Is Iraq democracy a good enough reason to burn through American tax payer dollars?

Question

One trillion dollars is the estimated cost to turn one small country, in this case Iraq into a democracy...larger countries with a real military may cost twice that. Is it worth 1 to to Trillion American tax dollars to change a small arab dictatorship that hates us into a democracy that hates us??

Answer 1

i think it is stupid because how are they going to be able to hold the ground once our men pull out for all we know the democracy after we pull out in Iraq may fall

Answer 2

Well, if that's all it was about, then no. But since your little scenario isn't the facts, then your rant really falls apart when the harsh light of reality is shone on it.

First, you failed to recognize that this was part of the overall war on terror. This war for us started 9/11, and attack that left our economy hard hit. The economic cost was in the trillions. So, here was this dictator, who by all intelligence estimates in the world had stockpiles of WMD, had sought nuclear materials, had continued pursuit of WMD delivery systems, had not dismantled its WMD labs, and who'd supported terrorists, and had close relationship with al Qaeda.

So, a very real, very possible scenario had them supplying WMD to al Qaeda for a further attack on the US. Who knows the economic cost that would incur - tens of trillions - enough to drive the US economy into a deep recession. When reviewing intelligence, you have to consider the bad scenarios and take action on those. You don't get a second chance to be right.

So, the cost of eliminating that threat is minimal compared to the potential costs that a WMD attack would incur.

And this is just looking at the economic aspect. There are geopolitical aspects that follow the same scenario lines. And failure to take action would have led to even more terrorists recruits, as our failure to act after Somalia, Khobar towers, USS Cole and the US embassy bombings did.

Lastly, at least this spending is Constitutional. The $1.5 trillion spent annually on welfare is not constitutional spending. Why not save that money?

Answer 3

Look at the big picture.

A democracy in this region cannot go unnoticed by the surrounding countries that still live and work in fear for their lives.

A government that answers to the people instead of the other way around has the definite potential to change the powder keg we call the Middle East.

Only history and the Iraqi people can answer your question with any certainty.

Answer 4

It isn't so much whether it's worth it for the US to change a arab dictatorship into a democracies it's making sure that Israel is protected against those dictatorships, who unlike the US, are directly threatened by those arab/Persian dictatorships. Isn't Israel worth a trillion US tax payer dollars? I certainly think so.

Answer 5

No, and neither are the deaths and horrible injuries of countless people on all sides. Arrogance and catchy slogans have been the norm for the past six years. Changing another country's political system for whatever purported reason is none of our business. By creating the chaos with Iraq we have succeeded in increasing terrorism and hatred of the US, not lessening it. Many thousands of dead men, women, and children will forever be mourned by their grieving families. The cost is human terms is incalculable.

Answer 6

First of all, Iraqi oil is supposed to pay for reconstruction, not the war. Second, the best way for Iraq to pay back the USA is to continue to frustrate Iran in its desire to spread the Islamic Revolution farther than it already has. If Iraq can stay a fairly elected government and extremeism is continually put down and squashed, they will be paying us back a bigger dividend than any oil or money.

Answer 7

i just don´t get how do you turn a country into democrac by means of a war and killing its people. do you?
men, this only happens in america.....
Second, IT´S NOT OUR JOB!!!!!!!!
ok, so who told us to get our nose in things that are not our business???

good question by the way.

Answer 8

No! dont! stop!..... send them to me I'll dispose of them properly and register your protest!

Answer 9

This is not the reason they're doing this.

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?p=Jekyll+Island&toggle=1&ei=UTF-8&qp_p=jekyll+island&b=12&oid=c37b31a4db9c300a&rurl=www.hbuecker.net&vdone=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.yahoo.com%2Fvideo%2Fsearch%3Fp%3DJekyll%2BIsland%26toggle%3D1%26ei%3DUTF-8%26qp_p%3Djekyll%2Bisland%26b%3D11&qp_p=jekyll+island

Answer 10

Hell no, pay my student loan first.