War
and Red Ink
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The president plans to request another $87 billion from Congress to fund operations in Iraq, a number that not surprisingly is much higher than originally called for by the administration. It's not surprising because everything government does costs more than originally expected, but it's important to note that some in the administration who warned about the true financial costs of an Iraq war were forced to leave. Even the White House concedes this spending will swell the single-year budget deficit to a record $525 billion. This is money the Treasury simply does not have, which means it must be borrowed, printed, or raised through taxes. None of these options are good for the American economy. It is especially sobering to consider just how much we eventually might spend in Iraq given our open-ended mission to rebuild it. A decade in Iraq easily could cost American taxpayers one trillion dollars and cause endless budget deficits. The question we might ask ourselves is this: What if our efforts to rebuild Iraq and install a democratic government do not work? Are we prepared to spend less on domestic programs like Social Security, welfare, and education? Are we prepared to raise taxes? Can we continue to borrow money abroad? Of course Americans are always prepared to make hard choices and sacrifice for causes in which they truly believe, but the stark economic realities of occupying Iraq have not been fairly presented. Remember, the American people first were told they must pay to invade Iraq; now they are told they must pay to rebuild it. Those who complain risk being called unpatriotic or seen as not supporting the troops. But it's not unpatriotic to ask how much Iraq is worth to us, and whether rebuilding it is more important than countless domestic priorities. "Whatever It Takes" is an easy mantra for politicians, but you will pay the bills long after the current administration is gone. We can never hope to impose western, American-style democracy upon a nation that has been rooted in Islam for more than a thousand years. No matter what we say or do, millions of Iraqis and Muslims believe Iraq has simply been invaded by the Christian west. It makes no difference whether American, European, or UN military forces are involved; all are viewed as outsiders seeking to colonize and rule Iraq according to western values. We cannot expect to overcome their resistance and bitterness quickly or easily, and, if we truly intend to stay the course until democracy flourishes in Iraq, we better be prepared to stay quite a long time. For many in Washington it simply does not matter whether the cause is Iraq, the war on terror, or any other perceived crisis. Any justification to expand the state is welcomed by politicians, lobbyists, and special interests alike. Before we spend a borrowed fortune in Iraq, we might remember the words of General Douglas MacArthur: "The
powers in charge keep us in a perpetual state of fear, keep us in a
continuous stampede of patriotic fervor with the cry of grave national
emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil to gobble us up
if we did not blindly rally behind it by furnishing the exorbitant sums
demanded. Yet, in retrospect, these disasters seem never to have happened,
seem never to have been quite real."
Ron Paul is a Republican Congressman from Texas. He was the 1988 Libertarian Party candidate for President.
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Previous articles by Rep. Ron Paul Can
We Afford To Occupy Iraq? Trust
Us, We're the Government Ron
Paul Applauds Congressional Restrictions on Patriot Act Phony
Justifications for War What
Happened to Conservatives? An
Appointed Congress? Iraq:
What Are We Getting Into? Keep
the United Nations out of Iraq and America Don't
Antagonize Our Trading Partners The
Myth of War Prosperity Another
United Nations War? Buying
War Allies and 'Friends' with Foreign Aid Conscription
Is Slavery Waning
Prospects for Peace in 2003? What
Does Regime Change in Iraq Really Mean? Our
Incoherent Foreign Policy Fuels Middle East Turmoil Homeland
Security Is the Largest Federal Expansion in 50 Years Unintended
Consequences The
Homeland Security Monstrosity Oppose
The New Homeland Security Bureaucracy! Honoring
Our Military Veterans Opposing
the Use of Military Force Against Iraq Congress
Must Say Yes or No to War Is
Congress Relevant with Regards to War? Can
We Afford This War? War
is a Political Mistake Entangling
Alliances Distort our Foreign Policy Questions
that Won't Be Asked About Iraq A
Foreign Policy for Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty Arguments
Against a War in Iraq Important
Questions About War in Iraq War
in Iraq, War on the Rule of Law Will
Congress Debate War with Iraq? The
Homeland Security Non-Debate Department
of Homeland Security Who Needs It? Opening
Cuban Markets Good for Cubans and Americans Is
America a Police State? Inspection
or Invasion in Iraq? Don't
Force Taxpayers to Fund Nation-Building in Afghanistan Say
No to Conscription Statement
in Support of a Balanced Approach to the Middle East Peace Process The
Founding Fathers Were Right About Foreign Affairs |