| Letter to Editor: Cost of Military Surge in Middle East |
Michael Bugg, Clinton, Ky.
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We are now told that "the surge is working." We were
also told that Iraq was involved in 911, that Saddam
was supporting Al Qaeda, that Iraq had WMD which they
would use against us without provocation, that the war
would be a "cake walk," that we were going to
"liberate" Iraq and "establish democracy," and that it
would only cost about $50 billion.
And we were told
that attacking a country that had not attacked us and
had no ability to attack us it would make us safer!
Bush and his supporters were wrong on every count, and
they NEVER intended to leave Iraq no matter how it
went as long as there is oil there! Now I am supposed
to believe that the "surge" is PERMANENTLY reducing
violence in all of Iraq?
After nearly 5 years, more
time than it took for Democratic President FDR to
defeat Germany, Italy and Japan in WW2, we are told
that our soldiers need more time to "win." We have
already sacrificed over 4000 soldiers killed, 30,000
wounded, $600 BILLION tax dollars so far, our
credibility and trust around the world, turned
millions more Islamic people against us, and have
turned Iraq into the perfect training ground for
people who hate us.
All the while borrowing every
penny of the cost of the war, nearly doubling our
national debt, hurting the value of the dollar,
depleting our forces, hurting recruitment, neglecting
veterans and other needs here at home, sacrificing the
very rights and freedoms that past soldiers fought and
DIED for, and dividing this country worse than any
time since our Civil War! And on top of this, we have
already tried puppet governments over there with the
Shah of Iran, then with Saddam himself.
You can't
lastingly gain the cooperation of the Iraqi people by
continuing killing them and occupying their country
even if we temporarily beat them into submission.
They proved before we invaded that they could control
their country for themselves because none of the death
and destruction we've seen since March 19, 2003 was
taking place before we invaded!
Why should our
soldiers continue to be killed and maimed and 10
billion tax dollars be spent each month to prop up a
government the Iraqi people are not willing to fight
for themselves? When did Bush and McCain become such
bleeding heart liberals?
This country cannot afford
the cost of "success" in Iraq. And contrary to what
the politicians and news media say, the war IS having
a serious negative impact on our economy beyond the
shrinking dollar and higher oil prices.
If half of
the $600 billion wasted in Iraq so far had been spent
in this country building and repairing our own
infrastructure, expanding mass transit, working on
alternative energy sources, and shoring up social
security or providing universal health care, the
economy would be so hot that the American people would
be talking about Iraq as the number one problem!
Michael Bugg
Clinton, KY 42031
270-210-3480
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