You'll get over it.

Freedom isn't cheap.

Same price and a fraction of the deaths on the American size?

Tr0mBoNe

Same price and a fraction of the deaths

You make it sound like it would be cheap at twice the price.

You are not supporting the troops. Why do you hate America?

ndotseth: Freedom isn't cheap.

freedom costs a buck-oh-five.

Yes, it sure is a good thing we defended our freedom.

For that much money, I'm pissed that we haven't killed more brown people over there.

I say we need to start razing some random villages. Napalm works, for starters.

Before everyone gets all stupid, please note that the article accounts for inflation and the changes in the American dollar.

Thank you for your attention to this weighty matter.

When, if ever, will we see the numbers on Iraqi death tolls?

SchlingFo: I say we need to start razing some random villages. Napalm works, for starters.

I heard that it sticks to kids.

The reason it is costing so much more per/year is, because we use all these guided weapons that cose 1 to 2 million dollars per shot. I vietnam, we just droped a bunch of dumb bombs and killed everything in a 1 square mile area. If people would stop crying so much about colateral damage and come to grips with war sucks, it would cose less and be over quicker.

nashBridges: Seriously, take any ostensible goal of this war and we've failed to reach it:

1) Stop terrorism - for the most part.
2) Foothold in the Middle East to stabilize the region - yes.
3) Oil - sorta.
4) Remove a tyrant to make Iraqis safer - Hell Yes.
5) Corner the global market on used, sand infested military equipment - THERE WERE NO WMDS BUSH LIED PAY NO ATTENTION TO THOSE STOCKS OF MUSTARD GAS OVER IN THE CORNER.

/FTFY

But what is the comparison for percentage of GDP? That would probably be a more useful comparison.

This thread should be full of thoughtful, well-reasoned comments.

Jeremy Bates: 3. Expand the power of the executive office and diminish the power of the other two branches to control it.

THIS is the one we need to worry about most.

Police Action

However, casualties in Vietnam were 10x what we have so far in Iraq.

Much crappier songs this war. I bet we'll get better movies, though.

Well, yeah, the Bush Administration has been using as much of Other People's Money as possible. War Profiteering.

Jeremy Bates: nashBridges: There has to be more, and goddammit, I want to know what that "more" is.

There were several, in my opinion:

1. Allowing corporate buddies to rape the treasury.
2. Bankrupting the federal government (a long-time dream of many Republicans -- see the "drown it in the bathtub" speech) in order to convince people that they should trust private companies and corporations instead of the government.
3. Expand the power of the executive office and diminish the power of the other two branches to control it.

I'm sure other people can come up with more reasons, but those are the three main ones, I think.

Dude, there was a pothole in front of my house. Was there for the past 5 years. I kept going to the council, they said they don't have the funding. I hire an asphalt company to do it, problem solved.

You are right though. If Bush didn't use the Constitution to wipe his ass, maybe Congress would've at least been able to start on that list of things they would do in the first 100 hours. Its all his fault, not incompetent Democrats running Congress

I told my Grandma about this, and she literally started to puke.

Jeremy Bates: nashBridges: There has to be more, and goddammit, I want to know what that "more" is.

There were several, in my opinion:

1. Allowing corporate buddies to rape the treasury.
2. Bankrupting the federal government (a long-time dream of many Republicans -- see the "drown it in the bathtub" speech) in order to convince people that they should trust private companies and corporations instead of the government.
3. Expand the power of the executive office and diminish the power of the other two branches to control it.

I'm sure other people can come up with more reasons, but those are the three main ones, I think.

This.

It's worth noting that we're managing to spend many, many more dollars per soldier/year than in any previous conflict.

Happily, we are now reaping the great returns on that investment!

/ Freedom on the march?
// dollar on the march south

GW deserves a medal for the suffering he's endured throughout his public scourging. Shame on you people for not showing patriotism a- hahahah I can't even finish it.

Tr0mBoNe: Same price and a fraction of the deaths on the American size?

Monetary costs are only a fraction of the burden. The cost in lives for a war is much much more significant (or at least it is to me). But the most significant cost of the Iraq war is the global goodwill we pissed away after 9/11.

Fizics: GW deserves a medal for the suffering he's endured throughout his public scourging. Shame on you people for not showing patriotism a- hahahah I can't even finish it.

+ 1 I lol'd.

ndotseth: Freedom isn't cheap.

Right, because that's what this war is all about. Really hoping your remark was sarcasm.

Before this Week

Obama: We must get the troops out of Iraq, because the surge obviously isn't working

This week

Obama: Shame on NATO for not helping America with our surge that is totally working

Argh2: Much crappier songs this war. I bet we'll get better movies, though.

I agree with the music and disagree about the movies. Vietnam had awesome serious movies but it also provided the backdrop for other less serious movies like the Missing in Action trilogy and First Blood I & II. WW2 has a whole bunch of great movies and Korea had MASH. The first gulf war gave us 3 Kings which was terrible and Jarhead which sucked even more. Desert warfare just doesn't seem to be as sexy on film as jungles and nazis.

my greenlight from ~2 years ago:

Something Awful explains what we could've done with all that war money. (new window)

WFern: ndotseth: Freedom isn't cheap.

Right, because that's what this war is all about. Really hoping your remark was sarcasm.

Fark newbie? You don't know ndotseth. He is the canonical one-shot Fark troll, posts once and never speaks again -- as s/he is apparently incapable of discourse.

...with $648 billion spent..

Relax, we won in Vietnam and we'll win in Iraq too.

Ace Attorney: Before this Week

Obama: We must get the troops out of Iraq, because the surge obviously isn't working

This week

Obama: Shame on NATO for not helping America with our surge that is totally working

McCain: The Surge enabled the Sunni Awakening, which occurred one year before the Surge, which, um, is actually our amazing strategy that enabled the Sunni Awakening a year before it started.

