There I said it. This is the part of the debate that is often not heard about the war. I supported the war in Afghanistan and I, at first, supported the war in Iraq but now it has gone too far. We didn’t find weapons and we did topple a dictator. I believe that there are economic ways of removing a dictator. Like free trade and also having people free up their markets and push for reforms.
I believe like the founders believed that the military is put in place to defend us, not attack. When we invaded Afghanistan, we were defending ourselves but Iraq is a little less sure. We cannot invade every country that has a dictator that threatens to get nukes.
The mostly unknown reason magazine war is now coming to one trillion dollars since the new $196 billion dollar request from President George W. Bush. This outspent the Vietnam War at around $670 billion (inflation adjusted). Mitch Daniels who was the director of Office of Management and Budget predicted the Iraq War to be around $50-60 billion dollars. I would say he was a little off.
One trillion dollars reason reports is enough to pay for
- The entire 1976 federal budget
- To write a check to every Iraqi man, woman, and child for $37,500
- Buy 169,492 Blackhawk helicopters
- Buy 455 stealth bombers
- Pay for the federal government from 1789 to 1957!
This is just amazing. The worst part it is that Bush is hiding it in the emergency budget. You have the regular budget and the emergency. He acts as if he doesn’t know how much it costs to pay national guard troops. He seems to not be able to predict any of these payments.
Everyone should know the real political reason behind that.
Interesting facts from the OMB and the Washington Post is the cost of all the wars in our history (in billions).
- American Revolution -4
- War of 1812 – 1
- Mexican War – 2
- Civil War – 81
- Spanish-American War – 7
- World War I – 364
- World War II – 3,200
- Korean War – 691
- Vietnam War – 92
- Iraq/Afghanistan – 820
And you wonder why we are headed for a recession?*
*besides what the Fed is screwing up
I think this is a great way to look at Iraq or anything the federal government does with massive amounts of our taxes….
In was very much against the invasion of Iraq, but have been in favor of maintaining a force their to ensure a smooth transition to a stable free-market ish government. I wonder if this is even neccessary now, or if it is even cost-effective to do so.
Every day I become more sceptical of the American occupation, and I am begining to think it is a complete waste of lives and money.
What are your thoughts?
There is massive corruption in the costs of the war beyond legitimate costs, and unfortunately those costs are placed ahead of real war material such a MRAPs and body armor to protect the troops who have been treated badly if wounded and systematically blocked from using the education benefits until the new GI Bill was signed into law recently.
We are in the middle of a larger replay of the Savings and Loan, with a huge bailout of the corporations who profited by the housing financing scam.
And on and on, but the key over-riding factor that is out of sight but guiding in all of this was a rant by a blogger yesterday.
The topic was some preacher promoting being “submissive” to the new world order take over of government. This ranter expressed the views of those doing the take over. Christians are their enemies, which their doctrine calls evil, and socialists/traitors. If you disagree with corporate socialism, then YOU are a socialist, and if you disagree with gutting systematically the Constitution violating it, then YOU are the traitor. If you worship God, particularly if you put your trust in Jesus Christ, then YOU are the devil and the enemy.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.”
The Judeo-Christian values and doctrine the nation and laws were founded on are under attack, and the financial outcome is a symptom of the disease process destroying the nation.
Where absolute lawlessness is practiced as the norm, those in power profit illegally in every way possible since they discard law and Constitution illegally to profit financially, then designate those who seek redress to grievances under the lawful processes of our Constitution to be “enemies of the State”.
The nation is being stripped in every way of riches,our form of government and cultural values. It is not just the war. The war is only one part of what has bankrupt our nation. The doctrine that calls evil good and good evil is what has bankrupt our nation.
NATO must withdrawl from Iraq and Afghan, You cant win this war…we speak in reality, this is not HOLLYWOOD…you know.. ???
If not…THE TALIBANS AND IRAQY WILL FORCE YOU TO RUN AWAY….AND SHOUTING : help…help me mom……I dont wanna die…!!! I think max 2 years, NATO would give up there. And where you hide your face man……???
“Steven”-
Peace through superior fire power!
All we are saying,…is give war a chance.
The beef is with the corruption behind the throne.
And covert Ritual Abuse Trauma (R.A.T.) directed at any one
who seeks redress to grievances through officials
of public trust.
Every hair on our heads is numbered.