Billmon: Rates of Return

"This is a country that is worth the investment because once it emerges as a country that is a stabilizing factor, you'll have a very different kind of Middle East. And I know that from the point of view of not just monetary costs, but the sacrifice of American lives, a lot has been sacrificed for Iraq, a lot has been invested in Iraq."

Condoleezza Rice
Associated Press interview
December 21, 2006

Yes, a lot has been invested. But just look at the dividends: