What Have We Got For the One Half Trillion Dollars Spent On Iraq?

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by PureX

I wonder where that half trillion dollars went, exactly. I mean, someone has it. I bet the folks who got that money are voting for Bush, and the republicans. Do you think that spending all that money maybe had something to do with BUYING enough votes and corporate influence to stay in power here in the U.S.?

Does anyone know how much of that half trillion Halliburton has gotten so far? Certinainly they've gotten hundreds of millions of it. And add to the Halliburton-Iraq bill, their rebuilding New Orleans bill, too. I wonder how many hundreds of millions they've gotten from that? It seems like a lot of these American disasters turn out to be a real windfall for Halliburton and other republican supporters.

So I guess it depends on who the "we" is in the question; "what did we get for the half trillion dollars we spent?".

Excellent, excellent points.

Tie that to other posts here and what we're looking at it is:

A balooning national debt that we will be paying off for generations

3,000 coalition deaths and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi deaths.

A greater threat of terrorism against us and increased animosity against us in general.

Less credibility and less resources to respond to other real threats when they arise.


And Bush's friends have made hundreds of millions of dollars off of this. Even if Iraq was an honest mistake on the administration's part - let's say they really believed that there were weapons of mass destruction aimed at us there - it doesn't take a genius to know that it's unethical for your friends to profit from the decisions that you make as president. They've raped us. There is no other way to put it.

[nutshell]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

According to a radio report I just heard, the cost of the Iraq war to date is about to reach one half trillion dollars.

What do you think we've gotten in exchange for that half trillion dollars? Are we more secure today than when we went into Iraq? Have we gotten something else out of this? IF so, what?

A headache.

[bender118]

One of the largest deficits in history

[JMoum04]

Well, everyone knows the bad things that have come out of this war, but there is one good thing that I can immediately bring to mind. People have now realize that it is possible to support the troops while still disaprove of the war. In that sense, we have come a long way since Vietnam.

However, I'm not so sure that's worth the half trillion dollars.

[Ciscokid]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

According to a radio report I just heard, the cost of the Iraq war to date is about to reach one half trillion dollars.

What do you think we've gotten in exchange for that half trillion dollars? Are we more secure today than when we went into Iraq? Have we gotten something else out of this? IF so, what?

Our military has certainly got some combat experience from all of this. The price tag is a wee bit high however...both in terms of dollars and unfortunately human life.

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Ciscokid

Our military has certainly got some combat experience from all of this.

Yeah, but they didn't need the combat experience. According to several now retired generals, the military was against this because they knew they couldn't win a war of public relations while also fighting a real war. The people who needed "experience" were the guys in the white house, many of whom have never seen combat. I'm sure it all looked good on paper to them.

Originally Posted by Ciscokid

The price tag is a wee bit high however...both in terms of dollars and unfortunately human life.

Yeah.

[greatcalgarian]

Let us be positive:
(1) At least US has the opportunity to try out various type of new weapons
(2) The military spending means it will stimulate economic activities at home
(3) US has helped those Iraqi exiles during Sadam time to return home and hence has recruited many 'friends' there.
(4) US has complete control on the oil in Iraq.
I think number (4) is the factor that we do not know how much benefit will that bring to the US.

[Booko]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

What do you think we've gotten in exchange for that half trillion dollars? Are we more secure today than when we went into Iraq? Have we gotten something else out of this? IF so, what?

Another day older, and deeper in debt...

[spacemonkey]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

According to a radio report I just heard, the cost of the Iraq war to date is about to reach one half trillion dollars.

What do you think we've gotten in exchange for that half trillion dollars? Are we more secure today than when we went into Iraq? Have we gotten something else out of this? IF so, what?

We got to learn the Saddam looks pretty sharp in his suit.
http://www.newsday.com/media/photo/2005-12/21074001.jpg