What Would A Wisdom-Based Culture Do With $720 Million Per Day?
Every day $720 million dollars are spent on the war in Iraq. It is useful to consider how a wisdom-based culture would prioritize these expenditures of our tax dollars. Here are eight other options identified by the American Friends Service Committee
* Build 6482 homes for American families
* Build 84 new elementary schools
* Provide 34,904 four-year scholarships
* Hire 12,478 elementary school teachers
* Place 95,364 children in Head Start
* Develop renewable energy in 1,274,336 homes
* Provide 1,153,846 children with free school lunches
* Provide 423,529 children with healthcare
Which would you rather have your tax money going toward: one day of war or one of these other options? This year's presidential election is critical in determining America's future. You decide where your tax dollars should be spent.
What would I do with that kind of money?
ReplyDeleteWhy, run for President of course.
;)
I hear you, John, but I also have to ask myself how many Iraqis will pay the price in blood for our unwillingness to finish what we so foolishly started.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course it is a good question.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately wisdom and politics don't seem to mix.
This war was about two things, and thought Chris is exactly right to refer to it as foolish in the context of lacking wisdom, but what was done to Iraq and our soldiers was done by design. The mission was indeed "accomplished". No mistake was made.
1) Israel's Zionist policies.
2) Money.
Israeli influence in our government wanted an occupied Iraq and revenge against Saddam for launching Scuds at them during the first Gulf War.
The oil and the "rebuilding" contracts were a pleasant perq for those that would assist Israel in destabilizing the region.
but just as Israel has alway underestimated the resolve of Palestinians, so did they underestimate the resolve of their Sunni kinfolk.
The moral of this story? America must have leaders that are strong enough to reject Israeli influence and dramatically reassess our political relationship with Israel.
Until we do that, there will be no peace. Peace between the Islamic world and the West cannot be achieved while Israel continues to punish civilians for the acts of their military rivals.
John,
ReplyDeleteI came across your post the other day and have a link to it in my post "Where Does The Money Go?" (http://heartontheleft.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/where-does-the-money-go/)
I also found some interesting comments from President Eisenhower that I believe also underscore what you wrote.
I also read your notes for this Sunday (2/10/2008) and applaud your effort.
Peace to you and with Christ,
Tony Mitchell
While I agree that American politics concerning Israel is meshuggeh (expressing anything other than a hardline Likud POV will get one labelled "anti-Semitic"--there is freer discussion about Israeli-Palestinian issues in Israel than in the US), I think it is probably true that Sharon tried to talk Bush/Cheney/Rice/Wolfowitz & Co. out of the invasion of Iraq because it would be so destabilizing to the region (and not to mention give Iran a huge leg up). The neo-cons sold the "the road to peace in Palestine runs through Baghdad" line to Bush and he bought it. Add to that the fact the money, and you got a causus belli.
ReplyDeleteChris, what exactly is there left "to finish"? We won the war against Saddam's government, fairly quickly to Bush's credit, and we have been in an increasingly unstable occupation ever since. Dragging this out has caused nearly 1,000,000 Iraqis (by the British medical journal The Lancet's estimate) to pay the price in blood. We are the irritant. "The Sunni Awakening" happened in al-Anbar province largely because of the surge....in Baghdad. Getting US troops out of al-Anbar convinced the Sunni leaders to stop fighting us and to start fighting the insurgents.
We've got to get an international or at least an Arab face on the occupation, give up these ridiculous claims to bases and get the hell out. Now.
And start taking care of our wounded warriors. Starting yesterday.
For Flycandler,
ReplyDeleteGo to http://heartontheleft.wordpress.com/2008/02/09/when-are-we-going-to-learn/
Welcome Chris and Dr. Tony. Thanks for the link!
ReplyDeleteI guess I am a cynic. But as we approach the fifth anniversary of this illegal and immoral invasion, I ask the same question, "Why exactly are we there?"
I simply do not believe it is for humanitarian principles. The U.S. has a presence there because it needs bases to defend the oil supply.