The Iraq War has cost us everything for a little of nothing. Some people may be profiting from this war, but the citizens of America are the ones that will have to pay for its faults. The war has cost us three trillion dollars, 4,000 lives, and five years of wasted time, and what have we to show for this war? High gas, more hatred towards America, and one of the largest, high-interested credit bills ever that we have to pay back to China. The Bush Administration mislead Americans in so many ways; he used the 9/11 attacks, fear of WMDS, and other false information to coerce us into supporting the war. Then once he had our support, Bush did not give us correct information on how long the war would last and the cost of it all. Now that it has been established that there are no WMDs, the connection between 9/11 and Iraq war is very twisted and misconstrued, why are we still there? Then we use the excuse of spreading democracy, that Saddam Hussein was a an evil dictator, and that we are freeing there country of the terrorist groups. How can we spread democracy when our country top leaders are lying to the people and our election votes don't even get us the president we want. To make matters worse the Iraq War has also became the last link in the cause of our faltering economy.
While we are saving the world, we have digged ourselves into a deep hole. We have a little over nine trillion dollars in debt. We owe about half of that to foreign countries and the other half to the federal reserve, private institutions and banks. The Iraq War is going to cost us around three trillion dollars and that's going to push us over the edge. Now as a result of our debt, we are in bad recession and future generations will have to figure out a way to pay back this debt owed. Right now we can see the affects of the debt in the average American life. The government has had to cutback on many programs that have had people seeking out refuge in this country for decades now. In February 2007, according to the article "“Bush budget puts pinch on domestic spending - Boosts warfund, hits healthcare," which is in the Boston Globe, Bush proposed a 2.9 trillion budget that wanted to make cutbacks on already money-strained benefit programs for the low-income American families. For example, he wanted to take 100 billion from Medicaid and Medicare and also limit the eligibility for Children's Health Insurance program. Others that face these kinds of budget cuts are pre-kindergarten schools, heating and air-conditioning for low-income families, and scholarships funds for college students. Also in this article, the Bush Administration believes that because of these cutbacks the economy would be better by the year 2012. The hasn't been any reported information on how they are backing this statement up. How can we take care of the people in Iraq when our citizens are left without health care, food, and an education?
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/02/06/bush_budget_puts_pinch_on_domestic_spending/?page=2
In 2005, two economists, noble-prized winning, Stiglitz and Linda Blimes came up with the real calculation of three trillion dollars being used by the end of this war. According to their research these two listed that one of these three trillion could have done the following: built 8 million housing units, paid 15 million public school teachers, paid health insurance for 530 million children for a year, and a paid 43 million college students scholarships. They also listed that three trillion could have fixed the social security problem for about half a century. Using the money in this way would have been more productive for the country then fighting a war on country that pose no real threat on us.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/28/iraq.afghanistan/print
There are some citizens and some experts alike, who are convinced that the spending on the Iraq War is a sacrifice worth making. People that are pro-war would say that the cuts on the low-income families’ programs are necessary in order to defend our country. Many would argue that Iraq posed a threat to America and our allies, having weapons of mass destruction and a ruthless dictator, who was associated with 9/11. In the summer of 2007, President Bush silenced the Democratic party in a debate about the Al Qaeda and Iraq connection using information from the National Intelligence. One of the facts stated by Bush was that “Al Qaeda in Iraq was founded by foreign terrorists linked to senior al Qaeda leadership. The founder of the Iraqi branch was Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian terrorist who had pledged his allegiance to bin Laden." This small connection to Al Qaeda would certainly make people feel as if the war is justified and worth the expenses to keep us safe.
http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy.lib.uwf.edu/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?risb=21_T3152122731&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T3152122734&cisb=22_T3152122733&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&selRCNodeID=10&nodeStateId=411en_US,1&docsInCategory=851&csi=8176&docNo=2.
