Is One American Really Worth $200 Million? Yes, All Lives are Priceless.

When a F-15 airman was shot down over Iran and later rescued, it showed how much America values the lives of those in its military. Unfortunately, not all lives in America are valued the same.

While I never saw it, I do think about that 2020 Michael Keaton film Worth from time to time. Keaton plays real-life attorney Ken Feinberg who is tasked with figuring out the value of the 9/11 victims. He’s basically an insurance adjuster for victims of terrorism. Sounds interesting. I should watch it.

But it’s the premise of that film sticks with me because this question comes up all the time; how much is a person worth? You hear about it in cases where juries have to make such valuations as a result of workplace accidents. Or, how much life insurance should we buy? Or, in times of war, what efforts will be undertaken to rescue a lost soldier?

Several weeks back, America was treated to a two-day saga about a “behind enemy lines” airman, and the extensive efforts that were made to rescue him. Against all odds, he was rescued, and we later learned what it cost: at least $200 million. Why so much? Well, long story short, some very expensive equipment had to be destroyed so that it would fall into enemy hands. So, the equipment was needed to access the soldier, but it could not be safely removed, so it was destroyed (and I expect that the total amount did not include the cost of other sorties to fend off the Iranians who were looking to take an American hostage).

The lesson this teaches us is that all life is priceless.

All for one guy.

A wave of confusion probably emanated from most nations, while at the same time a wave of patriotism emanated from many Americans. “We leave no man behind.” “This is why we are exceptional.” “Other countries would have left him to die.”

Obviously, from a Christian point-of-view, every life is priceless. And, in a manner of speaking, it is just as obvious that from a worldly perspective, no single life is “worth” $200 million. Unless he or she is a once-in-a-century engineering mind or has received $200 million worth of training or is POTUS himself, no individual would appear to be worth that much money.

Or are they? There are actually incalculable benefits to a nation that is willing to be so “wasteful” for the sake of its citizens and soldiers, given the alternatives. Consider:

• Such a story gives America a reason to be proud. Every nation wants to believe the best about itself, that it is willing to do “the hard thing,” the honorable deed, the sacrificial act. Such a rescue is exactly that.

• This rescue tells every soldier how valuable they are to their nation. This has to produce a tremendous surge in morale, in quality of work, and perhaps for remaining in the military even after one has fulfilled their contractual obligation. Retaining that knowledge and training is surely a boon to the military.

• Recruiting and enlistment, a huge bugaboo for all manner of well-known reasons is sure to increase. Who wouldn’t want to serve in an army that so highly values her soldiers?

• America gets to retain its moral authority. Like it or not, America’s moral authority allows it to possess the world’s default currency, keep the shipping lanes open, and be a trading partner for the world. Our moral authority is the difference between us and other superpowers, one that is measured in more than just our GDP. Our words, our promises, our toughness, our resolve, still mean something in a world that is fake, performative, and for almost always for sale.

The Value of One Life, and the Value of Life Itself

So, was it worth $200 million? No. It was in fact probably worth well over $1 trillion! For we proved what we will do, what we can do, and that we are the superior nation because we do promote and accomplish such things. It tells every nation what we will do to protect our own, and it tells our own that they are precious to us. Heck, in the age of AI, corporate downsizing, and hookup culture, one couldn’t blame a young man for joining the military so he could finally feel loved and wanted.

There is only one sad bit of irony that cannot go ignored. The same nation that spent $200 million to save one man’s life, has spent billions ending life by funding the likes of the abortion-provider Planned Parenthood. This kind of moral schizophrenia cannot last forever, and hopefully, seeing this display of life’s value in this rescue might cause a few more Americans to identify their unease with the ending of pre-born lives.

For the calculation works in reverse, too. The willful elimination of small living children has similarly negative downsides. Other lives become expendable. Sex becomes meaningless. Marriage is delayed. Families are smaller. We pursue our own selfish, and sometimes hedonistic desires, which only creates a more decadent and indecent society. Yes, not protecting the most precious and most vulnerable can quickly turn a once hopeful society into an ugly swamp.

Maybe this seemingly “wasteful” $200 million rescue effort will kindle some conversations about exactly how much any one human life is worth. And then maybe we can rebuild a culture which is able to remember that life is actually priceless.

Photo Credits- AOL News, Task and Purpose, Facebook and Methodist Insight.