The War in Iraq Costs...

[Scarecrow Man]

**These numbers are constantly growing, so there may be discrepancies:

As of:

07:15:00 p.m. Wednesday April 5, 2006 in GMT to

07:18:00 p.m. Wednesday April 5, 2006 in GMT

--------------------------------------------

The War In Iraq Costs

$270,933,574,198

Instead, we could have paid for

35,885,241

children to attend a year of Head Start. (School for pre-school aged children)

--------------------------------------------

The War In Iraq Costs

$270,933,665,280

Instead, we could have insured

162,235,727

children for one year.

--------------------------------------------

The War In Iraq Costs

$270,933,700,475

Instead, we could have hired

4,695,313

additional public school teachers for one year.

--------------------------------------------

The War In Iraq Costs

$270,933,768,517

Instead, we could have provided

13,134,272

students four-year scholarships at public universities.

--------------------------------------------

The War In Iraq Costs

$270,933,842,929

Instead, we could have built

2,439,504

additional housing units.

--------------------------------------------

The War In Iraq Costs

$270,933,880,023

Instead, we could have fully funded global anti-hunger efforts for

11

years.

--------------------------------------------

The War In Iraq Costs

$270,933,921,677

Instead, we could have fully funded world-wide AIDS programs for

27

years.

--------------------------------------------

The War In Iraq Costs

$270,933,956,152

Instead, we could have ensured that every child in the world was given basic immunizations for

90

years.

--------------------------------------------

I'm glad there is a good reason for spending all of this money. Can someone remind me what it is?

http://costofwar.com

Now imagine this:

We went to a hospital in Southern Iraq, and a woman was there with a very deformed child and her husband had been in the Iraqi Army and had been in the battles in Southern Iraq and came home and they produced a baby with very severe malformations... Both the Leukemia rates in children and malformations at birth had increased by 600% and it was clearly an epidemic where all this DU had been dumped... It becomes a dust that can be inhaled and infect the blood stream and the rest of the body and it was the opinion of the doctors there that this was caused by depleted uranium... They simply saw this as being a direct result of the war by United States.

Please remember to keep your replies unbias. :)

[Tankus]

just about sums it up ....dunnit

[catgate]

It just makes me glad that we have a reponsible government in our country, that is not totally controlled by ....the desire to leave a legacy to posterity (and cash).

[andsome]

I read the figures above with sadness. However, I view the war with mixed feelings. Saddam needed deposing, he had already killed more of his countrymen than anyone else in history. Hostilities are still being continued by mindless idiots, many from abroad, who just do NOT want a democratic country in the Middle East. It has to be remembered that the coalition troops who are there, are NOT an occupation army, they are now there at the request of an elected government. Many of the atrocities are being carried out in the name of religion. Atrocities by coalition troops also do not help matters. This is all a prime example of mans inhumanity to his fellow man. Iraq has the chance to be one of the riches democracies in the Middle East, but mindless thugs are not prepared to let that happen. I don't know what the solution is as long as outside militants keep poking their noses in where they don't belong. VERY VERY SAD.

[catgate]

Iraq has the chance to be one of the riches democracies in the Middle East, but mindless thugs are not prepared to let that happen.

Thats no way to refer to B & B.

[Geek-Squad]

Scarecrow Man I usally agree with you but i cant this time. As im only 14 Im going to give you my side on why we should be in iraq.

Did you know that in 2004, murders in America totalled over 20,000?

During the entire Iraq war, only 11,000 people have been killed? That INCLUDES civilian casualties.

We lose more people in traffic accidents per day, than they lose per day in terrorist attacks..

Now that we're done proving that violence is WORSE here than there..

This is why we should be in iraq.

1: We put Saddam in power. We KEPT him in power. WE are therefore responsible by proxy for the 1.5 MILLION people he exterminated during his 30 years in power.

2: It is our moral responsibility to repay those poor Iraqi's as best we can. We can't bring back the dead that we killed by putting Saddam in power. But we can, and DID remove him from power to prevent him from more harm.

