[lbo-talk] Conclusion of a bet ...

[Jordan Hayes]

It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years on this, but some of you 
long-time LBO-Talk members (and those of you who have read the archives 
since then) may recall that shortly after 9/11 Max suggested a barroom 
bet that the "war on terror" (specifically the military action) would 
"succeed" if we didn't have anymore significant 9/11-style terror 
attacks.

Many threads ensued, but this is probably the best summary:

http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/2001/2001-October/023519.html

I think it was a cynical bluff, but Michael Pollak suggested in 
response:

http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/2001/2001-November/024257.html

[...]


>> I'm willing to bet that fewer people will die of as a result
>> of Islamic-hued terrorism inside the continental US in the
>> next 10 years than will be struck by lightning.

At the time I thought it was a brilliant comeback, and although I 
certainly agreed with Michael, I thought it would be fun to take the 
other side of the bet because ... well *someone* should!  We agreed 
off-list to each ironically purchase a $100 (face value; $50 actual 
cost) "Patriot Bond" and whoever wins the bet gets the other's bond. 
The Patriot Bond is identical to a "normal" EE Series bond except you 
get to brag that you bought it in order to support the wars.  Get it?

Well, here we are, 10 years on ... and what with yesterday being the 
"final day" of the Iraq occupation, I thought it would be fun to 
announce the result.

Can anyone guess the outcome?

/jordan

ps: those bonds are each worth about $67.68 today; interest rates have 
been, um, low ...