"The www.MadisonArt.com Plan" – Solution for Iraq

(written apprx. sometime in 2004)

I sell art supplies. I’m not a general.

I’m even a little embarrassed to admit that I, (like I suspect most people,) am still not completely clear on what exactly is the difference between a Sunni and a Shiite!

However, I have a thought as how to settle the war in Iraq.

This is not meant to be politically-charged. I am not here to offer any opinions as to the pro-war and anti-war debate. But I assume everyone agrees to one thing – we all want the bloodshed to end.

Well here is my solution:
Let us buy them out!

The “MadisonArt.com Plan” calls for the creation of “Weapons Purchase & Disposable Centers” to be created and heavily advertised throughout Iraq.
Each center will be offering to pay $ Cash for any Iraqi weapons brought in.
The experts in Iraq should have a feel for the amount of money needed to be offered. Something like $100 per gun, $10 per bullet, $1,000 per anti-tank launcher or whatever it takes. I’ll leave that to the experts.
(Picture the sign outside these buildings in the Iraqi language, saying: “We Pay Cash For Guns…”)
There really is a price for everything. If selling retail has taught me anything, it’s that products for sale are like water: eventually the price finds its level.
I realize that principles are not for sale. However, I do believe that many Iraqis are in principle more interested in feeding their starving families than anything else.
They will bring in their weapons and even steal other weapons from other insurgents to bring them in for a nice payment.

I would suggest that the “Weapons Purchase & Disposable Centers” make it clear that the Iraqi weapons brought in will not be used by the Americans. I can see the enemy forces drawing the line at arming their enemy. So therefore we will make it clear that any weapons brought in will be paid for in cash and subsequently destroyed.
It would be best to even have the machinery to do this right there at the “Weapons Purchase & Disposable Centers.” Some sort of machine that the Iraqi dumps it in, hits a button and sees it crushed on the spot, (obviously something more heavy-duty than an office paper-shredder or kitchen garbage disposal. Likewise obvious, is that this doesn’t sound the safest to work on grenades or live missiles, but the experts can work on that to insure the Iraqis that their weapons will be destroyed and not used by the USA armed forces.)

Where will all this money to pay the Iraqis for their weapons come from?
Well I suspect that this will be a lot cheaper than the billions (trillions?) of dollars being spent currently on the war effort. How much cost in dollars is it estimated needed to disarm 30% of the insurgents by conventional warfare? Let alone how many casualties and wounded are estimated to accomplish that goal? I suspect that “the MadisonArt.com plan could accomplish this goal of disarming 30% or moreof the enemy at a much lower cost in troop’s safety and dollars too.

Can the Iraqis take the money we pay them, turn around, and just go out and buy more weapons? I don’t think so. I think the US forces have that covered, stopping new weapons from entering into Iraq. (It seems that it is a little unclear, and also a bit controversial, as to where they have all these weapons in the first place.)

I realize that the “MadisonArt.com Plan – Solution For Iraq” needs tweaking, so please feel free to chime in at email; mail@madisonArtShop.com (please note if we can post your name and message.)

If you agree that the “MadisonArt.com Plan – Solution For Iraq” any merits, please forward all this to your favorite blogger, local congressman, favorite talk-show host etc…

Just my 2-cents. Hope it helps, and hope no one minds!