September 08, 2003
Stuck in the middle between Kofi and Tweedle Dee
President Bush’s recent speech brought some good news and some bad news. The good news is it appears that Bush is bucking his neo-conservative cabinet (mainly Cheney and Rumsfeld) by putting forth a UN resolution requesting aid for the current Iraq debacle. This is good for Republicans and Democrats alike. Republicans will like this because it may result in lowering the US’s bottom line as far as spending on Iraq, while the Democrats can use it as ammunition in 2004.
The bad news, of course, is that for the next year the operations will cost us upwards of 90 (pinky raised) billion dollars. Considering this is almost 24% of what we spent, federally, on education in 1999-2000 one has to wonder if the entire operation really was worth it. While looking for the above education statistic I happened across a site that translates dollars spent on the military into opportunity costs for education.
The issue of UN involvement is something that everyone in the US should contact their representatives to voice support for. As I stated earlier everyone wins with this deal. The UN may be worthless to the GOP, but the GOP has to admit that saving a few bucks/lives by replacing them with UN bucks/lives isn't such a bad idea.
The issue of money lost is a little more troubling to me. What confuses me is how the President cuts taxes and then asks for 87 billion, which amounts to about 5% of the total 1.7 trillion dollar 2004 budget. Is Iraq really worth 5% of your tax money? If you are Republican think of the items you could mark off your own platform's agenda.
- Fund your entire education initiative. Twice.
- Fund two thirds of your entire health care initiative. Or just under 1/3 of your prescription drug plan.
- Increase spending on National Defense by 18.9%. The GOP says it could spend that money to increase R&D by four times or increase the pay of the military 200%.
Whew! That's a lot more money than it first sounded like. It's funny that the number 87 seems so small and how truly little knowledge we have of the word billion.
Posted by joestump at September 8, 2003 05:31 PMThere is no question in my mind that the President and his advisors are patriotic and focused intensely on the security of this nation. However, they have allowed 9/11 to cause them to view their mission through a straw. They are so focused on securing the middle east as a cornerstone of their security policy, and on supply side support for capitalists toward the goal of improving the economy, that they are squandering a myriad of opportunities to advance these causes.
Their adherence to an ideology that ignores the real world, and an ideology that looks great on paper, but, fails to acknowledge or deal with the dynamic and fact reality of day to day real world occurences, continues to squander opportunities to unify Americans toward the goals, to unify the world, toward its goals, to even unify its own administration to meet the changing challenges of history in the making.
What is leadership, if the nations of the world, or the majority of American citizens, don’t follow? It is not leadership at all.
Posted by: DRRemer at September 9, 2003 02:03 PMI agree with your straw comment, but I’m more concerned with *me* - maybe it’s the Gen-X’er in me, but I’d much rather spend money on programs that rebuild OUR infrastructure, OUR education system and OUR roads.
I’ve always been an isolationist, which explains my views I suppose. The reality is that this money could be spent on better things, but we do owe the Iraqis considering we’re the ones who blew their country into the 16th century. The situation is a total catch-22.
—Joe
Posted by: joestump at September 9, 2003 02:26 PMI agree with you Joe. I wish 9/11 hadn’t happened. I wish the administration had better leadership and control of our intelligence communities prior to 9/11 and had prevented it. As you state, Iraq is now our responsibility.
I think the President did the right thing on Sunday in asking for world assistance and cooperation. But, as in all of Bush’s decisions, it is too little and too late. The time to have asked for cooperation and funding from the rest of the world was before the invasion. Patience would have yielded the support the President now begs for.
I must say, I think there is yet an opportunity to find a solution for Americans who will bear the bulk of the military and financial costs of Iraq. That opportunity is to turn the command structure of peace keeping and rebuilding of Iraq over to the U.N., which would then come generously to aid of the Iraqi’s. While we would maintain a contingent in Iraq, we could return our reservists to their jobs and families. We could reduce that request for 87 billion dollars to something around 35 billion; if only President Bush would lead, instead of force. More command control is what UN countries want as the price of admission to place their troops in harm’s way, and to spend their citizens dollars on Iraq’s rebuilding. This President however has not the insight nor leadership to see that this is true.
Thus, schools, bridges, roads, social security, lower cost prescription drugs, minimum wage, Medicare and a host of other American’s needs will be sacrificed in the name of an ideology that is out of touch with the real world, and has no grasp of practical, pragmatic solutions.
Posted by: DRRemer at September 9, 2003 02:45 PMTHIS 87 BILLION BUSH IS ASKING FOR TO “REBUILD IRAQ” SEEMS MORE LIKE WE ARE BUILDING THE NATION FROM SCRATCH IN THE MODE OF A MODEL COUNTRY. I THINK THERE IS NO QUESTION WE MUST REBUILD WHAT WE DESTROYED BY THIS NEEDLESS WAR. WE MUST REBUILD THEIR ROADS, GET THEIR OIL FACILITIES,
ELECTRICITY, AND WATER RUNNING IN GOOD SHAPE. TO DO ALL OF THIS IT WILL TAKE 13 BILLION DOLLARSACCORDING TO THE BILL SUBMITTED TO CONGRESS. SEN. BYRD MADE A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO DIVIDE THE TOTAL AMOUNT INTO 2 PARTS, MILITARY AND REBUILDING, SO THAT WE THE PEOPLE COULD SEE AND HAVE MORE SAY SO ABOUT WHAT OUR MONEY WAS BEING SPENT FOR..IT WAS VOTED DOWN.
NOW, I SAY WE SHOULD REBUILD WHAT WE RUINED AND GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE..WE HAVE INFRASTRUCTURES
RIGHT HERE AT HOME THAT NEED REBUILDING AND I AM NOT INTERESTED IN PAYING FOR ANOTHER COUNTRY TO HAVE WHAT WE DONT HAVE, PLUS A FEW THOUSAND OVER PRICES PICK-UP TRUCKS AND A ZIP CODE PROGRAM..I’VE HAD IT AND WANT MY MONEY IN MY POCKET OR SPENT AT HOME. AND I WANT SOME ANSWERS AS TO WHY OUR LAWMAKER ARE NOT LISTENING TO WHAT THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY WANT.
MAYBE ITS TIME TO REMIND THEM THAT THEY ARE NOT SELF EMPLOYED AND THAT THEY WORK FOR “WE THE PEOPLE” AND THEY ARE NOW ENJOYING THE LAST OF THEIR PROBATION PERIOD AND MANY ARE HEADED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