3: Whether you want to admit it or not.. We're bringing representative Gov't to Iraq. Would you rather them still live under a man who is #3 in genocide behind Stalen (20 mil, mispelled due to censorship) and Hitor (6 mil and mispelled because of censoring)?

4: Despite what the News tells you, most Iraqi's want us there. How do I know? I've talked to several soldiers AND civilians who were or are currently there.

5: By bringing Democracy (OK, a Republic) to Iraq, when things stabilize, it will spread. Everyone likes to have some say in thier lives, even if it is one small vote.

Now, ask yourselves some HONEST questions..

1: Would you give up your voting rights?

2: Is it right for us to not give that priviledge to everyone we can?

3: Since we are the sole Superpower left in the world, and have the means, isn't it about time SOMEONE did something to end Dictatorships?

4: Are you so hypocritical in your soft, American or 1st-World nation, that you're too weak and greedy to help less priviledged people around the world?

5: By bringing them a Democracy/Republic style of gov't, the living conditions will improve. It does by default in ALL representative gov't because the people vote for those who do the most, and vote out those who do the least. (It's a bit of a problem here, yes.. But we still have Human Rights.)

6: Would you deny the Iraqi people basic Human Rights? By not removing Saddam, or leaving Iraq now, you guarantee that Iraqi's will suffer, and greatly.

7: Are Japan and Germany our enemies? They were before we conquered and occupied them, and taught them representive gov't.. Wow, the same thing is happening in Iraq. *GASP*

8: Do you not believe that this world would be better off, if everyone had the right to vote, and basic Human Rights?

9: Even if we went there for all the wrong reasons, isn't a free Iraq worth it?

10: Are you so arrogant and stuck in your soft lifestyle you'd leave them under Saddam, the master of modern genocide?

Seriously stop and ask yourselves these questions.. Yes, it is terrible we're at war.. Yes it is terrible our debt is growing every single day. Yes, it is impossible for us to continue to invade other nations w/o damaging our own nation's economy. Get over it! So we suffer a little..

To quote a pop-culture trekkie phrase.. "The Need of the Many, Outweigh The Needs or Wants of the One or Few.".

GO AMERICA!

[andsome]

An excellent and heartfelt post in many respects, but some of it is flawed. I think that America has a lot to learn about true democracy. It is a sad fact that a poor person cannot get to become president. American politics is unfortunately as corrupt as any in the world, including GB. It is a sad fact that Americas greed for oil is the main reason for invading Iraq. With the massive gas guzzling cars that so many Americans insist on running, you don't have enough oil for the future without Iraq. America is one of the biggest polluters in the world, and has NO intention of changing this. Todays American politicians will all be dead when the oil runs out so they don't give a damn. Venezuela is now in danger from America because of its oil reserves. A few night ago we had a programme on British TV about the country, and saw an American politician state quite bluntly that it is now about time that the Venezuelan president was taken out. Is that democratic? I recently posted a topic on here about Iraq's lost billions. Here is a link to the story. A story of lust and greed at the expense of poor people. Did you know, that company's that many American politicians have shares in have made literally billions of dollars out of SHODDY work in Iraq? Iraq's lost billions Also here An American link to the same story

I think we had better be careful that we don't hijack this topic, but all that I ask is that you are not blind to Americas real agenda in the world.

[edbanger]

I think the total for the civilian casualties given in the post by Geek-Squad are way off the mark.

see this

[-pops-]

3: Whether you want to admit it or not.. We're bringing representative Gov't to Iraq. Would you rather them still live under a man who is #3 in genocide behind Stalen (20 mil, mispelled due to censorship) and Hitor (6 mil and mispelled because of censoring)?

Why do you think the words Stalin and Hitler would be censored?

[dadyassa]

"5: By bringing Democracy (OK, a Republic) to Iraq"

Ve haf vays of making democratic state.... ve haf der biggest stick !!!!!!

[Besty]

Herceptin

Money better spent here?

[andsome]

Herceptin

Money better spent here?

Too true.