Why are so many conservatives happy to spend trillions in Iraq when really it would be better spent elsewhere?

Question

Improving the appalling state of US education for starters.
America ranks behind 16 third world countries in literacy standards and for a developed nation a staggeringly low level of tertiary education.

The outlay for what can only be described as a war for profit at the expense of future generations must surely disgust most US citizens.

I shall stand by for the abuse from certain quarters...

Answer 1

Some fell for the money changers propaganda hook line and sinker.
Some are indirectly racking in billions.
Some love economic system call debtism where not individual, government, or mixture, but bankers control all capital.
Some still dream of day when Social Security is mortally wounded.

Answer 2

In the past 4 1/2 years, we've not even spent $0.5 trillion on Iraq and Afghanistan combined total. Not "trillions". Using actual facts and figures is generally considered the correct way of framing an argument.

And the costs of the war are not what is responsible for the increased national debt. That is due to increased spending, which was generally considered too little spending by the Democrats.

The Democrats wanted additional funding for No Child Left Behind. The Democrats thought the Medicare prescription coverage was not enough.

Lastly, there is a document called "The Constitution of the United States of America". It lists all the enumerated powers of the federal government. Providing public education isn't one of those enumerated powers. And per the 10th Amendment, to paraphrase, if it ain't enumerated, they ain't supposed to do it. Capisce?

Answer 3

The amount spent on Education is irrelevant to the Iraq war. Education is funded to the extent that has been deemed appropriate. There is no pot from which money is divided, some taken from education and given to war.
Sadly, most of the nations expenditures are borrowed, as has the budgeting process for decades.
Certainly lowering the cost of the war wouldn't add more to education.

There is no doubt the costs in Iraq have soared beyond expectation... Where you think the money would be "better spent" is not the same priority as others hold.
There is a quite successful movement in the world to overtake nations by Islamic fundamentalism... one which we have decided to confront before it is too late.
Living in a Taliban form of government, our education expenses would have little usefulness

Answer 4

Congress appropriates the war funding - and it really hasn't changed since the Democrats became the majority last November.
In my humble opinion, the republicans, for the most part, are far more realistic in evaluating the radical Islamic threat to our way of life and the security and safety of the American people.
We certainly have plenty of domestic concerns that need attention also - why are the democrats in congress not working on these instead of initiating bills which they know full well have no chance of passage? Why are they spending so much time initiating subpoenas and investigations that go no where when they could be using this time and effort to perhaps investigate why our public schools are allegedly fairing so poorly?
This isn't abuse - it's simply logical questions that I believe everyone should be asking.

Answer 5

With the money approved for, and spent in Iraq the entire FAA infrastructure could've been upgraded...Including vital improvements to security. These are things the FAA has been wanting for over 25 years.

We could VASTLY improve education in this country...Including teaching Chinese and Arabic in schools. Something that CIA has been wanting since 9-11. The CIA, by it's own admission is extremely short on people speaking Arabic. Investing in education of our youth could have very tangible results that PROTECT AMERICA.

That's just the tip of the iceburg. The amount of $ spent in Iraq is a total and complete disaster, and an embarassment for America (and the morons that voted for this tyrant).

Answer 6

You don't seem to understand. The money is not there just to be spent on anything. I'm sorry to say, but welfare, building museums, funding the arts, giving away healthcare ARE NOT nearly as important as national security. Now you can argue all day long about how you then don't agree with the war, but regardless, that money never would have been spent any other way.

And that's another thing... education, welfare, etc all you liberals ever do is spend money on this crap and it NEVER improves. And then next election year, you whine and cry and blame Republicans because you don't have enough money... MONEY ISN'T THE ANSWER. Perhaps you should begin looking into solutions to our problems with education, welfar, etc. instead of trying to "fix" or "realign" everything.

Case in point: MOST of the teachers I have had were idiots. Paying them more and giving them better benefits DOES NOT FIX THAT. Instead, raise the standards of the people you hire to teach our kids and hold them to those standards ONLY THEN can you justify paying them more- when such time comes that they deserve it. Idea... instead of adding more tests every year to the children, make the teachers take tests each year. Our kids aren't going to be able to compete with those of other nations if our teacher's can't.

Welfare: as long as I see one entry-level job in the classifides, there is NO EXCUSE for anyone to be on welfare and not working. But instead, I am expected to pay more money out of my pocket each year so that good for nothing lazy bums can sit on their rumps and watch Oprah. Granted that, most often is not the case, all I am saying is that if you are attempting to contribute nothing to society, then society has no obligation to support you. But God forbid us ask people to work hard. There would be a revolt.

Answer 7

batman said...."they are both bad but at least keeping the war over there protects us here!" Actually Batman the war in Iraq has absolutely nothing to do with our safety here. That war does not make us safer. You guys are delusional if you think the Iraq war has anything to do with the US being safer. Afghanistan, you can make that arguement since that is where terrorists were being trained. If Iraq became a threat to our national security it only did so after we invaded. Do T ...You think most of us are far more educated than Obama? He has a law degree from Harvard and he recieved his BA, I beleive, from Columbia. Where did you get your schooling and up to what level. Obama is a highly educated man and far from an idiot, whether you agree with him or not.

Answer 8

Do you have any idea how much we already spend on education. Now I'll be the first to admit that our education system appears to be broken but we just can't keep throwing money at it expecting that will fix it. If you really want to fix education get rid of the Teacher's Unions. But you liberals think that that's the only remedy to anything and everything, just keep throwing money at it. Do you know what the definition of insanity is; its doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome.

Answer 9

Its unpleasant to send that money over there for war, but we enjoy a free country here and would like to keep it that way. War is a terrible thing, but as long as the Muslim terrorists are bend on war , we will have no choice but to answer the call. It least its not on our soil yet.

Answer 10

Still wondering what happened to the 100 billion that went to lib ruled New Orleans Now That's weel spent Huh