The 9/11 attacks opened up a window of opportunity for the Bush Administration to deceive and use the grieving of the America people to their advantage. We know that Bush and his advisers can not always be trusted to give full-proof, un-biased information regarding the Iraq war. According to the article “Lying like its 2003,” President Bush retracted his statements on there being weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He also went on to say that everybody was wrong on these accusations before the war began. But according to journalist Frank Rich of the New York Times, “Everybody, of course, was not wrong on W.M.D., starting with the United Nations weapons inspection team in Iraq.” The UN, after several inspections in Iraq, concluded that there were no threatening weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Their conclusions were made before the war began and were expressed to the Bush Administration. The Administration did not take heed to these inspections and manipulated the information to declare war. So how can America trust someone who has been known to rearrange researched information in order to fit his own agenda.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04E1D81E30F932A15752C0A9619C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2
http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy.lib.uwf.edu/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?risb=21_T3169900778&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T3169900788&cisb=22_T3169900787&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&selRCNodeID=15&nodeStateId=411en_US,1,11&docsInCategory=51&csi=8075&docNo=11
It is unnecessary for the war to continue any further. Our future economy and well-being depends on how we recover from this war and the sooner we pull out, the bigger the chance of our recovering. America has a history of upholding democracy, helping out other countries, and being the most powerful country. As time goes by our standards are rapidly changing and our country is going to be unrecognizable. The Iraq war is already one of the major causes of our country's defacement.
22 comments:
Hey, Legal!
I dropped by and took a look! You've got a nice blog here, even though I disagree with your points.
1. The only way those lives are wasted is if we just declare defeat and leave Iraq. Leaving Iraq now would make the Vietnamese Boat people look like an afternoon on the lake. And that's not counting what the Islamo-fascists will do when they see us turn tail and run. Don't forget that bin Ladin himself noted how Clinton yanked our troops out of Somalia when things got a little tough.
2. There are much more important reasons for the price of oil being so high. For one thing, China and India are catching up with the Western World and are modernizing, increasing the demand and raising the price. For another, here in the USA, the same folks who complain about foreign oil are also the folks who say we can't drill our own or build nuclear power plants.
3. You're right in noting that Congress is spending far too much money. Conservatives have been saying this for years. That's why the Republicans lost so badly in 2006: they were spending like drunken Democrats. But, even with our two-front war, spending on the military is still less than 20-25% of the federal budget. And that's from IRS.gov. It's not the war that's putting our gov't into hock. It's all the social spending.
4. As for cutting social spending, here's the dirty little secret: base line budgeting. Everything in the federal budget has a planned percentage of increase for the following year. If the actual increase is less than what the plan called for, it's called a cut, regardless of the fact that the budget of that item is still being increased. This is how the Boston Globe lies to you about Conservatives and the GOP. And here's another little secret: most immigrants to the US (legal, that is) don't come here and soak up the benefits of the welfare state. Most legal immigrants come here to take advantage of the Liberties that far too many natives to our fair land ignore and fail to avail themselves to.
5. Healthcare is not a right. It is a product. You want to see cheaper healthcare? Get the gov't and the insurance companies out of it. Plastic surgery, for instance, is not covered by gov't programs or insurance, and it is getting cheaper every year.
6. We are still in Iraq because that's where al Qaeda is these days. Better to fight and kill them over there, than having to fight them here, don't you think?
Any way, that's all I've got tonight. Congratulations on your blog and drop by Montag's World any time, my Friend!
Greg Indelicato
Woah woah woah, so those lives aren't wasted? You really think we can use physical means to beat an ideology? I mean seriously? I would hope you would know better than that montag! For shame!
You know what, it just just came to me! Montag lets hit up a couple of pawn shops buy some ak47s and sign up for some military contractor service. Then you and I can shoot at civilians until we motivate them enough into believing in freedom and democracy the AMERICAN way. Before you know it we will have Nascar advertised in their own native tongue! They could have a beer in one hand and bible in the other and we would have saved the world once again, and all our fallen brethren would be avenged.
First of all your blog posting is very interesting. Although, in your second paragraph when you mention "How can we take care of the people in Iraq when our citizens are left without health care, food, and an education?" The US healthcare system is currently not socialized therefore health care is not a right for every US citizen. Also, the US has places for all citizens to receive food in almost every city in the US. Moreover everyone who is of age (14 and up) is eligible to apply for a job and can then have some money for food. Last, the US does provides a public education school system in order for every child to receive an education. Citizens in US are being taken care of. Citizens in Iraq are in need of help because of their unstable government. Yes, many people have already died in Iraq, but he death toll will rise if the US were to pull out of Iraq because Iraq would be a target for terrorism. It is in the US best interest to stay in Iraq until Iraq shows signs for stableness within the Iraqi government.
