Iraq War Costs hit home

[Scott Campbell]

It would have been nice if we were able to work out a 2 for 1 with Afghanistan going on at the same time.

[texaspackerbacker]

The great majority of the money spent on the war goes right back into the American economy

Like the contract we are giving to Airbus to build our new fueling planes for the military instead of Boeing?

Sorry Tex. I'm fairly conservative, but anyone with half a sense of financial matters can recognize that the war in Iraq is taking a serious toll on our economic resources when you consider the vast challenges we face in several key areas in the upcoming decades.

OH, no. Leaper has been brainwashed by the liberal media as well. Can they be stopped.

Leaper, you must immediately turn on rush on the radio, Fox on TV, and start reading ANYTHING BY KRISTOLL. DO IT NOW!!! For the love of god.

It is your only hope to returning to a good, normal american.

the funny thing is you know the old bastard is going to now label leaper a lefty because he doesn't agree with the extreme rights wacked out preception on one thing

You either 100% onboard with Tex, or you are against him.

you got it wrong tyrone

if you're not 100% with tex, you're against AMERICA

Do you think i'm stupid?

THat was a given.

Tex=AmeriKKKa.

Hey, I'm just trying to be a voice for normalcy and common sense in a sea of irrational hate and idiocy. I don't give a damn if somebody disagrees with me. There is an ironclad right to be wrong in this country, and some of you really get your money's worth on that right.

It's a shame that leftists can't discuss issues, though. But I guess that's understandable, because the leftist positions are so laughably and shamefully wrongheaded that I can't really blame you guys for not having the courage to even express your views.

[the_idle_threat]

I don't suppose you guys know WHO is behind that website. Possibly Moveon.Org or some similar leftist outfit?

The great majority of the money spent on the war goes right back into the American economy--salaries, contracts, equipment purchases, etc. Thus, it helps more than it hurts in an economic sense.

Sorry, your wrong. If this was the case, our Gross National Product would have sent our economy through the roof, in turn trickling down jobs and financial security to Americans. We are now basically in the beginning of a recession.

This is the 1940s anymore where factory jobs could put a family of four in a nice middle class neighborhood with a Ford Station Wagon in the driveway. He have sent these factory jobs to other countries, or have minimized the cost of labor to maximize profit regardless if these jobs keep pace with inflation an the cost of living. American workers certainly won't get a raise comparable to % of increase in the cost of gasoline per gallon.

Thank you, John Edwards.

[oregonpackfan]

Hmm....I wonder how many mosques, Islamic schools and madrasahs the government can build for $700 million in Washington County, Oregon?

Here's a guy that will gladly help with the planning:

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1739.htm

Ah yes, Kiwon. Get the politics of fear rolling.

If America does not "win" the war in Iraq, swarms of al-Qaida will come streaming into our country and destroying the very country we love.

We heard the same politics of fear during the Vietnam war. With the domino theory of spreading communism, if the United States did not "win" the Vietnam War, the communists would island-hop their way across the Pacific and finally storm the beaches of California.

After 12 years, $600 billion spent, and over 58,000 American soldiers lives snuffed out, the United States finally withdrew. None of the nightmare fears of America falling to communism ever materialized. What a waste that war was and what a waste this Iraq War is proving to be.

[Kiwon]

Hmm....I wonder how many mosques, Islamic schools and madrasahs the government can build for $700 million in Washington County, Oregon?

Here's a guy that will gladly help with the planning:

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1739.htm

right...because that totally applies to the topic of discussion.

Still frozen? Trouble typing? Let me help you.

"Right! That totally applies to the topic of discussion because $700 million spent by the good taxpayers of Washington County, Oregon on wiping out Islamic radicals like this guy is money well spent."

[Harlan Huckleby]

What a waste that war was and what a waste this Iraq War is proving to be.

I can't justify past losses. But all that matters is the situation moving forward. If we can prevent a large war by keeping relative peace for 2 to 4 years, that investment is well worth it strategically and from humanitarian perspective. Granted, that's a highly uncertain and debateable question, I respect either opinion on the merits of investing further.

You keep mentioning the past, even going back to the completely different situation in Vietnam. These are irrelevant points. You are just introducing emotion to cloud or avoid evaluating the facts we face today.

[the_idle_threat]

You keep mentioning ... the completely different situation in Vietnam. These are irrelevant points. You are just introducing emotion to cloud or avoid evaluating the facts we face today.

