Is the true tragedy of Bush's war the things we aren't doing to protect ourselves here bc we can't afford to?

Question

Just think what we aren't doing because of the cost of the war.

We are spending $8 billion a month in Iraq. That's $2 billion each week, $267 million each day, or $11 million each hour. For what we spend in three weeks, we could make needed improvements in order to properly secure our public transportation systems. For what we spend in five days, we could put radiation detectors in all of our ports. And for two days in Iraq, we could screen all air cargo. [This material is from Howard Dean, DNC].

Answer 1

You're exactly right. Even if your figures are HALF of what you posted we could use it in a much better way on homeland security. It's amazing more people aren't realizing this instead of falling for the scare tactics that Bush is putting out there to defend us being in Iraq.

Answer 2

Having some background in logistics and at this point thinking that a politician (any politician) is the last source I want to hear from on something which requires factual analysis.
The fact is that the whole Homeland Security Issue is a farce and any military man who has ever studied tactics and strategy can (not necessiarly will) tell you so.
When Tom Delay was promoting the "bi partisan" push to get it passed he made the statement "It will make the public 'feel safe'!" and that was all it did and then only for a little while until people began to realize that it was just another weakening of the constitution and another direct attack on our personal freedoms.
In the event terrorists want to launch another attack on this country there is little anyone can do to stop a determined finatic and I assure you that these people are finatics. You go ahead kiss up to them all you desire and they will accept your support gladly they may even thank you as they detonate their next weapon.
As for the WOMDs:
At least as far as the biological and chemical aspects they did exist. We know this because Sadam used them on his own people ie the Kurds,
Though there is some evidence (after the fact) that they may have been destroyed, all that would have been required was to demonstrate that fact. Sadom did not.
At the beginning of the conflict after having denied the existance of any WOMDs for years Sadam and his sons threatened to use said weapons if attacked and having a record of previous use this was a plausable threat.
Oh and by the way there was information from the previous administration that WOMDs existed and the inteligence community was so hamstrung by 5 decadades of restrictions and budget cutting (primarily at the hands of the Democrats) that they would have been lucky to find the info they needed if it were on the jumbotron in Times Square.

Answer 3

When was the last terrorist attack in America? The answer alone should tell you how well we are doing in protecting Americans.

Dean is a liar and a socialist. Do you want a socialist/communist USA?

Dean Lies:
Liberating 25 million Iraqis was "wrong." Saddam's capture doesn't make any difference.
Osama bin Laden should be presumed innocent, despite his own admission of responsibility for the 9/11 attacks.
Bush knew in advance about the 9/11 attacks.
The Global War on Terror is a failure.
The economy's a disaster.
The administration is hiding terrible secrets.
The lies are so numerous they cannot all be printed here but Google "Howard Dean" lies, and you can read them for yourself.

I have to tell you, your question is pretty feeble as far as it goes on bashing bush.

Answer 4

Where are the billions going??? To fat cat contracts. And the front line people are trying to secure the nation (like ports) and all the money is going elsewhere. The tragedy is the 18 y.o. Marine from my town that was killed in Iraq. The tragedy is the thousands that have died. Any sensible nation involved in a "war" would re-evaluate and come up with a new strategy after year #2. Instead, for years we hear the same reports in the news day after day ago the same car bombs and IED's and this and that yada yada yada. How can we have confidence in the leadership of our country to protect the homeland if they are doing such a bad job managing the war abroad.

Answer 5

The problem is that your information came from Howard Dean and the DNC.

The numbers are inaccurate...
To start the amount of money spent in Iraq also includes the salaries of the soldiers who would be getting pain any way. A large chunk of change.

There is also the routine maintenance of vehicles and machinery that would be taking place anyway.

The actual amount of money spent funding the war is far less then the DNC numbers. Also, George Bush simply requested a budget, congress approved it.... remember there is a system of checks and balances in the government. If you are upset, write your congressman.

Simply put, we are not spending $8 billion a month in Iraq. The economics of that number simply don't work.

Answer 6

I have to go along with billy31tn and his answer. Instead of all this bickering about a politician why not cure the intire problem by eliminating the problem itself. Get rid of the self-serving jack-a.s.s profressional self-interest politicians who have created the mess this country is in today. Wake up and Vote in those who will clean up this total mess. Most of those who will be running for high office in the up-coming elections only feel that they are deserving of that office because they've been around so long (actually toooo long). Any one who thinks the like of John McCain, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, or any of those others is going to do anything for this country ought to have their heads examined.

Thanks Billy.... glad to see someone else besides myself can see day-light behind the closed doors... now all we have to do is get the rest of these people woke up to what is going on and hope for the best.

Answer 7

Ignoring the source, (since I don't trust Dean's statistics), the concept is valid. If you want the real numbers, you can go to the Library of Congress (thomas.loc.gov) and check the actual appropriations bills.

And yes, the huge amount of money spent on Iraq over the past two years (after "Mission Accomplished") could have been put to much better use actually protecting our country, instead of rebuilding someone else's.

Answer 8

I wonder what it would cost in weeks to fund every social program that you could think of. I bet after three years we could of had health care for everyone in this county. 45 million in this country do not have health care insurance. Was this the cost of the war. Or was it some other social program like head start. As Bush said, they were programs that wasn't working anyway.

Answer 9

No. The real tragedy is that he hit the wrong target. If he wanted retribution for 9/11, as he stated, he would have gone after Bin Laden and not made up stories of WMD to justify his family agenda of attacking Iraq.

There is a great loss of life, to soldiers and to innocent Iraqi people. It is not their fault they were born into a country that was lead by a dictator....as we were born into a country lead by Bush, our own dictator.

Granted, Saddam is a punk, but you shouldn't hit Jane for Sally hitting you.

Answer 10

You all can argue your own points... the fact is that "it is what it is".

We can't go back and change what has happened or what the government has spent our money on.

We can only hope for a better outcome in the election of 2008.