You fucken tell'em montag!!!!!! Look another fucking democrat bitch!!!!! legal11 you suck ass. You and that Waltrox son-of-a-bitch are the biggest shits out here on this thing. Same thing wrong place, wrong war, wrong time. You guys couldn't find your self out of a wet paper bag!!! I hope a terrorist comes and runs a plane into your house, then you'll see why we are fighten in Iraq, It is the will of the lord!!! if you do not agree with me you are mentally ill and should be shot, im affraid, for being a traitor. Legal ass-master hogwasher!!!! i bet your a pre-law major mr.smarty pants!!!! If you do not believe in this war you will not be saved by sweet jesus. Kill them arab mother fuckers!!!!!!
Montag and Beauboy123, you guys are absolutely unbelievable. I created my blog for a college assignment; I had no Idea people like you actually exist. I thought the Jerry Springer show was a fake, damn was I wrong!! Beauboy123, you are from another fucking planet, I think you need to go back!!!
To neworleans saints, our education system is a joke. We have schools that are falling apart, that have old books, and not enough teachers...are you kidding me? Their cutting state funds to the colleges, which is resulting in teachers being laid off, tuition increases, and a minimum on who can get into college. My mom use to get a lot of assistance from state seeing that she is a single mom of 5 kids...but now she can't hardly get any healthcare assistance or foodstamps benefits anymore and she does work. They should be working to make the damn healthcare system socilized. We're not helping the IRaq gov't, we have only made it worse. Now there is a civil war on our hands. To beauboy123, you are just sick...hell no im not a pre-law major at all. If we were worrying about fucking terrorists, we should be concentrating more on Afganistan, where the Al Quaeda was located dumbass. Ok..if the president has even said that their was no real connection between 9/11 terrorist and Iraq, why are you still fucking using the same argument. Ignorant people like you are going to be the downfall of this country. If im so mentally-ill how come I can have a better conversation then you can.
Also one more thing to beauboy123, you can't use religion to justify a war...Not everybody believes in your religion and no one can prove anything..I'm a Christian, but it doesn't say anywhere in the bible, where a country can blow another one up under false pretenses or greediness. IF they would have started with the right reasons for going into Iraq...I might have agreed with it more, but they didn't so I stand by my argument.
beauboy123, now tell me where in the bible does sweet Jesus say that we should kill innocent people. is that what Jesus wants us to do? if you think so then you should read up on your religion, because that sure as hell not mine and I AM A Christian. proud and strong to be one.
another thing how can i really take you seriously if you are going to be cussing like that. don't you know how in deep shit america is in right now. (maybe you should watch the news reports) "great america" owes china billions of dollars because of war. (and that's just china). "great america" is going in recession. "great america" 80,000 citizens have lost their jobs. "great america" not so great any more. (man... i wonder why).
now i want to know what good has come out this war (really). why are we still in iraq? can you answer me that? And how dare you mention that I am a trader, because i don't see this war in your view. (whatever sick view that is). unlike you, before i fight or argue with someone, i look up information about that subject, so i won't make a compelet fool of myself. maybe you should do the same. ass hole.
Im about to lay the smack down here!!!!! Im about to tell you the truth!!!! so liten here hogwashen Waltrox and legall and democrats!!!! you all suck the big one!!!! you aint nothen more than people trying to throw rocks at that good president in the white house. he is a man of god, a richeous man, and you fucking democrats need to shut the fuck up!!! the war is justified for to reasons fuckers, here they are: first we were attacked by them fuckers in the middle east (iraq, afghanistan, Iran: they all the same fucken rag heads - they all need to burn in hell); so... our president is just trying to fight them extreamists; he is on a mission from god, and so am I (in telling you liberal hogwashers whats up)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Second, we need there oil, Im tired of gas prices, and so is the bush administration, so they should them rag heads whats up!!!!!! why cant you fuckers see that!!!!! god damn hogwashen liberals!!!!!!!!!!!!!! fuck !!!!!!
