Thursday, August 25, 2005
The Trillion-Dollar War
As this NYT article points out, not only are the American people shielded from the human cost of the Iraq war (more than 2000 US military killed and 14,500 wounded), but the financial cost is also hidden from public view:
Conservatives may be too slow to wrap their brains around what the US could do with 1.3 trillion dollars (health care reform, anyone?), but they should be able to understand what their household could do with $11,300. I sure hope this war based on non-existent WMDs and non-existent threats to our security (and non-existent lies linking Iraq to 9/11) was worth it to Bush voters (and their non-existent ability to think critically).
The Trillion-Dollar War - New York Times
"All of this spending [on the war] will need to be financed by adding to the federal debt. Extra interest payments will total $200 billion or more even if the borrowing is repaid quickly. Conflict in the Middle East has also played a part in doubling the price of oil from $30 a barrel just prior to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 to $60 a barrel today. Each $5 increase in the price of oil reduces our national income by about $17 billion a year.
Even by this simple yardstick, if the American military presence in the region lasts another five years, the total outlay for the war could stretch to more than $1.3 trillion, or $11,300 for every household in the United States."
Conservatives may be too slow to wrap their brains around what the US could do with 1.3 trillion dollars (health care reform, anyone?), but they should be able to understand what their household could do with $11,300. I sure hope this war based on non-existent WMDs and non-existent threats to our security (and non-existent lies linking Iraq to 9/11) was worth it to Bush voters (and their non-existent ability to think critically).
The Trillion-Dollar War - New York Times
