Comments on: The Opportunity Cost of War in Iraq http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/ Specialization is for Insects. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:44:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dawood Mamedoff http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-49425 Dawood Mamedoff Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:10:18 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-49425 This war is the second expensive for U.S. after the World War II. Here I've tried to summarize all costs of the Iraq war for Americans: http://www.myhowtoos.com/en/red-hot/86-all-costs-of-war-in-iraq-for-usa This war is the second expensive for U.S. after the World War II. Here I’ve tried to summarize all costs of the Iraq war for Americans:

http://www.myhowtoos.com/en/red-hot/86-all-costs-of-war-in-iraq-for-usa

]]> By: Nora Thomason http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-32747 Nora Thomason Fri, 23 Nov 2007 21:53:11 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-32747 One of my fellow authors put up a blog post about the cost of war. It fits nicely with some of the points that you have made here, so, I thought I'd direct you to it... at EverydayCitizen.com .... she calls the post: <a href="http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2007/11/his_war_costs_much_more_than_w.html" rel="nofollow">Economists Explain: Bush Destroyed Our American Dream</a> and it's at this address: http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2007/11/his_war_costs_much_more_than_w.html Love your blog, Nora One of my fellow authors put up a blog post about the cost of war. It fits nicely with some of the points that you have made here, so, I thought I’d direct you to it… at EverydayCitizen.com …. she calls the post:
Economists Explain: Bush Destroyed Our American Dream and it’s at this address:
http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2007/11/his_war_costs_much_more_than_w.html

Love your blog,
Nora

]]> By: Tom http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-17110 Tom Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:04:08 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-17110 Today near Capitol arrested 200 participants in the rally against the war in Iraq! Today near Capitol arrested 200 participants in the rally against the war in Iraq!

]]> By: Tom http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-16273 Tom Wed, 12 Sep 2007 01:25:54 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-16273 Or, instead of killing nearly a million Iraqis, we could have given each and every family about $100,000. I bet democracy may have gotten a foothold then. Or, instead of killing nearly a million Iraqis, we could have given each and every family about $100,000. I bet democracy may have gotten a foothold then.

]]> By: John P. http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-14529 John P. Sun, 02 Sep 2007 05:26:46 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-14529 Good point Scott. I hadn't even thought about that. John Good point Scott. I hadn’t even thought about that.

John

]]> By: Scott http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-14526 Scott Sun, 02 Sep 2007 05:12:01 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-14526 The other opportunity is leaving it in the hands of families. Every dollar ripped out of the hands of a family increases risks in that family. It can cause a day delay in getting the brakes checked, or a day delay in throwing out the potato salad. The increase in risk of death is small, but it adds up. Economists estimate that taking a billion dollars out of US family income costs about 200 lives. For the presented cost of war, that means about 100,000 lives. Of course, since much of the war cost is borrowed, that targets our children more than the populace in general. Of these lives, it is hard to say "that man died because of the war" or "that little girl died because of the war", so it gets little press. Yet on the average, we know it happens. The other opportunity is leaving it in the hands of families. Every dollar ripped out of the hands of a family increases risks in that family. It can cause a day delay in getting the brakes checked, or a day delay in throwing out the potato salad. The increase in risk of death is small, but it adds up. Economists estimate that taking a billion dollars out of US family income costs about 200 lives. For the presented cost of war, that means about 100,000 lives. Of course, since much of the war cost is borrowed, that targets our children more than the populace in general. Of these lives, it is hard to say “that man died because of the war” or “that little girl died because of the war”, so it gets little press. Yet on the average, we know it happens.

]]> By: MG http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-14462 MG Sat, 01 Sep 2007 22:59:38 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-14462 A friend of the family was one of those 19 year olds :( God bless him, he was completely sold on the idea of defending his nation against terrorists, but he died instead defending a nation who's terrorists are its own citizens. The sad part is that with the recent announcement that 190,000 US guns have been "lost" in Iraq, he could have been killed by one of our guns (source: http://gnn.tv/headlines/15005/U_S_has_lost_190_000_guns_in_Iraq ). I may be jaded, but I just don't think you can force democracy down someone's throat with a barrel of a gun. It has to be a fundamental desire to change the core of a country, and that will can't be introduced by a foreign occupying nation :( A friend of the family was one of those 19 year olds :(

God bless him, he was completely sold on the idea of defending his nation against terrorists, but he died instead defending a nation who’s terrorists are its own citizens. The sad part is that with the recent announcement that 190,000 US guns have been “lost” in Iraq, he could have been killed by one of our guns (source: http://gnn.tv/headlines/15005/U_S_has_lost_190_000_guns_in_Iraq ).

