Letter to the Editor
Iraq spending
Published Tuesday, October 7, 2008
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To the editor:
Remember the past! Last time the Republicans were in charge, they almost starved the average American and lied to us at the same time. We must reconsider and focus recovery on our hometown economy and the American people. Iraq spending will kill us soon.
Those Iraqi boys need to step up to the plate and start protecting their own freedom as we did in World War II. There shouldn’t be any more good old boys to the rescue from the U.S.; we’ve got our own problems to attend to.
Community Discussion
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Who was starving? When was this?
I was starving a while ago, but Taco Bell is open late!
I remember when the democrats had the majority in the house and the senate and have effectively brought this country to its knees. Do you remember that? How about when Barney Franks said that Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac were in good shape, that was earlier this year. How about three years ago when McCain and other republicans tried to regulate the above mentioned institutions but were denied by the democrats? Do you remember that? Ask me who the CEO's of those two failed institutions that are threatening the American way of life are working for now and how much money they took before leaving. Come on, I dare you!
Bush sr.
If you want to know what we need to do in Iraq, just ask any active duty or recently discharged soldier. I was in the first Gulf War (that ended too soon) that Bush I and the Saudi's decided the game plan.
The Bush II war has no game plan. The boots on the ground are frustrated by the lack of local support (the Iraqi soldiers), not the support at home. They know that, despite our political inclination, we still support them. But they want to come home.
I picked up a non-political magazine (Details page 43) in the airport in Cleveland last week. It stated that U.S. soldiers deployed abroad have donated $60,642 to the Obama campaign, $45,512 to Ron Paul and $10,665 to McCain.
I equate this to a straw poll as to the direction these fine men and women would like our next president to take us.
javajazz1975 -- your straw poll is non-functioning. Here is a real poll by a real organization:
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/1...
Paints a very different picture of who the military supports, doesn't it?
Now, let's see how hard the DNC works to disenfrachise the military absentee ballots. Therein is possibly one of the best reasons why active duty military should never vote the democratic ticket.
Let's see, the last time republicans were in charge (2001 to 2006) we enjoyed the one of the most prosperous eras in U.S. history; whereas, when republicans lost power to democrats in 2006 to 2008, the DJIA went from 12,500 to below 10,000 points and gasoline went from $2.00/gal to $4.00/gal. Oh, and we had to bail out Wall Street, too.
If Ron Paul gets more votes in the election than McCain does, I'll but you a pizza!
I was in the military and donated to a political party and no one ever asked me how much or for who - your numbers are suspect
AKguy - just pick up the magazine. I just feel the deployed are putting their money where their mouth is. Would you give a donation to someone you don't support? These numbers were retrieved from the candidates actual filings as of August 08.
As for the Air Force Times (AFT), it does not delineate between deployed or non-deployed. And we know about P.O.L.L.'s (Public Offering Little Lies), but I trust the AFT - my father and I both have a subscription and we are both Republicans.
Like I said it is in the November 08 issue of Details, page 43 on the bottom of the page titled "Know + Tell." They have a website, details.com - I've never tried that though
No matter who wins, we all will be facing a difficult next four years. The economy that both parties can accept blame for, will make the majority of Americans do major lifestyle changes. This is just the first of many weeks where you will see the economy worsen. The question is not the war any longer, but who will be able to lead America through what will be the darkest of times for the people of this country.
Sure is funny how everyone is SO concerned with Iraq and how MUCH we spend there. I especially like the part that IRAQ needs to step up to the plate and start protecting their own freedoms like we did in WWII.
How much have we spent in Iraq?
Now ask yourself WHY are you concerned about Iraq when we have spent over 50 trillion dollars babysitting Korea since the UN brokered cease fire.
Don't cry finances when we are throwing away 100's of billions every year babysitting the ROK Army with a mere 30,000 US troops to keep those poor starving, non-industrialized North Koreans from wiping out the fat, well defended, well trained, industrialized South Koreans.
It would sure be nice if America educated itself and was not so emotional based.
Write in Ron Paul, and if your afraid of him then vote Chuck Baldwin. Hell vote Ralph Nader, but whatever you do don't be part of the PROBLEM be the solution! Obama and McCain are indeed bad medicine!
The iraq war is a very small part of the budget in the U.S.It is all these liberal social programs that are breaking this country!
Department of defense spending combined with "global war on terror" spending comprise about 25% of the total budget. I'll first remind you that to finance the Iraq war we have been engaged in deficit spending and then point out that paying interest on the national debt is the next largest expenditure at about 21% of the total budget. Social security, medicare and federal welfare programs constitute less than 10% of the total budget. Oh, and we just redistributed $700 billion in debt (also a deficit spending measure) with an additional $150 billion in pork to sweeten congressmen on the deal. What is breaking this country?
