Great post!

Kalyn Denny — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:32:04 -0500

Truly our country must be the laughing-stock of the world with this ridiculous war. I try not to think about it too often, it just makes me crazy.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

I truly believe that this

Dana J. Tuszke — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:34:50 -0500

I truly believe that this war is the reason our economy has fallen down the rabbit hole. Millions of Americans losing their homes and jobs and livelihood and we're borrowing money to aid a country that may never become a democracy. I can't stand it. I can't believe I was so naive five years ago.

Listen to this and understand the cost of Iraq

Morra Aarons Mele — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:56:42 -0500

If you have five minutes today to mark the five years Iraq has been bankrupting this country:

1) Listen to this interview on NPR's "Here and Now" with Linda Bilmes. She offers the most concise, searing reason why this war has to end: It's financed entirely on borrowing. Given recent lessons learned on the dangers of too much credit, this packs extra punch right now. More:

And, even in the best case scenario, these costs are projected to be almost ten times the cost of the first Gulf War, almost a third more than the cost of the Vietnam War, and twice that of the First World War. The only war in our history which cost more was the Second World War, when 16.3 million U.S. troops fought in a campaign lasting four years, at a total cost (in 2007 dollars, after adjusting for inflation) of about $5 trillion (that's $5 million million, or £2.5 million million). With virtually the entire armed forces committed to fighting the Germans and Japanese, the cost per troop (in today's dollars) was less than $100,000 in 2007 dollars. By contrast, the Iraq war is costing upward of $400,000 per troop.

Most Americans have yet to feel these costs. The price in blood has been paid by our voluntary military and by hired contractors. The price in treasure has, in a sense, been financed entirely by borrowing. Taxes have not been raised to pay for it - in fact, taxes on the rich have actually fallen. Deficit spending gives the illusion that the laws of economics can be repealed, that we can have both guns and butter. But of course the laws are not repealed. The costs of the war are real even if they have been deferred, possibly to another generation.

2) Read the view from the ground: Five years on, there are worms in the water.

3) Join the Blogswarm (see Momocrats here).

4) Question the candidates: This war is no longer George Bush's problem, and neither he nor the Democratic Congress are going to do a thing about it until we have a new President in the White House. Sad reality. Let's keep up the pressure on candidates to stick to a real Iraq withdrawal plan.

McCain: Gaffes on Iraq, and he's the most qualified to lead our foreign policy?

Obama: plans to combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. If he wins, how do we hold him to this?

Hillary: today renewed her pledge to begin withdrawing troops within 60 days of becoming president. Like Obama, has continually voted to keep funding the war during her time in the Senate.

BlogHer - Listen to this and understand the cost of Iraq - Comments

Great post!

I truly believe that this

Listen to this and understand the cost of Iraq