Allow me to digress slightly from the theme of this site, international aid. This past week the statements of Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a Democratic hawk, set off a debate in Congress and across the nation over the war in Iraq.
Regardless of the position you’ve taken on the war, let’s examine some facts.
Just under 2,100 Americans have been killed. Another 15,500 have been seriously injured and it is estimated that over 50,000 will suffer from battle fatigue. There have been conservative estimates of at least 30,000 Iraqi civilian deaths.
Meanwhile we read that in Iraq unemployment remains at about 60 percent. Clean water is scarce, and our reconstruction efforts have been crippled by the security situation. Insurgent incidents have increased from about 150 per week to over 700 in the last year.
Murtha termed this war "a flawed policy wrapped in an illusion!" He went on to say, “Our military is suffering. The future of our country is at risk. We cannot continue on our present course."
When further asked, Rep. Murtha, a decorated combat hero, then went on to say: "I'm absolutely convinced that we're making no progress at all. . . . We have become the enemy; 80 percent of the people in Iraq want us out of there; 45 percent say it's justified to attack Americans. It's time to change direction."
So on that note, I’m going to dedicate a few posts to the subject. My angle: What else could the U.S. have done with the money spent on the war, or for that matter the money we'd save by pulling out at this point?
Maybe we should start with defining "How much has the so called War on Terrorism cost to date?" And then see what else is available for that price.
2 comments:
Despite the relatively small number of American armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan (140,000), the war effort is rapidly shaping up to be the third-most expensive war in United States history. This conflict has already cost each American at least $850 in military and reconstruction costs since October 2001.
If the war lasts another five years, it will cost nearly $1.4 trillion, calculates Linda Bilmes, who teaches budgeting at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Nearly every one of America's wars were for some kind of trade advantage or money or for territory or OIL!--Which of course were always fought under different excuses, even as far back as the Civil War. They are trying to pull a compromise by replacing the American soldiers with Gulf War II, and keeping the war running to maintain the sick economy. So Big Business continues to produce war toys, well-lubricated with the blood of human sacrifices, as usual.
Ted Rudow III,MA
Who the hell is Murtha?
He doesn't even rate a blip on the radar screen of importance! He's just a worn out old war horse with a few battle ribbons who volounteered to be used by the Democratic party as a straw man . He got to feel important for a day or two until they realised it didn't work and he became more of a news nightmare than good!
As far as wasteing good tax payers money for rebuilding, thats not our job! WE're also not to forgive them, thats gods job. Our job is to arrange the meeting!
That goes for the two hundred thirty million Bush wants to send to Lebanon as well - dumb idea!
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