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Iraq could cost 1-2 trillion dollars.

Lefty

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A new study by two leading academic experts suggests that the costs of the Iraq war will be substantially higher than previously reckoned. In a paper presented to this week’s Allied Social Sciences Association annual meeting in Boston MA., Harvard budget expert Linda Bilmes and Columbia University Professor and Nobel Laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz calculate that the war is likely to cost the United States a minimum of nearly one trillion dollars and potentially over $2 trillion.

The study expands on traditional budgetary estimates by including costs such as lifetime disability and health care for the over16,000 injured, one fifth of whom have serious brain or spinal injuries. It then goes on to analyze the costs to the economy, including the economic value of lives lost and the impact of factors such as higher oil prices that can be partly attributed to the conflict in Iraq. The paper also calculates the impact on the economy if a proportion of the money spent on the Iraq war were spent in other ways, including on investments in the United States

http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2006/1/5/11510/30624

Estimated Cost of Iraq War:
$1,000,000,000,000 - $2,000,000,000,000
:shock:
...
Wow
 
Lefty said:
http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2006/1/5/11510/30624

Estimated Cost of Iraq War:
$1,000,000,000,000 - $2,000,000,000,000
:shock:
...
Wow

Oh, this can't be right, Lefty. George Bush said that oil would pay for the war, and we know that George Bush doesn't lie, damn it!


:lol:

Seriously, this enrages me. What kind if idiot does tax cuts during a time of war AND when we are already in the one of the worst deficits we have ever had. Are any repubs bothered by this? Oh, and by the way, I benefit from these tax cuts, so I'm not complaining because of that.
 
Lefty said:
http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2006/1/5/11510/30624

Estimated Cost of Iraq War:
$1,000,000,000,000 - $2,000,000,000,000
:shock:
...
Wow
If they're accurate, these figures are just the cash costs.

The geo-political fallout from the Iraq fiasco, already considerable, is probably going to be very costly for the United States.
 
The issue here is not the actual dollars paid for the "investment", but the "return" of having done so...

If 20 years from now, we see that the liberation of the Iraqi people jumpstarts a revolution of democracy in the Middle East, beset not only with an intolerance of radical Islam, but bringing the ME out of the 6th century into the current global community, then just having them as a trading partner will make up for any cost invested currently...that's not even including security issues......One trillion will be a pittance...

Example...(no facts...just logic)...

How many satellite dishes have been erected in Iraq in the last two+ years?...Before we showed up, they were non-existant(that wacky "freedom of press" thingy)...Now, they're all over the country...If an American company has a hand in this, their revenues would be taxed by the US government(unless there was a pre-existing contract with the US government, in which we're already paid)...

Either way, US revenues increase...We got a "return" on our "investment"...

That's just one not-so-scientific example...How many more are out there?...

Complaining you paid $200,000 for a house doesn't mean crap if you can sell it for $400,000 a few years later...

Of course, there are no guarantees, but what we've done so far in Iraq (and future plans) is so low it could be considered insignificant from a financial perspective...
 
Now that's some ****ed up ****. For that much money, couldn't we have stopped terrorism by giving every family in the arab world a million dollars?

Anyone else seething at the knowledge that Bush will continue to prevaricate around the definition of "responsible," and completely evade all sembalance of accountability? I'd be saying much MUCH more about my feelings on Bush, but I don't want to make them angry.

I love Big Brother!
*cowering* please don't render me to Egypt
 
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cnredd said:
The issue here is not the actual dollars paid for the "investment", but the "return" of having done so...

If 20 years from now, we see that the liberation of the Iraqi people jumpstarts a revolution of democracy in the Middle East, beset not only with an intolerance of radical Islam, but bringing the ME out of the 6th century into the current global community, then just having them as a trading partner will make up for any cost invested currently...that's not even including security issues......One trillion will be a pittance...

cnredd there is no certainity that what you said above will happen. Your are just hopefully speculating. The Neo-cons totally misjudged Iraq, they may have totally misjudged the middle east.

What ME countries are controlled by a theocratic radical Islam? Iran. hmmm
Iraq certainly was NOT controlled by radical Islam, in fact it was the most secular. I find it hard to believe that the war in Iraq is about radical Islam.

I hope your right cnredd I truely do, but I think Bush and his admin are starting to realise it might not happen.
 
GarzaUK said:
cnredd there is no certainity that what you said above will happen. Your are just hopefully speculating. The Neo-cons totally misjudged Iraq, they may have totally misjudged the middle east.

What ME countries are controlled by a theocratic radical Islam? Iran. hmmm
Iraq certainly was NOT controlled by radical Islam, in fact it was the most secular. I find it hard to believe that the war in Iraq is about radical Islam.

I hope your right cnredd I truely do, but I think Bush and his admin are starting to realise it might not happen.
When the US entered the European theater in WWII to attack the leadership in Germany, where did they start?...

France...

The direct route is not always the correct one...

Patience grasshopper...:cool:
 
aps said:
Oh, this can't be right, Lefty. George Bush said that oil would pay for the war, and we know that George Bush doesn't lie, damn it!
Oil is just paying Halliburton's bills. After that, CEO's lunch money.
 
I have a feeling , by the time this is all said and done.....we will be paying far more than a couple trillion.
 
cnredd said:
When the US entered the European theater in WWII to attack the leadership in Germany, where did they start?...

France...

The direct route is not always the correct one...

Patience grasshopper...:cool:

Bin Laden is not trying to beat you by military means, he knows that is impossible. Bin Laden's aim is to bankrupt America through a series of wars. That is the only way to hurt America is through their wallets.

Every since 9/11 the US has given Bin Laden EVERYTHING he has wanted, wars, expensives wars.

Let's not forget Afganistan is still far from won, there as been and increasing uprising there. Did you know that 60% of the Afghan government can't read or write?? What's that about?
 
cnredd said:
The issue here is not the actual dollars paid for the "investment", but the "return" of having done so...

If 20 years from now, we see that the liberation of the Iraqi people jumpstarts a revolution of democracy in the Middle East, beset not only with an intolerance of radical Islam, but bringing the ME out of the 6th century into the current global community, then just having them as a trading partner will make up for any cost invested currently...that's not even including security issues......One trillion will be a pittance...
What happens in the Middle East perhaps later this year - when the American troops are withdrawn from Iraq - should be the focus of attention. The long term political "investment" which might pay off in twenty years time, looks like wishful thinking.

If, as seems likely, Iraq descends into civil war and Iran acquires a nuclear capability, the US could be obliged to rethink its "global mission" and adopt a more realistic view of its role as Atlas, bearing the weight of the world on its shoulders.
 
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