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Thursday, April 10, 2008

Why this war isn't truly even sustainable

Consider these major factors:

1) News today: "Soldiers deaths announced: The US military announced the deaths of 5 more soldiers, raising the number of US troop deaths to 17 since Sunday. The announcement came amid new fighting in a Shiite militia group stronghold under siege by US and Iraqi forces in Baghdad." From the Kansas City Star, today, April 10, 2008.

2) The "Green Zone", which is supposed to be our military's "safe haven", is by no means safe. Some of the above 17 fatalities came from attacks in this very Green Zone. Zbigniew Brzezinski once said, at the start of the war, that the Green Zone was the only thing in Iraq that we controlled. We really don't even control that, if we ever did.

3) More news today: "Soldier Suicide record: 'US soldiers committing suicide at record levels, young officers abandoning their military careers, and the heavy use of forces in Iraq has made it harder for the military to fight conflicts elsewhere', Army Vice Chief of Staff General Richard Cody said.'" If all this is true, and it most assuredly is, how can we continue this fight in Iraq indefinitely, let alone maintain our military worldwide? (Source: Kansas City Star, April 10, 2008).

4) Okay, quick, can you tell me how much this war has been figured to be costing us per month? From the very official and "nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which provides research and analysis to lawmakers", it has been estimated to be $12 billion per month. That's twelve. Billion. A month. Our national debt, alone, can't support an endless funding of this very expensive, seemingly endless war. (Source: Go to: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11847236)

5) As of today, "the federal deficit through the first half of this budget year hit a record high of $311.4 billion, up 20.5% from a year ago. The Treasury's monthly budget report showed that revenue for the budget year that began Oct. 1 totaled $1.146 trillion, up 2.2% from last year. Government spending was up" (thanks, "conservative" President Bush!) by a much faster 5.7%, rising to $1.457 trillion." (Souce: Kansas City Star, April 11, 2008).

With this limited information alone--just these five points--what about this war seems supportable? We can't afford the military personnel. Too many of the military men and women don't want to be there. We can't afford the materiel to support our personnel--and this is not a recent development. We can't control much of anything in Iraq. No one wants us there from the outside. The American people don't any longer want us there/support the war, if we ever did. We can't afford it financially. And we've never held a high, moral ground with this war, in spite of what a few in the government said and what too many people believed.

How could it possibly be considered supportable, sustainable and/or defensible any longer?

Mr. President? Mr. McCain? Anybody?

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