Would You Rather Have $1,075 Or The War In Iraq?
That's the question being asked by Just Logan at the Cato Institute blog in response to this UPI story about the cost of the war in Iraq.
Apparently the total cost of military operations in Iraq has been totalled to $318.5 billion, or $1,075 per American.
I'm actually sort of surprised at how small of an amount that is.
I also think it's a bit misleading to ask if Americans would rather have that money or the war in Iraq. For one thing, if the war had never happened it isn't likely that Americans would have gotten to keep $1,075 of their tax dollars.
For another, we should be accurate about what the war in Iraq represents. We should ask, "Would you rather have $1,075 or 26,000,000+ Iraqis living in oppression under Saddam Hussein" or "Would you rather have $1,075 or Saddam Hussein still sponsoring suicide bombers in Israel?" Or even "Would you rather have $1,075 or Saddam Hussein still using misappropriated UN oil-for-food program to bribe his way out from under sanctions so that he could resume his WMD's programs?"
I suspect that if an accurate cost/benefit analysis were done of the war in Iraq most Americans would be satisfied that they got their money's worth.
Apparently the total cost of military operations in Iraq has been totalled to $318.5 billion, or $1,075 per American.
I'm actually sort of surprised at how small of an amount that is.
I also think it's a bit misleading to ask if Americans would rather have that money or the war in Iraq. For one thing, if the war had never happened it isn't likely that Americans would have gotten to keep $1,075 of their tax dollars.
For another, we should be accurate about what the war in Iraq represents. We should ask, "Would you rather have $1,075 or 26,000,000+ Iraqis living in oppression under Saddam Hussein" or "Would you rather have $1,075 or Saddam Hussein still sponsoring suicide bombers in Israel?" Or even "Would you rather have $1,075 or Saddam Hussein still using misappropriated UN oil-for-food program to bribe his way out from under sanctions so that he could resume his WMD's programs?"
I suspect that if an accurate cost/benefit analysis were done of the war in Iraq most Americans would be satisfied that they got their money's worth.
