer long will this war go on?

"The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind...."