again, beauboy123, you're a stupid fuck. although i agree that people are constantely blaming pres. bush for everything, he did lie. this war has gone on too long. its time to get our good men and women back here. we just need to finish it up and come back. it wasnt a lost cause but its one that needs to be done with already.
beauboy123, you make me laugh so hard. are you really serious? all you are doing is talking. (talk talk talk) Go ahead, "lay the smack down."(probably watch to much WWE anyway) and lay it hard on me, because according to you i'm a "dumb ass bitch." i'm so dumb, because i have witness president bush make america into a sick joke, i'm so dumb that i can see america going into the shittest hole ever, i am so dumb that i can see that the president don't give a damn about anybody or anything except oil. if this makes me a dumb ass person then i would rather stay a dumb ass person then a sick and twisted little man who don't give a shit about anyone. and if you hate gas prices so much get a Aquygen car (if you don't know that that is, its a car that runs on H2O)
so our president is on a mission from "God." Ha!!! President Bush is probably that anti-christ. tell me what god you know, wants to kill all those who haven't done a damn thing to us. are military is dieing, and some don't even know what their dieing for. and guess what? our government want 10,000 more troops to go to iraq. maybe, since you feel so passionate about this, you should go over there and give them a hand.
NewOrleansSaints, this little shout out goes to you. hope you like it...
ARE YOU SHITTING ME!!!
you do know that since america is going into recession, that places that people usually get food, when they don't have the money, have lost most of their stocks. and you do know that more companies/jobs have been lost. 80,000 or more to be more precise. (and its still increasing) and half of those jobs that are still available are only paying their employees bearly enough to live on. the jobs that are safe are the health care wokers. (for now that is) and the schools that are educating our future are a mess. schools are closing because they don't have enough funding and without funding the schools becomes shit holes for our children to learn in. well if i was a parent, i would want a school that is truely best for my children. and why is it now america's best interest to look after iraq. we didn't care before, so why should we care now...unless...theres something in it for us.
to beauboy123, you are starting to sound like a racist..I could see you saying that we should have went after al Qaeda in Afganistan, but none of the hijackers were Iraqi, so why mess with them...only because their middle eastern men. You are assuming that our lives should be valued above theirs. Like the white supremists who thought they were better than the blacks and could just exposed of them for no or twisted reasons. Yea..They are extremists over there about the religion...and since you keep throwing Jesus into this..do you know the difference between our religion and theirs....You know they believe in the same GOD..Since the "Christian" man you should be familiar with the story of Abraham and Sarah, where Sarah gave birth to Isaac and then Abraham had an illegimate son, name Ishmael. Sarah wanted Abraham to get rid of him, but he wouldn't. Isaac later became the father of our Christianity and Ishmael became the father of theirs. we have two things and common same father Abraham and the same GOD. So which one is better than the other? You are thinking just like Sarah did. Yea the terrorists was evil and that what this war was suppose to be about. IF the fight for oil was so righteous than why didnt the Bush administration just come right out and say that in the first place...because they know most of America would have been like "bullshit."..but it would have been honest. Just seem like they made the prices skyrocket more.
Greg Indelicato, You look like one of those rich sophistocated N.Y. stock brokers who's making bank off of this war and thats why you support it. Your points are all out of wack, for:
1. Those lives would not be wasted if we left now, the only thing leaving now would do is prevent the waste of more lives, on our side and the innocent civilians of Iraq.
2. What do nuclear power plants have to do with oil? You can't run your car off of nuclear power. (Unless it's an electric car)
3. Everyone is right about the government spending too much money, and she makes an excelent point in her argument that all of those good things could have been accomplished if it were not for the war. So despite the fact that the millitary budget is only 20%-25% (unlikley) of the budget, what would be the downside to making it only 5%-10%? Would that really be so bad? Do we really need to shoot fucking sattelites out of the sky just to show we can?
4. Seems unrelated to her argument.
5. You are correct in saying that healthcare is not a right. At least it's not in america. You are totally correct in saying it is a product. But if you look throughout the world you find that america has one of the worst, most overpriced, corrupt, dishonest healthcare systems in the world. Many countries offer all of their citizens free healthcare, so your right that it isn't a right in america, but it is in many other countries. And if america is really the best country in the world as you are having us assume, then why the fuck don't we have free healthcare? Oh, thats right, because rich cigar smoking a-holes like you are too busy getting rich off of the insanely high medical prices.
