For all the money we've spent in Iraq, couldn't we have just bought the damn country?

Question

Instead of sending American soldiers to their deaths, and spending all this money, couldn't we have just bought Iraq?

Answer 1

Hmm, that kind of goes against the reasoning that we are doing this for the oil doesn't it? I would think that oil would make them to valuable to easily buy.

Answer 2

Well, the loss of life is always so much greater than any dollar figure. The cost of establishing a free, freindly democracy in Iraq, a country so mired in strife and so devoid of democratic thinkers and leaders after living under Saddams reign for so long, is going to be great.
Many Americans don't think the cost of having our soldiers die in Iraq for thier freedom, is worth it. Arguably, it is, but other civil factors are making it difficult to realize the potential of our successes in deposing Saddam and enabling a free government to take root in Iraq. It is also clear that Al Qaida and other terrorist groups are using Iraq as a stage for their attacks against the west. It is unclear how or where they would carry out these acts of terror if they were not doing so in Iraq, so opponents of the war may fail to realize the gravity of the situation.
The financial burden of the war is fiction. For every dollar spent, our economy prospers that much more. It has been said that a war is always good for the economy, and while that is a terrible thought, it is factually correct.

Answer 3

If we wanted total control of Iraq that would have been very simple and less expensive. That is not what we are doing though. We helping the people of Iraq build a new nation for themselves and giving them the security their young country needs.

Answer 4

What are we up to now? Roughly $400 Billion spent, not including lives lost or permanently maimed? I tend to think that much money could've been put to better use here at home in the US.

It's sad, really, when you consider that we don't have enough money to feed the starving children in the US, but we have enough to wage war. We don't have enough money to build new schools, or renovate old ones, but we have enough to wage war. We don't have enough money to create a decent health care system for all, but we have enough to wage war. Makes you wonder where the priorities of our politicians lie.

Answer 5

Bought Iraq, from whom, for what and for what reason do you want to enslave an entire nation, Grow up

Answer 6

I can't believe people are taking this question seriously. You can't buy a country. I think they need to pay us our one trillion dollars back. They could get on a payment plan. 100,000 a month for (?) months. You do the math.

Answer 7

Ya we could o,f but nobody was selling it so we had to take it.