Rick Raw: Cost of The Iraq War Out of Control as National Debt Skyrockets

By Rick Grant rickgrant01@comcast.net www.rickatnight.com

The liar George W. Bush and his oil conspirators, Cheney, and Bush Sr., got us mired in the Iraq War based on lies, then they set about spending vast sums of money like drunken sailors to the tune of $2 trillion in the next three years of the war. Today, the Iraq War is costing $200 million a day with no end in sight. Imagine a soldier’s life in Iraq. He wakes up in the morning and his day will cost his government $200 million. Not only is his day expensive, but he could die any moment when an roadside bomb explodes next to his Humvee. Where do I sign up?

This unconscionable spending binge has jacked up the National Debt to $9 trillion or in actual numbers, (Are you sitting down?) $9,062,766,529,057.01. That’s $29,873.65 that each person in the United States shares. And, here’s the kicker–the National Debt is rising at the rate of $1.42 billion a day.( Over a billion a day!) So, you think your teenage daughter is spending your money like it grew on trees? That’s nothing compared to the Iraq War. It effects everything, from the price of gas to groceries.

The debt is distributed this way: 57% of that figure is owned by the public, and 43% by the government agencies. Public owners include banks, private investors, pension funds, mutual fund companies, insurance companies, and state, local, or foreign governments. Government agencies holding the debt include the Social Security trust fund, Federal employee retirement funds, and other trust funds. Hey, it’s the government–just print more money and borrow from yourself. Behold–the U.S. government is the largest debtor nation on the globe. Do I hear applause? No, go get a drink there is more bad news..

Of course, while Bush and his henchmen are making that National Debt Clock spin like the Wheel of Fortune, young men and women are dying every day in Iraq. Since the Iraq War began 3/19/03, the total of American soldiers killed in combat is 3,151 and counting. Add the deaths from other causes in the Iraq Theater of War, and the total goes up to 3,838 and counting. That’s a lot of grieving families. By putting the Iraq War in its cost perspective-- in dollars and lives--it hits us like a 2,000 pound smart bomb.

When Clinton left office, we had a National surplus. He had eliminated the National Debt and our economy flourished. But every day he was in office he was attacked by Republicans for getting a blow job from Monica Lewinski, or Whitewater, or his wife Hilary’s national health plan. Clinton’s detractors relentlessly attacked him from every direction, hiring special prosecutors, setting the impeachment proceedings in motion, etc. Meanwhile, Clinton was doing a great job running the country. So he lost his moral compass. He’s a brilliant man who gave us eight years of unprecedented prosperity. Compared to W’s lying manipulations, Clinton’s transgressions amounted to nada.

How can anyone of sound mind justify another Republican administration? It will take years to undo W’s mess and get our troops out of Iraq. Yet, there they are, the sorry-ass Republican candidates for President. What a bunch of losers. The truth is, Clinton’s blow job was an insignificant thing compared to W launching an unnecessary war that has cost us dearly –in lives and dollars. Hell, we forgive Clinton’s sexual indiscretions. Let’s get Bubba back with his wife as President. That should piss off the Republican dunderheads for a long time. Kiddy-up