I may be jaded, but I just don’t think you can force democracy down someone’s throat with a barrel of a gun. It has to be a fundamental desire to change the core of a country, and that will can’t be introduced by a foreign occupying nation :(

]]> By: BradDet http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-14091 BradDet Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:57:14 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-14091 Yep, thanks for the clarification. And if you used another counter, that already exists it's not lazy it's smart, why re-invent the wheel ! Yep, thanks for the clarification. And if you used another counter, that already exists it’s not lazy it’s smart, why re-invent the wheel !

]]> By: Lisa Marie Mary http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-14079 Lisa Marie Mary Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:20:42 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-14079 <blockquote>The middle east has been at war for centuries. To think throwing thousands of 19 year olds with guns into the mix will solve it, is very bad thinking.</blockquote> Gosh, that just sums it up, doesn't it? So sad, so sad. And yes, John - I agree about the not making profits from war - ugh, it just sickens me. I know I am an idealist, but, come on! You know? A lot of bloggers do the Wednesday Hero thing on their blogs, and I can't even read them, because I just start crying and get so upset every time. So now I try to scroll past them really fast!

The middle east has been at war for centuries. To think throwing thousands of 19 year olds with guns into the mix will solve it, is very bad thinking.

Gosh, that just sums it up, doesn’t it?

So sad, so sad.

And yes, John – I agree about the not making profits from war – ugh, it just sickens me.

I know I am an idealist, but, come on! You know?

A lot of bloggers do the Wednesday Hero thing on their blogs, and I can’t even read them, because I just start crying and get so upset every time. So now I try to scroll past them really fast!

]]> By: Johny http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-14078 Johny Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:11:15 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-14078 We should now somehow try to calculate how much the oil in Iraq and Afghanistan are worth, and how much the key supporters of the war earned by selling weapons or anything related to defense, or to the war in some manner... Those are the numbers which matter to them, because that is what is going in their pockets, the cost of the war is being paid by tax payers and therefore it's a win-win situation for them (them = the government members who supported the war and the people, big company owners who backed them up). We should now somehow try to calculate how much the oil in Iraq and Afghanistan are worth, and how much the key supporters of the war earned by selling weapons or anything related to defense, or to the war in some manner… Those are the numbers which matter to them, because that is what is going in their pockets, the cost of the war is being paid by tax payers and therefore it’s a win-win situation for them (them = the government members who supported the war and the people, big company owners who backed them up).

]]> By: Eric http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-14044 Eric Fri, 31 Aug 2007 19:12:11 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-14044 Heh, no joke John - I would LOVE to see that sort of legislation. Of course then you'd have to boil down deeper to find who has connections to what, but at least it would give us means to go after war profiteers. At the end of the day, to know that someone's life could be an issue of your net profit or bottom line is despicable. :( Heh, no joke John – I would LOVE to see that sort of legislation. Of course then you’d have to boil down deeper to find who has connections to what, but at least it would give us means to go after war profiteers.

At the end of the day, to know that someone’s life could be an issue of your net profit or bottom line is despicable. :(

]]> By: John P. http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-14033 John P. Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:41:21 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-14033 I think we should pass a law prohibiting anyone from making a profit from war time activity. If you sell products to support war efforts you are only allowed to charge cost plus 10%. Then let's see how many wars we get into and how long they last. John I think we should pass a law prohibiting anyone from making a profit from war time activity. If you sell products to support war efforts you are only allowed to charge cost plus 10%. Then let’s see how many wars we get into and how long they last.