6. One of the most replayed beaten dead horse arguments out there for you pro war bastards. Fight em there so you don't have to fight em here. Well the news is that Al Quadea wasn't in iraq until our dumbfuck president went and killed the man keeping them out. Besides, if we would have never pissed them off in the first place they wouldn't have bothered us.
Newsflash beauboy, the president doesn't give a dam about you. I'm sorry do you worship Bush or God? You can't justify the war by your religion. I'm a Christian myself, but not everyone is so how do you explain it to them? You're reasons are hypothetical, strictly opionated. You can't back it up. And of all people, why in the hell would the good lord speak to you and tell you that it's okay to blow up the middle east? I find that hard to believe. And even if we are liberals and democrats, this is America bitch, WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE WHAT WE WANT. I'd personally rather be a democrat than a, how do you put it, "hogwashen" greasy ass redneck republican. But let's refrain from name-calling, you see I've expanded my vocabulary since middle school, which is where name-calling should have cease to exist. You're pathetic.
beauboy, please do us all a favor and just shut the hell up you ignorant asshole. I want you to just do a little research and figure out how igmorant you really are. Go to this website, http://www.9-11commission.gov/, this document was produced by the United States Government. Please enlighten yourself before you make anymore comments.
Beauboy123 I think you are the extremist here. You sound more like the so-called idiots you are calling those people. You are an ignorant fool who really need to go do your research and stop attacking people, who I actually believe in ethics and morals. I think your problem is you don’t have a mind of your own to think outside the box... and to recognize when you are being fooled. It seems to me that you swallow everything your political ideology portray and run with it without differentiating what is ethical, moral or logical. The Iraq War is not justified because your “religious President" lied to Americans about everything pertaining to the war. You need to learn to deal with the truth. Your Republican beloved President crewed up and now the American economy and the people of American along with the people of Iraq are paying for Bush’s mishaps. You ignorant, hoodwink!
Beauboy123
Everyone here has argued your claims with facts, but you argue their comments with rants. How can you be so ignorant to the world? Bush announced that there were no WMD’s, but you dismiss this fact, even though it came straight from the President’s mouth. You group the Middle Eastern countries together (Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan) and say they are all the same rag heads. I can’t help but to think you a racist pig. They may be close but it’s like saying Americans and the Canadians are all the same. It seems like the only thing you’re worried about is killing the Arabs and stealing their oil. No wonder you love Bush so much, you both have the same agenda. Crawl back into the hole you came from and read a book. Please do something because it’s hard to take you seriously with your limited vocabulary.
Montag, Beauboy123, and neworleanssaints are all first class examples of the new personality order (aka mental illness) that is manifesting itself in about a quarter of the U.S. Population. See my argument with the Jenn Dunn Denial Theory (post on April 1st) at http://www.students.uwf.edu/jlb47/blog.htm
XOXO to all dim wits!
Montag, the fact is that the Iraq War is an unecessary expenditure. We have so many problems already in this country. A few of these problems is that our education system is deteriorating and our health care is insufficient. America is falling apart financially. I have a friend that wants to go to college next fall because her current job does not pay enough for her to live off of. She tried to fill out a FAFSA form to get the money she needed, but there was an eighty dollar fee. It makes absolutley no sense! The cost of living is skyrocketing. We need to be more focused on our own problems instead of looking the other way. People will not be able to survive, and our country will be devistated. Second Great Depression, here we come!
Also, with the current civil war in Iraq, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to establish a permanent order. We are trying to change people here which is an enormous task. If these people are so devout to their religion then they are going to fight no matter what.
Beauboy123 strikes again!!! how is it that all you can say is fuck you liberal college students.. ok then…tell me how you can justify loosing 4,000 lives and over 5 trillion dollars. whether we like it or not america is going to become china’s bitch because we do not have anywhere near 5 trillion dollars to pay back. if you want to keep attacking college students then start bringing some info about the iraq war with your bullshit rant that educated college students don't know shit.
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