costs & losses in the war in Iraq

I heard on the news this morning that the war in Iraq so far has cost 1.7 trillion dollars. Whether that number is correct or not (as pointed out that it may not be by the same broadcast) is not important. I did however find a website with a continual cost of what the war is. It had the cost of the war as of today at about $468 billion dollars. The website has nice links that show very well what the war is really costing the United States.

I remember when this war first began and Iraq was threatening that the U.S. was going to lose the war. I am not exactly sure what was meant by ‘lose,’ but has the U.S. lost the war? For months now there has been serious talk in Washington D.C. about taking U.S. troops out. Although no bill has passed, just the mere fact that there is serious discussion and a close vote to do it says that this war in Iraq is not going as planned. Another indication of how seriously this war has failed is how many people are ready for George Bush to be out of office. There are bumper stickers and all types of propaganda promoting the day when G.W.B. leaves the White House permanently. (I can proudly say that I did not want him in the office before he was voted in, in 2004.) Although the war has been called ‘another Vietnam’ and people are calling for a national holiday when Bush is out of office these are not the real costs or losses of the war.

The real costs as I alluded to in the first paragraph are how much the U.S. has spent on this war. The U.S. may not have lost the war in a military defeat, but has certainly lost in its budget and spending. Children are not getting adequate education, but money continues to pour into the war in Iraq. People do not have adequate housing, but money continues to pour into the war in Iraq. People do not have adequate health care, but money continues to pour into the war in Iraq. People are losing loved ones, but money continues to pour into the war in Iraq. All these losses can not be merely blamed on the war or defense spending. However, $468 billion dollars, or whatever the cost, could be turned into a better life for the people of this country.


The BBC has a good website on the war.