Monday, February 25, 2008

The $3 Trillion Occupation

Most Americans have yet to feel these costs. The price in blood has been paid by our voluntary military and by hired contractors. The price in treasure has, in a sense, been financed entirely by borrowing. Taxes have not been raised to pay for it -- in fact, taxes on the rich have actually fallen. Deficit spending gives the illusion that the laws of economics can be repealed, that we can have both guns and butter. But of course the laws are not repealed. The costs of the war are real even if they have been deferred, possibly to another generation.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is my main complaint against the Iraq war. (Aside from the fact that we don't need to be adding to the number of failing states.) As if this country didn't have more important things to spend our money on. Every other OECD country is getting ahead of us in the race to convert to a 21st energy system.