Fear and Money

There is a war in Iraq. Everyone in the United States knows this (at least I hope they do). The American public was convinced that this war would help keep us safe from terrorism. Lies were told, money changed hands, and lives were lost. That's how war works. But there are a few things that I think need talking about. If you have an enemy that you can't wipe out, due to the nature of the enemy, then maybe you shouldn't piss them off. Do people really believe that "Terrorists" are a specific group, and that they can be eliminated without making the bystanders hate us just as much? Are people really afraid that at any moment our country will be attacked and our lives will be destroyed, and that it is worth destroying entire countries to prevent this? If so, then by all means, stay this course.

The attacks of September eleventh were the worst attacks on US soil since pearl harbor. 3,000 people died as a result of the September eleventh attacks, and as a result of the war in Iraq, over 4,000 US military service members have died, and, depending on who you ask, a lot of enemy combatants, and even more civilians. I am not a military strategist, but what I see is one of the most powerful countries in the world tossing lives aside under the pretense of preventing deaths.

If the US government can afford such an expensive war, whatever the reason, why can they not afford to help their own society? There are two types of people who are afraid of communism: The rich and ignorant. That's not to say there aren't plenty of other people who don't think that communism is a great system, but I don't think they fear it. If we can help fix starvation, poverty, and resource shortage, does it really matter what system we use? I'm not saying the ends justify the means in all cases, I'm simply saying that money spend on death could be better used on life, to the benefit of all.

The monetary cost of this premeditated, preemptive act of violence, intended to somehow "create peace" out of an already antagonistic relationship, is now in excess of five-hundred billion dollars. Almost thirty-six million Americans are living below the poverty line, and the estimated total credit card debt of Americans is sixty billion dollars. The amount of money spent on the Iraq war could (at least temporarily) bring every American family out of poverty and repay every American's credit card debt.

This isn't some kind of in depth analysis, it's not the opinion of an economic analyst, but it is a simple question: To the American people, is attempting to delay a possible terrorist attack more important than poverty in our own country?