Futures and options

Death business booms in Baghdad
Mon Apr 25,11:16 AM ET
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Hussein Mohammed never dreamt that roadside bombs and suicide attacks in Baghdad would make him a fortune.With every victim that falls to an explosion and suicide attack, the demand for coffins increases and my work flourishes," said the coffin-maker in his tiny shop in the heart of the war-torn capital.

Several people have been killed on the doorsteps of Mohammed's shop on the notorious Haifa Street, now an eerie no-go zone where a few nervous motorists speed past, only too aware that the insurgents' favoured tactics include roadside bombs. American snipers keep watch from the rooftops.

"During the days of Saddam (Hussein), I used to make one coffin a day. Now, I make scores of them and the demand increases with every suicide car bomb that explodes," said the 67-year-old Baghdadi.

With a daily fare of bombs and shootings up and down the country, it is rare that a day passes in the capital with no one falling victim to violence. [...]

Ironically the accompanying image is archived among the Lifestyle Photos.

The funeral home around the corner is accumulating yellow ribbons--about five identical yellow corsages now adorn the outside walk. Word is that a several of New Yorkers who have died in Iraq have been laid out there. I take comfort in the thought that at least the Democratic funeral home is getting all the business. Not a single yellow ribbon is on display in front of the Republican funeral parlor down the street.

Yes, our neighborhood has Democratic and Republican memorial homes.

[Via Flint.]

Comments

[jpn]

But wait, there is still killing and death and mayhem in Iraq??? Didn't everyone get the "president's" memo? The mission was accomplished ages ago!

We're done. We won. Why don't all these insurgents stop all this nonsense? Didn't we tell *them* that the mission was accomplished?

[Steve Brady]

Yes, our neighborhood has Democratic and Republican memorial homes.

Do they have, er, distinguishing marks, or does everyone just know?

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

No distinguishing marks, just local knowledge. We know that the owners of the Republican funeral home are major GOP donors, a major anomaly for our Catholic/Democrat neighborhood. We confirmed this during the election when we did a neighborhood search for political campaign contributions. I forget which site offered a breakdown name, address, and dollars given. The local funeral parlors operate under the family name and the proprietors live next door or around the corner from their businesses.

Sadly, the same family that runs the Republican funeral home also runs the Republican liquor store, which is in some ways better than the local Democratic liquor store. This presents ethical difficulties.