These are the times that pit the war profiteers against the American majority.

Once again, Wall Street’s Investor’s Business Daily jumps into the fray, with this opening salvo:

War On Terror: The party of John Murtha shamelessly seeks to defund and defeat U.S. troops on the battlefield and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The Congress the terrorists wanted is doing their bidding.

As opposed to the Congress wanted by Halliburton, Lockheed Martin, Exxon Mobil, the Dubai Port Authority and all the people who spirited away the missing $10 billion (so far) that has disappeared down the weasel hole in Iraq.

That point is perfectly obvious to the American majority already. Whenever the traitor card gets played by the captains of the War Industry, it’s dollars, not the country, that’s being defended.

So IBD compares John Murtha, House Democrats, Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic party to ‘the Watergate babies (whatever that means) Neville Chamberlain, Vidkun Quisling, Marshall Petain and Benedict Arnold. Actually, IBD says those opposed to Bush’s war are even worse.

Usually such name-calling only gets so shrill when politicians-on-the-take are seeing their cash cows being milked. Visiting the IBD archives of editorial titles alone, it’s clear that IBD fears its herd will be run dry by war opponents, environmentalists, global warming scientists, affordable healthcare proponents and especially, elected Democrats.

IBD, however, has stated clearly what its editorial foundation is (bolding by me):

IBD’s editorial mission has always been to provide clarity and more relevance to issues that impacts investors and business people. Research and exhaustive analysis are at the core of its reporting – a story is never written without those components. Investor’s Business Daily also avoids “news for news’ sake” and thus is usually an outsider in the media world since mainstream media sell papers with sensationalism, not necessarily the substantive business and investing analyses relevant to audiences whose focus is making money in the market. Investor’s Business Daily set out to be different, and not replicate other media, but provide what was missing. Over the years, IBD’s content has lived up to that goal and consistently promoted focus on relevant issues.

The bottom line, for IBD’s editorialists, per IBD itself, is the business bottom line. And the sheer number of its editorials against ending the Iraq War indicates that the continuing carnage offers the sweetest rate of return.

At American Street, our rate of financial return is depressing and desultory. Other than my personal warnings about market peaks, my business acumen can’t compare to IBD’s founder O’Neill. We place a higher premium on human life than is healthy for those who consider money to be the only Golden Rule.

While I can’t speak for all our contributors, who are adherents to several faiths, when it comes to my advice, I can’t even promise a certain rate of moral return for valuing human life so high. As an atheist, I can promise we’ll all become ashes and wormfood, no matter what moral beliefs you put into practice.

Unlike O’Neill and his employees at IBD, however, I’m honest about what motivates our opinions. We’re opposed to Premature Death from Avarice, Ignorance, Inconsideration and Exceptionalist Arguments. The only reward one might achieve from that is longer life and the advance of civilization during that extended period.

We are not blind to the Avarice, Ignorance, Inconsideration and Exceptionalist Arguments of foreigners who seek the Premature Deaths of Americans or of other nationalities. We accept that occasions may arise when a greater number of lives will be saved by resorting to military defenses.

But in the specific case before us, with this war in Iraq, we do not find sufficient cause to promote military solutions against a population that we believe poses no threat to the longevity of American lives.

We believe the ideologies of life-extinguishing extremism must be countered first and foremost by maintaining life sustaining and life respecting policies that offer a clear alternative to the global human populations. Resorting to the ideology that promotes the practice of outkilling our enemies - for monetary profit - produces a highly inefficient accumulation of collateral corpses for the benefit of the avarice-minded. It does not advance safety nor civilization for the majority of any country.

I want William O’Neill, the editorial board of IBD and the captains of industry to experience long lives of great quality. I want the same for my children, your children and the children of Iraqis, Palestinians, Israelis, Russians, Chinese, North Koreans, and everywhere else.

That’s the mutual fund I urge your investment in. I don’t disguise my political agenda with dishonesty - wrapped in the flag or the promotion of fearfulness - for the advance of the avarice-minded few.