John

]]> By: Eric http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-14027 Eric Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:03:50 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-14027 John, I think the reason we've kept going this long is perception and momentum. One feeds the other unfortunately. We see this with the new candidates who are being called flip floppers for now holding new positions now that they're on the podium and in need of votes. It seems that you want to avoid decrying the war (or that if you do, you have a supporting voting base to leverage you), for fear of looking too different from the other candidates. Ron Paul's been a voice of reason to some of us for words like this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=dZmPS0XmeBw <blockquote> The argument has been reduced to this: If we leave now, Iraq will be left a mess. Implying the implausible, that if we stay it WON'T be a mess. </blockquote> Eventually you have to do the math. With the complete lack of willingness to be anywhere NEAR transparent by Bush, Cheney, and good ol Alberto, I can't trust them to truly justify the war any longer. We're losing funds, losing power, losing popularity, and worst of all we're losing our future generations. By simply declaring defeat, cutting our losses, and admitting we need to find more efficient and more intelligent responses to wars like the War on Drugs and War on Terror, we could win. But with the momentum, any candidate who tries to say that we're not winning the war on terror or that we're not winning the war on drugs, instantly faces possible political slaughter. The ends have to justify the means, and every second that number grows larger, the means are becoming less and less justifiable in my mind. The War on Drugs isn't successful. Most people in their 20's know that within 12 hours they could secure a drug connection to get just about anything. The War on Terror isn't successful because Bin Laden is still free and we're helping fight people that had nothing to do with 9/11. I hate the fact that my daughter is in school with teachers who are underpaid, who have to pay for school materials out of their own pocket, and that I have to struggle to keep crappy healthcare paid for. To know that we're spending OVER A TRILLION DOLLARS between the war on drugs and the war on terror, but that we can't afford to take care of our own citizens.. It definitely makes me sad. The middle east has been at war for centuries. To think throwing thousands of 19 year olds with guns into the mix will solve it, is very bad thinking. Why not focus on the healthcare system that those soldiers will need when they come back maimed, injured, and suffering from things that may take years to manifest? John,

I think the reason we’ve kept going this long is perception and momentum. One feeds the other unfortunately. We see this with the new candidates who are being called flip floppers for now holding new positions now that they’re on the podium and in need of votes. It seems that you want to avoid decrying the war (or that if you do, you have a supporting voting base to leverage you), for fear of looking too different from the other candidates.

Ron Paul’s been a voice of reason to some of us for words like this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dZmPS0XmeBw

The argument has been reduced to this:

If we leave now, Iraq will be left a mess.

Implying the implausible, that if we stay it WON’T be a mess.

Eventually you have to do the math. With the complete lack of willingness to be anywhere NEAR transparent by Bush, Cheney, and good ol Alberto, I can’t trust them to truly justify the war any longer. We’re losing funds, losing power, losing popularity, and worst of all we’re losing our future generations.

By simply declaring defeat, cutting our losses, and admitting we need to find more efficient and more intelligent responses to wars like the War on Drugs and War on Terror, we could win.

But with the momentum, any candidate who tries to say that we’re not winning the war on terror or that we’re not winning the war on drugs, instantly faces possible political slaughter.

The ends have to justify the means, and every second that number grows larger, the means are becoming less and less justifiable in my mind.

The War on Drugs isn’t successful. Most people in their 20′s know that within 12 hours they could secure a drug connection to get just about anything. The War on Terror isn’t successful because Bin Laden is still free and we’re helping fight people that had nothing to do with 9/11.

I hate the fact that my daughter is in school with teachers who are underpaid, who have to pay for school materials out of their own pocket, and that I have to struggle to keep crappy healthcare paid for. To know that we’re spending OVER A TRILLION DOLLARS between the war on drugs and the war on terror, but that we can’t afford to take care of our own citizens..

It definitely makes me sad.

The middle east has been at war for centuries. To think throwing thousands of 19 year olds with guns into the mix will solve it, is very bad thinking.

Why not focus on the healthcare system that those soldiers will need when they come back maimed, injured, and suffering from things that may take years to manifest?

