To stop the Iraq war, wouldn't the easiest way be to not fund it?

Question

The Democrats have been trying to pass legislation this week (Sept 17th) to end or draw down the war in Iraq with no success due to Republican opposition. Wouldn't it be easier to just not pass any spending bills, or give the President much less than he requests in those spending bills?
Am I missing something?

What I'm finding comical is that some responders believe the military would continue to function, like nothing had changed, once funding was cut. Like a driver who just keeps driving once they see their almost out of fuel. The military doesn't operate like that and I hope your smart enough to know that.
Also, the arguement that we should concentrate on the "war on proverty" .... well the US is blowing through 5 billion (yes .. with a B) a week. I'm sure no one can think of anything we could spend that money on here in the US ... like poverty.
And finally .. the hollow arguement that anyone who wouldn't vote for the spending bill to continue the war would be voted out of office. Since, as stated earlier, the military would start drawing down the troops, because they couldn't pay them, i don't believe the majority of US citizen's who are against Bush's war would hold it against the members of Congress. If anything, its Bush who will be voted the dog catcher because of this mess

Answer 1

YES you are missing something. To do what you are talking about would get the Democratic party labeled as abandoning our troops in combat. The next election no democrat could get elected dog catcher outside of the major cities. This move would get a large number of American Military killed and also open people who did it to charges of TREASON. Not from sitting Republicans but from the families of the military killed in the aftermath of such a vote.

Answer 2

Congress could do that if they had the votes; just not pass any military funding bills and no continuing resolutions but politically they won;t do that. Two reasons it has an effect on the military personnel getting paid and it would, probably more important to them, the DOD civillians workers wouldn't get paid. They do not have the votes to even conside that. The second reason is that both parties are playing election year politics-the Democrats do not want to end the war with Bush in office or before the election so they posture and do nothing-this keeps the pot boiling and the activist active; the Republicans have less power (they do not control Congress) and want the Democrats to look ineffective and soft on terrorism and against supporting the military. As the old curse goes a pox on both parties.

Answer 3

The Democrats are not trying to stop the war.

They want the war to keep going. It will give them the White House and a strong enough majority in congress to do what ever they want. They will keep putting up bills that they know will fail to make it look like they are trying for the far left. Moveon.org and other give them millions to stop the war. If they do it now though, they will lose their major issue for 2008. If they were serious about stopping the war they would not approve any new funding, or work with the republicans and come up with a compromise to end it, but they will not. They will just put up bills they know will fail, then bash the republicans for it failing, collect the campaign donations from the far left, and laugh the whole way to the bank.

Answer 4

Not funding the war would also be the easiest way to ensure a very large turnover in both Houses of Congress. It would also be an easy to get people out to the polls, come election time, to vote them out of office.

Answer 5

Yeah, they could defund the war. But apparently none of them are as stupid as you are, because they won't do it. They know better. If you cut the funding, what happens? the poor b@$tards that are over there won't get the food, supplies, or money they need, and they will be forced to do without. It would kill soldiers and Marines far faster tahn funding them would. Plus, if they defund the war, the first unit that loses men because they ran out of ammo, or fuel, or couldn't get support because the choppers had no gas or the artillery had no shells, that would be on their heads.

If even one of my buddies, or worse, my wife died because they didn't get the supplies they needed because the war was "defunded", I would expect to be able to go to your house, and kick your @$$.

Personally, I wish we would defund a war that we have been losing for 40 years, the "War on Poverty". We could "defund" welfare, medicaid, food stamps, and all of those other failed programs that never have achieved their goal of ending poverty. That war has been going on since Lyndon Johnson declared it. Seeing how it is a failure, we should get our money out of that and just delcare defeat.

Answer 6

No, but it's the consequences that we're not willing to deal with, plus the fact whomever ends the war (Democrats/Republicans) will forever be blamed for the humanitarian crisis which follows & possible a broader conflict in the middle east.

Answer 7

YAY less money for my family! Let's see... as it is my husband and I dont get much more for him being away then when he's home. 8,000 miles and a whole lot of danger and we can still hardly manage to make the bills. Add to that the cuts for funding would me LESS of the gear my husband needs (we've spent thousands in things the military has on back order, just so he can survive).

Yes, you are missing something. You're missing that cutting funding to our military is f*cking with thousands of families that already ARE NOT being paid enough to make it. They defend your freedom, and no matter if you think this war is right or wrong you need to understand that just cutting funding would not just end the war. It's much more complicated then that.

I REFUSE to have my husband die because you and a few others dont believe in what he is fighting for, and so you think you can just cut off what little money they already get.

My husband believes in what he's doing, and trust me, he would much rather be home, but he can tell you himself what he sees: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyqILn1SdNo

It's his 3rd tour, he's not getting everything he needs, yet he and his squad knows they are making a difference. What have you done for your country today?

Answer 8

Yes it would be easier Ben for them to do that, and its what they are trying to do. The problem is it means casting a vote for total defeat and accepting that radical Islamic factions are going to control Iraq as we march out. Those people in Iraq that supported us will be dragged from their homes and their heads left on poles at the cities entrance to let everyone know who is in charge. The women will probably be stoned to death by teenagers as a training mechanism for a future generation of suicide bombers. Sure; the Democrats can make it happen and Al queda sure hopes they do.

Answer 9

This current war is already a no win situation. It was started for personal reasons and has unfortunately cost us thousands of lives and billions of dollars. No matter how much we spend there or how long we stay, they will never live the lives that our current president thinks they should. We have absolutely no business going in there and telling them how to live , think or vote. They have been in conflict with each other since time began and now are sucking us down the hole with them. Let them fight their own wars. We need to refocus our attention on actually fighting terrorism and stop poking our noses where they don't belong under the guise of spreading democracy. The only reason we are in the region is what they have.......OIL, and we are paying for it with the lives of our troops and our tax dollars. ADDED COMMENT: For all those who think my comments are a slam on our brave troops...You are sadly mistaken. I simply hate seeing their lives being put in harms way for the personal agenda of a select wealthy few. You are also sadly mistaken if you think we belong in the middle east telling them how to think, vote , live and worship.

Answer 10

I agree with mustangsally, to not fund the war means our military won't get paid for their hard work. They work harder than anyone, yet their pay is chump change.