Remember this, you don't go to war with money that you do have, you go to a fictitious bank with an infinite money supply, borrow unreal money, and then you go to war. Or you could go to war then borrow the money. Actually both are okay.

qrb912: The reason it is costing so much more per/year is, because we use all these guided weapons that cose 1 to 2 million dollars per shot. I vietnam, we just droped a bunch of dumb bombs and killed everything in a 1 square mile area. If people would stop crying so much about colateral damage and come to grips with war sucks, it would cose less and be over quicker.

Dude, were you paying attention AT ALL? If there was any intended outcome of this stupid thing, it was to get Iraq on our side. Indiscriminate bombing and huge civilian casualties actually works AGAINST us.

Yes, war sucks. It's also difficult. You can't just kill noncombatants at random and expect the survivors to be on your side. Some problems you have to think all the way through before you act.

Ace Attorney: Before this Week

Obama: We must get the troops out of Iraq, because the surge obviously isn't working

This week

Obama: Shame on NATO for not helping America with our surge that is totally working

Uh... fill me in here.

Step 1. America enters unnecessary and horrifying war. Step 2. Obama opposes escalation in the form of the Surge. Step 3. Sadr structures cease-fire, American government bribes militias to slow violence. Step 4. Ceasefires end, violence resumes, Obama thanks the troops for doing what they could.

I've been following this all very closely on a daily basis, so I'm a little curious as to what I've apparently missed. Maybe you're "confused" like your boy McCain.

Yes Sound: Tr0mBoNe: Same price and a fraction of the deaths on the American size?

Monetary costs are only a fraction of the burden. The cost in lives for a war is much much more significant (or at least it is to me). But the most significant cost of the Iraq war is the global goodwill we pissed away after 9/11.

THIS

Argh2: You can't just kill noncombatants at random and expect the survivors to be on your side.

It worked for the CCCP, and China, and Iran, and etc. etc. etc.

You just don't want us to, because even though you don't believe in God, you can't risk the fact that he might exist and you might end up going to hell if you support those "National Socialist Republicans"

Yes Sound: Tr0mBoNe: Same price and a fraction of the deaths on the American size?

Monetary costs are only a fraction of the burden. The cost in lives for a war is much much more significant (or at least it is to me). But the most significant cost of the Iraq war is the global goodwill we pissed away after 9/11.

This is certainly true, but money is a factor as well. That much certainly goes a long way - healthcare, education, Afghanistan even.

Not to mention where this amount is coming from - largely borrowed from the Chinese.

I believe thanks to the evangelists are in order.


_{/Democracy is a utopian idea put to waste by ignorant, stupid, lazy and the wicked}

nashBridges: Cheney isn't operating as a government shill simply to make money. He made more money working the private sector. There's another reason. He's also a self-confessed nationalist, so if he thought he'd be hurting the country he wouldn't push the war.

I'm not so sure about that.

one question.
why do they say...whe have to win the war?
iraqi army desimated...check
new government...check
new army....check
new elected officials...check
what part of that isn't the "the war isn't over" doesn't anyone understand?
we won the war.
it's about nation building now.
why is it so hard to say...the war is over?
it's just about the schools now?

WFern: Step 1. America enters a war after a foreign entity attacks (when has that happened before?). Step 2. Obama opposes escalation in the form of the Surge. Step 3. Obama runs for president Step 4. Obama looks at polls, sees nobody likes it when Congress doesn't follow through with their promises, so he changes his position, again.

Hope that helps

ps...been drinking..sorry

and I'd wager, less entertainment from the locals ...

Full Metal Jacket: (new window)

Ace Attorney: Obama: Shame on NATO for not helping America with our surge that is totally working

[citation needed]

The Grasshopper: one question.
why do they say...whe have to win the war?
iraqi army desimated...check
new government...check
new army....check
new elected officials...check
what part of that isn't the "the war isn't over" doesn't anyone understand?
we won the war.
it's about nation building now.
why is it so hard to say...the war is over?
it's just about the schools now?

I remember hearing some country called Iran wanting nukes, but I'm sure Obama can fix that, just like Jimmy Carter did years ago. Right?

RIGHT?!?!?!

nashBridges: Cheney isn't operating as a government shill simply to make money. He made more money working the private sector. There's another reason. He's also a self-confessed nationalist, so if he thought he'd be hurting the country he wouldn't push the war.

AAAAAA hahahahahahahahahahahaahhaahahahahhaahahahahhaahhah!

/jesus, don't do that anymore - my hernia can't take it.

Oakland A's FTW!: Jeremy Bates: 3. Expand the power of the executive office and diminish the power of the other two branches to control it.

THIS is the one we need to worry about most.

Congress has castrated itself through incompetence and its own inability to pass any meaningful legislation. The power of the executive branch has increased simply by default.

/tired
//meh

It worked for the CCCP, and China, and Iran, and etc. etc. etc.

You just don't want us to, because even though you don't believe in God, you can't risk the fact that he might exist and you might end up going to hell if you support those "National Socialist Republicans"

A. It did NOT work for the CCCP (wonder why that's an obsolete acronym?). It's NOT working for China (Tibet), and Iran hasn't invaded anyone in over a thousand years. Get your head out of your ass.

B. Don't assume so much. It makes you look ever stupider than you are.

JFP's Gym Partner: But what is the comparison for percentage of GDP? That would probably be a more useful comparison.

Why? That's as arbitrary a measure as any. Might as well say, "This war isn't expensive because I only pay $.79 for cinnamon twists at Taco Bell!"