]]> By: Pumpkin http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-14019 Pumpkin Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:06:49 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-14019 It makes me ill to think of all the money that has been spent and will be spent because of this war. Not to meantion you can't put a price on life. So many lives have been taken or destroyed already. From the beginning when the cost of the war was skyrocketing I kept thinking of how much better it would have been to have dumped all that hard cash into our school systems. I think that would have been smarter than starting this war. It would have been an investment in America's future. It makes me ill to think of all the money that has been spent and will be spent because of this war. Not to meantion you can’t put a price on life. So many lives have been taken or destroyed already.

From the beginning when the cost of the war was skyrocketing I kept thinking of how much better it would have been to have dumped all that hard cash into our school systems. I think that would have been smarter than starting this war. It would have been an investment in America’s future.

]]> By: John P. http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-14018 John P. Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:06:48 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-14018 Brad, I should have explicitly stated how that number was being derived, but I actually didn't think about it. After <a href="http://www.nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=297&Itemid=7" rel="nofollow">I read it myself</a> I was satisfied and then put it out of my mind. Sometimes I find it difficult to decide what to put in an article, and what to leave out. I try to cover enough to be complete, but not so much as to be exhaustive. :-) I was far to lazy to make one myself, so I got the counter from <a href="http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=298&Itemid=298" rel="nofollow">CostOfWar.com</a>. You can get one to put in a post as well. It's just a simple javascript. In order to get it to float over on the left side of the page I used a standard feature I baked into <a href="http://onemansblog.com/2007/04/30/free-wordpress-theme-rapid-access/" rel="nofollow">my theme</a> called a "pullquote". You basically need to wrap the javascript in a <a href="http://htmlhelp.com/reference/html40/block/div.html" rel="nofollow">DIV element</a> and apply some <a href="http://htmlhelp.com/reference/css/" rel="nofollow">style</a>. It would look like this: <code><div style="float:left; <a href="http://htmlhelp.com/reference/css/box/border-top.html" rel="nofollow">border-top</a>: <a href="http://htmlhelp.com/reference/css/box/border-style.html" rel="nofollow">double</a> <a href="http://htmlhelp.com/reference/css/units.html#color" rel="nofollow">black</a>; border-bottom:double black; padding: 5px"> Place JavaScript Here </div></code> Hope that helps, and let me know if you need any assistance or anything. John Brad,

I should have explicitly stated how that number was being derived, but I actually didn’t think about it. After I read it myself I was satisfied and then put it out of my mind. Sometimes I find it difficult to decide what to put in an article, and what to leave out. I try to cover enough to be complete, but not so much as to be exhaustive. :-)

I was far to lazy to make one myself, so I got the counter from CostOfWar.com. You can get one to put in a post as well. It’s just a simple javascript.

In order to get it to float over on the left side of the page I used a standard feature I baked into my theme called a “pullquote”. You basically need to wrap the javascript in a DIV element and apply some style. It would look like this:
<div style="float:left; border-top: double black; border-bottom:double black; padding: 5px"> Place JavaScript Here </div>

Hope that helps, and let me know if you need any assistance or anything.

John

]]> By: BradDet http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-13990 BradDet Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:33:01 +0000 http://onemansblog.com/2007/08/31/the-opportunity-cost-of-war-in-iraq/#comment-13990 Sorry John, My math's is not so good, and I must admit all the numbers and calculations confuse me a bit..though I do appreciate their shock value. Could you elaborate a little more on how you extrapolated the $ counter from the figures. Are you taking the estimated $ over say a 6 month period and working back to a per/second calculation, with the notion that future costs will remain fairly steady with past averages? I apologize if you explain this in your entry, I've scanned through it several times now, and I can only shiver at the numbers. Also what tool are you using to generate the clock/$. It is a very clean looking calculator, did you make it yourself? Sorry John,

My math’s is not so good, and I must admit all the numbers and calculations confuse me a bit..though I do appreciate their shock value.

Could you elaborate a little more on how you extrapolated the $ counter from the figures. Are you taking the estimated $ over say a 6 month period and working back to a per/second calculation, with the notion that future costs will remain fairly steady with past averages?

I apologize if you explain this in your entry, I’ve scanned through it several times now, and I can only shiver at the numbers. Also what tool are you using to generate the clock/$. It is a very clean looking calculator, did you make it yourself?

]]>