Quoted for truth,

The Vietnam war was a completely different conflict. It's over, man. Move on.

This situation is very different, and needs to be evaluated differently.

Even more ridiculous is the comparison being made by a different poster between the length of the current conflict and the length of hostilities in WWII. That's not apples and oranges---it's apples and lampshades.

[Kiwon]

Hmm....I wonder how many mosques, Islamic schools and madrasahs the government can build for $700 million in Washington County, Oregon?

Here's a guy that will gladly help with the planning:

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1739.htm

Ah yes, Kiwon. Get the politics of fear rolling.

If America does not "win" the war in Iraq, swarms of al-Qaida will come streaming into our country and destroying the very country we love.

Well, at least I'm glad to hear that you "love" the country.

Politics of fear? How about the politics of reality?

Iran claims to have 6,000 new centrifuges in defiance of the international community, Pro-western Bhutto is assassinated in Pakistan, Israel is under daily attack. Gee, what's to be fearful of? Everybody knows that the Amish were behind 9/11, not 19 Arab Wahhabi Muslims that were organized, funded and sent by Al-Qaida to the USA to train and practice for specific suicide missions. Those sneaky Amish!

Let's do some math. Add these figures:

1993 ........... 1,213
1994 ......... 1,075
1995 .......... 1,040
1996 ........... 974
1997 .......... 817
1998 .......... 826
1999 .......... 795
2000 ......... 774

What'd you come up with? I got 7,514. That's 7,514 military deaths during the 8 years of the Clinton administration. But you already knew this, right?

You're worried about money? How about this article: Divorce, unwed parenting costing taxpayers

Divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing cost U.S. taxpayers more than $112 billion a year, according to a study commissioned by four groups advocating more government action to bolster marriages.

The $112 billion estimate includes the cost of federal, state and local government programs, and lost tax revenue at all levels of government.

Now I hope that you are an activist for marriage and abstinence and adoption so that U.S. taxpayers can save some money. The $450 that Planned Parenthood charges for an abortion may look like the easy way out but really isn't the best solution.

I guess you're in Jimmy Carter's camp. The imam in the above video link in his sermon from last Friday is also a Hamas government official. Jimmy Carter, the Christian infidel, is going to ask this guy, nicely, if he would like to live in peace with Israelis whom Palestinians teach their children to consider as half-breed dogs and encourage them to kill as suicide bombers.

Gee, I wonder what his response will be?

Who's living in reality and who's not?

[falco]

blah blah blah

[Partial]

Freedom isn't free. I would pay that money 100x over if it keeps my family from being blown up by the crazies.

[The Leaper]

Freedom isn't free. I would pay that money 100x over if it keeps my family from being blown up by the crazies.

The problem is that we are paying that 100x over, but this nation is no more secure today than it was on 9-10-01. The border security is a joke, and people continue to sneak crazy stuff on airplanes with ease.

[Deputy Nutz]

Freedom isn't free. I would pay that money 100x over if it keeps my family from being blown up by the crazies.

The problem is that we are paying that 100x over, but this nation is no more secure today than it was on 9-10-01. The border security is a joke, and people continue to sneak crazy stuff on airplanes with ease.

I got a whole tube of Lamasil on the plane.

[Kiwon]

blah blah blah

A fine example of a typical falco post. Notice the attempt at disdain using the repetition of one-syllable words that he learned as a toddler.

Somebody's got his grumpy pants on today!

[Kiwon]

Freedom isn't free. I would pay that money 100x over if it keeps my family from being blown up by the crazies.

The problem is that we are paying that 100x over, but this nation is no more secure today than it was on 9-10-01. The border security is a joke, and people continue to sneak crazy stuff on airplanes with ease.

Leaper, I agree that fraud, waste, and abuse is always a problem when the government is involved. But the fact that a number of terror plots have been stopped or uncovered counters your 9-10-01 assertion.

You are absolutely right about the borders though.

But Partial's right. You can't put a price tag on security and Americans ability to live their lives in relative freedom. 9-11-2001 changed everything and there's no going back. We have to accept the world as it is, protect ourselves, eliminate threats, and build strong alliances with other governments that share our values.

[red]

Freedom isn't free. I would pay that money 100x over if it keeps my family from being blown up by the crazies.

The problem is that we are paying that 100x over, but this nation is no more secure today than it was on 9-10-01. The border security is a joke, and people continue to sneak crazy stuff on airplanes with ease.

I got a whole tube of Lamasil on the plane.

in your ass?