Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Cost of the War in Iraq

What's the war in Iraq going to cost you? Well, a study by Professor Joseph Stiglitz of Columbia University and Linda Bilmes, a budget expert from Harvard, concludes the cost could be two trillion dollars.

It's hard to even begin to fathom the problems in this country that we could tackle with a $2 trillion payload?

Ending homelessness?
Curing cancer?
Investing in renewable energy?
Rebuilding our crumbling highway infrastructure?
Paying off the national debt?

If only we had the national will to wage such a war on critical domestic issues, we could be building a country that in twenty years or so would be worthy of our children.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Scott,
I've been lurking here for a while, and while your facts are correct I take issue with many of the conclusions that you come to. First off, 2 trillion dollars is a lot of money. However this country has a lot of money, and many of the complaints about Americans is that we are greedy selfish warmongers. How better to spend our wealth than to try to truly improve the lives of others. How mny countless Iraqi's died at the hands of a brutal dictator? How many more suffered? How better to be a light in a dark region of the world than to show true respect to people, by equal treatment?
Merely spending money on domestic programs, where there is so much waste alreay is selfish, greedy, and not a stewardly use of the blessings bestowed on this great country.
Is the lack of a cure for cancer simply a lack of funding? I doubt it, science cannot erase sin and its results. Homeless, is that a lack of money, or a lack of responsibility? Billions are being spent on renewable energy, ethanol and biodiesel. I have yet to see evidence of crumbling hiway infrastructure, esp with massive Highway bill signed into law. National debt? I agree a balanced budget is necessary, but national debt vs. free and democratic Iraq? Iraq wins everytime.

LeeSun said...

Isaac,

Your intentions are good, I'm sure, so well done for that. However, your statement "How many Iraqis died at the hands of a brutal dictator?" assumes that the US went into Iraq to do something good.

I would suggest you listen to this talk by Naomi Klein analysing the aftermath of the attack on Iraq. Her speech is in three parts -- the links take a few minutes to load up, but it's quite worth the wait.

I would suggest you research what really went on in Iraq, and what's happening now, before you tout the virtues of the US invasion of it.

Free and democratic Iraq? A nice idea indeed, and certainly worth 2 trillion dollars, if you can put a price on freedom.

Unfortunately, that's not what the US was buying with its 2 trillion dollars. Wake up and smell the "greedy selfish warmongerer".