The Cost of the War on Terror…Bending or Breaking?
As we are approaching the drawdown of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, lets take a look at how much all of this cost the United States…not just monetarily, but also in human life.
A new study from Brown University has estimated that the cost of the War on Terror, in regards to human life is 225,000 lives, which includes soldiers, contractors and civilians.
When looking as to how much this will cost Americans, we are looking at a price tag that will be as high as $4 trillion! This includes medical care and disability for current and future wounded veterans.
If the War on Terror will continue in the capacity it is in today, by 2020 another $450 billion will be required to meet the needs of those wounded veterans.
I cannot speak for all Americans, but I feel that most would agree that this is just ridiculous. Aside from the astronomical price tag to Americans, which we will have to pay for one way or another sooner or later, but more importantly the burdens that families of these veterans and civilians will have to bear.
Were their sacrifices worth what was gained? I feel that the more important question to ask is what exactly was gained from all this?
Since the United States began its War on Terror, Americans have been hit with things such as the Patriot Act, which has been used as a tool against Americans to scale back our inalienable rights under the guise of anti-terrorism.
Job growth in the country has reversed and we are now seeing unemployment at its highest since the Great Depression. To add to this, the United States is now experiencing the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression.
Our credibility as a nation has seriously taken massive hits. As a result, we have been so bogged down that nations like Iran and North Korea have been thumbing their noses in our face.
Lets shift gears and look at what $4 trillion could have been used for over the last decade:
That money could have been used to repair and enhance the physical infrastructure of the United States. We now talk about “going green”, yet that money could have made that talk much closer to being a reality.
With many Americans coming out of college with massive student loan debt, $4 trillion could have been used to assist Americans in paying for college, as well as making it financially easier for many more Americans to go to college.
With all the talk of the national debt being way too high, which it is, $4 trillion dollars would be taken out of the national debt equation. Simply put, the lower debt would lead to decreased inflation and higher value of the dollar.
There is a great quote, “never have I seen such lions led by lambs”. This war has been sold to Americans, and some of our best, brightest and bravest have made the ultimate sacrifice as a result of this nation going down a path that has led us astray.
This has all been put on the backs of every American. How much bending can we take, both as a people and a nation, before we are broken?
A new study from Brown University has estimated that the cost of the War on Terror, in regards to human life is 225,000 lives, which includes soldiers, contractors and civilians.
When looking as to how much this will cost Americans, we are looking at a price tag that will be as high as $4 trillion! This includes medical care and disability for current and future wounded veterans.
If the War on Terror will continue in the capacity it is in today, by 2020 another $450 billion will be required to meet the needs of those wounded veterans.
I cannot speak for all Americans, but I feel that most would agree that this is just ridiculous. Aside from the astronomical price tag to Americans, which we will have to pay for one way or another sooner or later, but more importantly the burdens that families of these veterans and civilians will have to bear.
Were their sacrifices worth what was gained? I feel that the more important question to ask is what exactly was gained from all this?
Since the United States began its War on Terror, Americans have been hit with things such as the Patriot Act, which has been used as a tool against Americans to scale back our inalienable rights under the guise of anti-terrorism.
Job growth in the country has reversed and we are now seeing unemployment at its highest since the Great Depression. To add to this, the United States is now experiencing the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression.
Our credibility as a nation has seriously taken massive hits. As a result, we have been so bogged down that nations like Iran and North Korea have been thumbing their noses in our face.
Lets shift gears and look at what $4 trillion could have been used for over the last decade:
That money could have been used to repair and enhance the physical infrastructure of the United States. We now talk about “going green”, yet that money could have made that talk much closer to being a reality.
With many Americans coming out of college with massive student loan debt, $4 trillion could have been used to assist Americans in paying for college, as well as making it financially easier for many more Americans to go to college.
With all the talk of the national debt being way too high, which it is, $4 trillion dollars would be taken out of the national debt equation. Simply put, the lower debt would lead to decreased inflation and higher value of the dollar.
There is a great quote, “never have I seen such lions led by lambs”. This war has been sold to Americans, and some of our best, brightest and bravest have made the ultimate sacrifice as a result of this nation going down a path that has led us astray.
This has all been put on the backs of every American. How much bending can we take, both as a people and a nation, before we are broken?
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