That sounds logical...keep the wars, get rid of the programs that offer assistance to the needy. Perfect logic...where do I sign up? Oh and BTW, huffy, are you signed up to be a volunteer to deal with all the wounded soldiers and ensuing social issues here in the US as a result of your belief that wars "don't cost that much" (paraphrasing there).
Help us protect our freedoms. Troops can join Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty or 'Restore the Republic' or other good patriot groups. Don't forget to vote 3rd party or write in Ron Paul!
Chuck Baldwin or write in Ron Paul '08
Brassmonkey must be talking about some other country.
From the U.S. CBO and GPOAccess website:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/browse...
Total U.S. expenditures for 2007 were $2.8B ($2.4B in receipts) of which...
Entire DOD spending (incl. VA and WOT supplementals) = $736.4M = 26.3%
Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, welfare = $1,551.0B = 55.4%
Interest on debt = $243.7B = 8.7%
Er, Prospector, you're off by a factor of at least 1,000.
"Entire DOD spending = $736.4M"
I think the DOD spends $800M before lunchtime.
Henry: You are correct, Sir.
Adjust my total U.S. expenditures (& rcpts) and DOD figures up by three orders of magnitude.
Thank you.
THIS JUST IN!!!! Ron Paul has changed his name!!!!! IF you really want him elected you MUST use his new name. His new name is I. M. CRAZY. Write it down! Many times. P.s. you're not crazy if the black helicopters are really after you!!!
I concede I misread the budget numbers (which aren't the easiest to wade through), but I was responding to the very misinformed huffy above ("...iraq war is a very small part of the budget...).
Here are some revised and more correct numbers:
Total 2007 expenditures: $2.8B
DOD spending: $549B
VA spending: $73B
WOT supplemental: $115B
Total DOD = $737B (~26% of total)
Interest on debt spending: $244B (~9%)
Social security: $586B (~21%)
Medicare: $394B ($14%)
Since Medicare and Social Security are offset by payroll taxes which explicitly fund these programs (off-budget receipts FY07 $608B). The sum of Medicare and SS expenditures ($980B), minus off-budget receipts is $372B revealing the actual percentage affecting the national budget to be about 13%.
Medicaid spending: $276B (9.8%)
Welfare spending $294B (10.5%)
So, to more accurately compare the expenditures from the DOD and WOT to debt payments and SS, medicare/medicaid and welfare, you have the following:
DOD/WOT/VA: $737B/$2.8T (26%)
SS/Mcare/Mcaid/welfare: $942B/$2.8T (33%)
Debt interest: $244B/$2.8T (13%)
I conclude that the Iraq war is NOT a small part of the budget, but that "liberal social programs" do constitute a sizable percentage as well. Finally, debt interest will only increase as our debt increases, and we should not be encouraging irresponsible spending that compounds this factor. I do think these social programs are useful, and probably can and should be expanded to fill gaps the "free market" is willing to ignore. This is the basis of Obama's health care plan, which will challenge free market insurers to provide more services at better rates in order to remain competitive. Additionally, I'd like to see another Clinton-style round of military budget cuts. There, I said it.
Crucible - Don't be surprised if folks ignore your comments when you drop such inaccuracies as "we have spent over 50 trillion dollars babysitting Korea" into your posts. Generally any who are so inaccurate are obviously not thinkers worthy of having their words studied for wisdom.
I believe some illumination is in order. Anyone railing about Iraq spending. You have a valid point in one instance. However, you may not have all of the facts. Does everyone remember the Oil for food program, headed by the UN, supported mainly by the U.S. which was skimmed off of by Mr. Kofi Annan? Does anyone remember who Kofi Annan was? Does anyone remember over 10 years of maintaining no-fly zones in Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch? We flew over Iraq every single day, engaging SAM sites and radar painting stations almost weekly. We protected Kurds from Sunni onslaught. We funded weapons inspections in Iraq for the U.N. to eventually play cat and mouse games with Saddam Hussein on weapons inspections. Does anyone remember the trucks driving out the back gate of the compounds as weapons inspectors drove through the front gates? Does anyone remember Operation Desert Fox?
Iraq war spending was going on since Gulf War 1 ended. All under the not-so-watchful eye of Bill "slick willy" Clinton. I wouldn't be so quick to blame the current administration for Iraq. Bill Clintion is the one that continued the ball rolling the George Bush started and did not finish in the first place. In a way, George W Bush was trying to end the financial black hole with Iraqi Freedom. How good or bad that decision was is left to another topic of conversation.
I don't speak all of this from biased news networks spinning their own stories. I was in-country, like a lot of other brothers were, when ONW/NSW/ODF all happened.Believe me, we have pretty much been at war since 1991.
JP-offroader is exactly correct. Since the cessation of hostilities with Iraq in 1992 until summer of 2003, we (the UN Coalition Partners) remained in a state of war with Saddam's regime. Same thing with the NoKo government, except we have yet to conclude the war there.
Thank you for noticing JP.
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